Banana Coin
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Banana Coins, also known as Banana Bunch Coins (or Banana Bunch Koins[1]), are a currency used in the Donkey Kong franchise, starting with Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. They are coins depicting a banana, or sometimes a Banana Bunch: these are known as Banana Bunch Coins. Their purpose varies between games, but are generally used to purchase an item or service from another Kong. Banana Bunch Coins were replaced with bear coins in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and its handheld follow-up, Donkey Kong Land III.
History
Donkey Kong Country series
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest / Donkey Kong Land 2
In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Land 2, Banana Bunch Coins are scattered throughout each level. Diddy and Dixie Kong use them to pay for services offered by the Kong Family: use of Funky Kong's Biplane Barrel at Funky's Flights II, obtain advice from Cranky Kong at Monkey Museum, saving the game and receiving advice from Wrinkly Kong at Kong Kollege, and playing Swanky Kong's quizzes at Swanky's Bonus Bonanza. The Kongs can carry up to 99 Banana Bunch Coins at a time.
In the Game Boy Advance version, the Kongs can get into a rematch with a boss by paying ten Banana Bunch Coins to Swanky. Additionally, Wrinkly no longer offers to save the game because the world map's start menu already has this feature.
Donkey Kong 64
In Donkey Kong 64, Banana Bunch Coins are scattered throughout every level. They appear in five colors, each corresponding to a Kong: yellow ones can only be collected by Donkey Kong, red ones by Diddy Kong, blue ones by Lanky Kong, purple ones by Tiny Kong and green ones by Chunky Kong. Numerous Banana Bunch Coins were scattered throughout the levels of the game for the Kongs to seek out. Banana Bunch Coins are required for purchasing weapons from Funky Kong, moves and abilities from Cranky Kong, and musical instruments from Candy Kong.
A unique type of Banana Bunch Coin, known as 5-Banana Coins are also featured in the game, hidden under DK Dirt Piles. These coins are larger than normal ones, and add five Banana Bunch Coins to each Kong's total, equaling 25 in total. There is a maximum number of Banana Bunch Coins for each Kong to collect:
- Donkey: 179
- Diddy: 183
- Lanky: 190
- Tiny: 198
- Chunky: 224
Every Kong spends 21 Banana Bunch Coins on personal upgrades, Donkey Kong spends an extra 2 to replay the Donkey Kong arcade game, and a total of 53 are used for shared upgrades. There are 974 Banana Bunch Coins in total. After all coins possible are spent, the Kongs will have a remaining 814 Banana Bunch Coins among themselves if all coins are collected.
The Mystery mode has an unlockable cheat allowing the player to have 999 Banana Bunch Coins; this cheat can be unlocked by collecting twenty Banana Fairies.
Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color)
Banana Bunch Coins appear in the Game Boy Color version of Donkey Kong Country, as a collectible item in all six of Candy's Challenge. Each challenge involves an objective of Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong having to participate in a challenge to obtain a Banana Bunch Coin. The six Banana Bunch Coins are shown from the main menu's "View Items" option, under "Bonus". The ones not yet obtained by the Kongs are represented by a black silhouette.
Donkey Kong Country Returns / Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
In Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Banana Coins were redesigned to only depict a single banana instead of a Banana Bunch. Their main purpose is for purchasing various items at Cranky Kong's Shop. Banana Coins are scattered throughout every level. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong can collect up to 999 Banana Coins.
The Kongs can also obtain Banana Coins by jumping on three to seven enemies in succession (enemies from the eighth onward give Red Balloons instead), or as a prize from the Slot Machine Barrel.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and its Nintendo Switch port, Banana Coins have a similar role as its predecessor, Donkey Kong Country Returns. They were recolored from yellow to golden, and continuously sparkle. Banana Coins are still used for purchasing items, this time at Funky's Fly 'n' Buy. Like the previous game, the Kongs can collect up to 999 Banana Coins.
DK: Jungle Climber
Banana Bunch Coins return in DK: Jungle Climber, where they are now known as Banana Coins despite still retaining the image of a Banana Bunch. In this game, five are found in each level. After completing the game, the Banana Coins can be spent on extra levels.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
A Banana Bunch Coin appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a sticker. In The Subspace Emissary, it can be used by any character and increases the strength of its user's leg attacks by four.
Profiles and statistics
Donkey Kong franchise
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
- Wii U Virtual Console electronic manual bio: "These coins are used to pay the various members of the Kong Family for their help."
Donkey Kong Land 2
- Virtual Console electronic manual bio: "Use these to enlist the help of various members of the Kong family."
Super Smash Bros. Brawl sticker
| Name | Image | Artwork from | Effect in The Subspace Emissary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banana Coin | 
|
Donkey Kong 64 | [Leg] - Attack +4 |
Gallery
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Land 2
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64
Donkey Kong 64
DK: Jungle Climber
(gameplay)
DK: Jungle Climber
(pause screen)
Artwork from Donkey Kong Country Returns
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | バナナコイン[?] Banana Koin |
Banana Coin |
References
- ^ Donkey Kong Land 2 instruction booklet, page 12.
| DK: Jungle Climber | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Playable | Donkey Kong • Diddy Kong • Dixie Kong • Funky Kong |
| Non-playable | Candy Kong • Cranky Kong • Wrinkly Kong • Xananab | |
| Enemies and obstacles | Bramble • Click-Clack • Flipflap • Flitter • Ghost • Klobber • Kritter • Lockjaw • Mini-Necky • Neek • Puftup • Shuri • Spike • Zinger | |
| Bosses | Banana Ship • Junklomp • Mega Amp • Draglinger • King K. Rool | |
| Items | Banana • Banana Bunch • Banana Coin • Crystal Banana • Crystal Star • DK Coin • Gem • Hammer • KONG Panels • Oil barrel • Torch • Wings | |
| Objects | Booster Barrel • Cannon Barrel • DK Barrel • Exit • Giant flower • Handle Peg • Iron Barrel • Jack Peg • Mine • Peg • Peg Board • Question Barrel • Rock • Spike • Spirowarp • Spinner Barrel • Spinning Peg • Switch Peg • TNT Barrel | |
| Worlds | Sun Sun Island • Lost Island • Ghost Island • Chill 'n' Char Island • High-High Island • Wormhole • Extra Stages | |
| Minigames | Rolling Panic • Banana Grab • Speed Climb • Throw 'n' Crush • Orange Picker • Booster Battle • Banana Bonanza | |
