Uncovering Every Banandium Gem in Donkey Kong Bananza's Tempest Layer

This extensive guide details the precise locations of all Banandium Gems across the three distinct sublayers of the Tempest Layer in Donkey Kong Bananza. Navigating this challenging environment requires adept use of Donkey Kong's unique abilities, particularly the Elephant Bananza power, which is essential for interacting with and overcoming various environmental obstacles like hazardous terrain and cunning adversaries. Players are encouraged to meticulously follow each instruction to ensure no precious gem is overlooked. While the guide covers a significant portion of the game's collectible challenges within this layer, some post-game content gems remain to be discovered, promising further adventures for dedicated players.

Successfully gathering these Banandium Gems not only contributes to game progression but also deepens the player's engagement with the Tempest Layer's dynamic and often perilous landscape. Each gem often requires a combination of strategic planning, precise execution of Donkey Kong's moves, and an understanding of the local "elephant people's" unique challenges, including braving rain and thunderstorms. This comprehensive walkthrough serves as an invaluable resource for both new and experienced players aiming for 100% completion within this vibrant and challenging world.

Sublayer 900: Initial Gem Discovery

This section outlines the locations of the first 16 Banandium Gems found within Sublayer 900 of the Tempest Layer. From hidden spots beneath destroyed watermelons to precarious climbs on elephant statues, each gem demands a specific approach, often involving Donkey Kong's hand slap or the unique Elephant Bananza power. Players will encounter environmental puzzles and even unexpected challenges like aggressive enemies or elusive tornadoes, all standing between them and their golden rewards.

For instance, the \"Stormed into the Tempest!\" gem is found by entering a hole beneath a large, destroyed watermelon. The \"Lifted to the Skies\" gem requires navigating floating platforms by strategically using the hand slap to manipulate their height, a task made simpler with the Elephant Bananza's chunk-making ability. The \"Tucked by the Tornado\" gem is nestled within a wall cavity near a constantly pursuing tornado. \"Hiding Up High\" involves using rainbow enemies as springboards to reach a high-up opening. Later, the \"Rocketing over Lava\" gems are located within the Liftoff Labyrinth ruin, demanding careful traversal over lava pits using liftoff ore. Additional gems include the \"Elephant Elder's Secret Snack\" found behind a cracked wall in the elder's chamber, and three "Tempest Growtone" gems earned by feeding the Growtone increasingly larger amounts of gold. Combat challenges like \"Rain-Soaked Roughhousing\" reward players for defeating waves of enemies. Further exploration leads to \"Cavernous Corridors\" and \"Tour through the Tunnels,\" which are hidden within complex underground passages. Finally, the \"Secret Lava Pocket\" requires draining lava with the Elephant Bananza, and the \"Tempest Chip Exchange\" gem is obtained by trading Banandium Chips at a specialized shop.

Sublayers 901 and 902: Advanced Collection

Moving into Sublayers 901 and 902, the challenges escalate, offering 9 and 37 additional Banandium Gems respectively. These later gems often involve boss battles, more intricate environmental puzzles, and interaction with unique characters like the Segmentones. Success in these sublayers heavily relies on mastering the Elephant Bananza's various applications, from inhaling hazards to manipulating platforms and revealing hidden pathways, pushing players to fully exploit Donkey Kong's expanded abilities.

In Sublayer 901, the \"Beat Sinister Blusterwing!\" gem is awarded after a boss encounter, while \"Battle: Revolving-Ring Rumble\" and \"Unbothered by Burrowers\" are obtained by completing combat challenges and clearing void machines. \"Battle: Iron-Inferno Imbroglio\" and \"Safe from Scalding Showers\" introduce combat within hazardous environments, requiring precise movement and strategic use of abilities. The \"Piping-Hot Platforms\" and \"A Scalding Secret\" gems are found within lava-filled challenge courses, demanding careful manipulation of liftoff ore and keen observation. Sublayer 902 offers a plethora of gems, including \"Taunting behind the Tap\" which requires clearing a pipe with Elephant Bananza, \"A View of Zip-Line Valley\" and \"Zipping Through the Ruins\" which are found along complex zipline courses, and \"Tempest Smashin' Stats\" rewarding players for destroying a certain volume of lava. \"Sitting above the Sauna\" involves reaching a high platform after clearing lava, and \"Tempest Hide and Seek\" challenges players to locate hidden Segmentones. \"Cranky's Tempest Rant\" is simply obtained by interacting with Cranky Kong. Combat challenges like \"Shifty Smash: Scorching Sauna\" and \"Battle: Elevator Encounter\" test players' combat and environmental manipulation skills. Other gems, such as \"Stuck in the Elephant Snout,\" \"Inhaling Hot Lava,\" and \"Scorching, Shocking Scaffolds,\" involve navigating hazardous terrain with the Elephant Bananza. Finally, \"Safe Under Shelter,\" \"Banana in the Mud Bath,\" and \"Among the Rocky Elephants\" are found in hidden spots or require digging, while challenges like \"Battle: Ground-Gulping Glory,\" \"Tempest Segmentone Recovery,\" \"Secret by the Shelter,\" and \"Battle: Strike like Lightning\" combine combat and puzzle-solving. The remaining gems, including \"Halfway to the Station,\" \"Battle: Zip-Line Zones,\" \"Concealed in the Sky,\" \"Slip by the Snipers,\" \"Sunk in the Pool,\" and \"Atop Stormy Station,\" are typically obtained by progressing through the main story path or by utilizing specific powers to reach elevated or obscured locations.