Banana Kong 2 Guide: Tips, Tricks & Strategies to Collect More Bananas and Unlock Everything

9 years following the launch of the original Banana Kong, FDG Entertainment finally released the sequel to the hit endless runner. As a dynamic side-scrolling endless runner adventure like the original, Banana Kong 2 maintains the same simple, one finger control scheme that players loved and enjoyed but also adds a plethora of new mechanics and challenges for new and returning players to experience.

Run, dash, jump, and bounce through a randomly generated level as you yet again attempt to outrun the banana avalanche constantly trailing behind you. Veteran runners from the original Banana Kong, as well as complete beginners, will certainly need to muster their platforming skills, level of precision, and focus as the challenges in Banana Kong 2 are certainly no walk in the park.

Banana Kong 2 still maintains the simplest of control schemes, allowing just about anyone to take full control of Kong with just a finger to swipe up, down, or forward. Like conventional endless runner games, the basic and main objective is to go as far as you can. Currencies are earned with each run and Banana Kong 2 offers plenty of upgrades and cosmetics to spend them on. Patience, more than skill, remains as the top requirement for you to progress in your adventure.

Banana Kong 2 hardly requires any tutorial as even total newbies can quickly grasp the controls and mechanics of the game. The various obstacles as well as power-ups randomly generated along with the level certainly requires some getting used to but repeat runs, along with upgrade purchases, will certainly yield improvement in the long run.

This game is certainly something even casual players can enjoy but if you are very competitive and looking to set record distances in your runs, then our Banana Kong 2 Guide should help you beat every challenge and unlock everything!

1. Distance Is Top Priority

Banana Kong 2, just like most other endless runner games, hosts a variety of challenges that test your skills. While most of these targets can be attributed to distance reached, some may have other targets involved like bananas grabbed, vines swung from, impediments destroyed, and so on.

Depending on whether you are pursuing a specific challenge, or simply engaging in a run where you feel the need to do as much and take as much of everything, you should not lose sight of the top priority, which is to put in as much distance with each session.

The rationale behind this is that while you may miss out on some bananas or objectives along the path, staying longer on the level grants you more opportunities to accomplish whatever targets you have for the run.

Like any other endless runner game, your intent to have extended runs means that you have to consider everything else as mere distractions. Surely enough, it will be a challenge to do so, especially since bananas you grab are not only basic currency to make a lot of neat purchases, but are also what fuels Kong’s ability to dash.

Simply saying that you need to work on securing longer runs is not as simple and as easy as it sounds. There are actually some requisites to satisfy before you can better focus on lengthy runs and some do not necessarily end abruptly and can still be a learning process that stretches for as long as you are making runs in the game.

The random generation of levels ahead of you all seem like a fun yet challenging feature, almost ensuring that no 2 runs will be the same and seemingly diminishing chances of anyone ever memorizing the stage layout. However, as much as randomness is incorporated into your regular runs, repeat attempts will sooner or later give you a sense of familiarity on what you can expect to come ahead of you even from a random starting point.

While getting accustomed to supposedly random level designs can take a while, another important aspect of gameplay that requires familiarity are the objects that form part of the perks and challenges that the level provides. In addition to the banana avalanche that will haunt you till the ends of the virtual world in Banana Kong 2, there are impediments ahead of the level to keep a good eye on.

There are bushes, shrubs, or barrels that can slow you down and bring the banana avalanche ever closer to your tail while boulders and other more solid obstacles can stop you in your tracks instantly and end your run. Of course, there are also gaps on the road to jump over and they come with varying lengths as well that make precision and timing even more critical with each jump.

Knowing the impediments that slow you down and stop you from running are just half of what makes each run in Banana Kong 2 exciting. Not everything you see in the environment is there to make runs more of a challenge for you as some also provide you benefits that can speed up runs, lead you to more bananas, or provide a safer or more beneficial alternate route for you to take.

Flowers or similar objects you can bounce from can tremendously boost your jump if you stomp down on them by swiping down on your device. While Kong’s ability to utilize jump boosts initially allow you to reach new areas in a level, it also becomes important to master the timing of its usage as some areas within a level may depend on it for your continued survival.

There are also various animals and objects you can ride across levels in Banana Kong 2 and each one will also provide new challenges for you to conquer although they are designed to make runs faster and more exciting. Just like you need to get accustomed to the plethora of obstacles and combinations of it on every run, so too must you be familiar with what each animal or ride can do.

2. Use Your Dash Wisely

While always attempting to go for greater distances in endless runner games is what we consider as top priority, being used to maintaining focus on this as your primary objective should sooner or later become a habit that will perform even semi-consciously and you can then begin to bring more life to each succeeding run by chasing after bananas and other objectives without necessarily putting your runs at risk. As we mentioned in the above tip, setting your sights on surviving whatever the randomly-generated running levels will provide.

Next to the primary focus, which is to stretch your runs as far as you can, we consider Kong’s dash as the second most important thing to keep tabs on. Kong’s dash can only be activated when the dash meter at the upper left side of the screen is filled up and to do so, you need to grab bananas along the way. In this sense, you would want to make an effort to grab some bananas to fill up your dash meter instead of actually raking it up as currency you can use for later purchases.

The idea we are trying to focus on here is to grab bananas as needed, for the boost to be more specific, without necessarily putting Kong at risk of prematurely ending his run. This means that you will not necessarily choose a path just because there are more bananas to nab there but rather, you do so because it is not in any way riskier than the alternatives. In case your dash meter is not yet full, then a bit of calculated risk to grab some bananas should be a valid exemption.

Filling up your dash meter and having the ability to dash at the ready is just about half of the challenge as what is of bigger importance relates to how well you use the dash. Running at a normal and consistent pace almost guarantees that the banana avalanche will have a hard time catching up to you. Banana Kong 2, however, ensures that there is an abundance of impediments along the way designed to slow you down a bit.

Dashing is not just a skill that you should utilize to stretch the gap further between you and the banana avalanche as Kong’s dash is powerful enough to break through obstacles that can hamper your run or even end it. Actually seeing the bananas move in closer to Kong’s behind pours on some pressure that can lead you to panic and make mistakes. Although leading you down a cliff or a run-ending obstacle is a worst-case scenario, this may also lead you to use your dash abruptly.

Watching the banana avalanche trail ever closer behind you should not be a scenario that would automatically trigger you to use Kong’s dash. Considering everything, you should make it a point to use it strategically at all times. Long gaps and obstructions that you can break using your dash should be a priority and while there is no way to know what awaits you further in the level, you should strive to charge up your dash meter afterwards with caution.

On the other hand, using your dash wisely should not lead you towards the other critical end of the spectrum, which is holding on to your maxed out dash meter and actually making a huge mistake that could have been avoided had you chosen otherwise.

Knowing the best course of action given different situations takes time to fully master and everyone is bound to make mistakes at several points in the run. What matters is learning from mistakes not just exclusive to timing and precision miscalculations but from fully utilizing Kong’s dash among other skills.

3. Work On Mastering Glides And Quick Drops

Although Kong’s dash is definitely our favorite from among his assortment of skills, we also consider his other moves to be of great value. Besides being able to ride a wide variety of animals and objects within the running level, his ability to glide short distances and perform quick drops are also useful tools that can contribute to a better and longer run.

Gliding, which is done by holding down on the screen while Kong is in the air, is definitely a skill you will be compelled to use often as crossing over long gaps in a level without using Kong’s dash leaves you no choice but to do so. Gliding, however, is not as fast as Kong’s normal running speed and performing it more often gives your banana avalanche oppressor closer to your tail. In this sense, it becomes equally important to exercise prudence in using it despite the fact that you can use the skill infinitely.

Beyond crossing over long gaps, gliding where there are vines and updrafts ahead of the track are also neat ways to get to platforms you would not be able to reach with just running. There will be times that it becomes necessary to ride the winds and the vines to move forward, but if you are a beginner and there are safer options you should consider the latter.

Kong’s quick drop, performed by swiping down on the screen while he is in mid-air, is largely utilized on bouncy flowers and similar objects. Doing so will have Kong jump much higher than his normal jump and let him reach objects or areas that are otherwise unreachable. It might not be as readily evident for beginners, but this quick drop holds a practical function as well.

Randomly-generated levels certainly bring in a lot of surprising designs that players cannot readily expect like consecutive gaps of varying lengths or consecutive obstacles you need to avoid especially if you do not have a ready dash available. Jumping is often an action in numerous platformers that make players vulnerable to unexpected obstacles ahead but with a way to control your jump and knowing fully well how to do so, you can extend your runs tremendously.

Banana Kong 2 is designed to have simple controls and gameplay mechanics yet it provides a lot of avenues for players who have fast reaction times to excel across the challenges it provides. While each of Kong’s skills we discussed all seem basic and can easily be performed even by beginners, the road to becoming an expert runner requires using those skills not just masterfully on their own but in combination and mixture with one another.

As an example, you can do a quick drop right after dashing or gliding and using a quick drop to bounce higher may also often be followed up by a glide at its peak.

4. Do Not Hesitate To Invest In Upgrades

Even with just Kong’s basic skill levels, you should be able to make some good progress in terms of accomplishing feats and breaking records through practice and hard work. Of course, you can push much farther with some strategies in place. Beyond all that, though, Banana Kong 2 provides some upgrades to make Kong stronger and more efficient and while any and all upgrades do not guarantee better performances in succeeding runs, they can certainly lead to more promising sessions moving forward.

You can access the shop in Banana Kong 2 through the shopping cart icon at the bottom of the main screen or by clicking on the “Go To Shop” button after a run. Shop items are divided between Dresses and Perks. While the former is primarily for cosmetic purposes only, they do come with additional perks later in the game.

You can purchase different hats to equip on Kong. All hats are unique and also allow you to equip a Hat Pin that comes with a bonus power. The King of the Jungle Crown is the most expensive hat that has tiers or levels and allows you to equip at least 2 pins consecutively. At the very least, you would want to purchase one of the more affordable hats first so you can choose a Hat Pin later that would help improve your runs.

Parachutes do not cause an improvement in Kong’s ability to glide. However, collecting all the available parachutes is necessary for the Legendary Glide Level 3 to become available in the shop. Although each of the parachutes is relatively affordable, collecting them all will take some time. We recommend only purchasing 1 for starters if you can’t help it and pursue unlocking the level 3 guide at a later time.

The second half of the shop, which sells perks, offers more enticing deals for you to invest in. It is best to peek into the entirety of offers in this part of the shop, even ones that are locked behind specific achievements or are too expensive for you to purchase as a beginner. Various Power-ups, Specials, Animals, and Hat Pins can be purchased and planning as to which ones to prioritize is important before making any purchase.

For Power-ups, the first level of gliding and power dash are fairly cheap so we recommend getting those early on. The Revive Heart, which grants you a one-time life insurance costs Kong Coins, which is a premium currency and should probably be not among the top choices to spend Kong Coins on unless you have unlocked other content that cost Kong Coins.

For the Specials, the Jungle Totem is likewise a decent perk to invest in. Unlocking this at level 1 will have it appear on a level every 500 meters that you travel and grants you a random power-up. The Golden Power Banana, once unlocked, becomes available as a random power-up that the Jungle Totem can grant you. The Aztec Warp Gate can take you to different environments via a warp gate at the start of your run.

Not only does it cost 100,000 bananas, but you also need to visit different areas in your normal run to unlock it. This is among the items best saved for last. For the premium currency purchases, we recommend straying from them especially if you do not have an abundance of Kong Coins to spare.

Animals that can help Kong in his never-ending adventure can also be unlocked and purchased from the shop. On top of banana costs and even more banana costs on the next level, you also need to complete special missions to unlock them in the shop.

The basic requisite is to reach different areas in your normal run. Missions that require you to interact with the animals will form part of your missions and accomplishing them will unlock the specific animal at the shop. Each of them is worth the investment so be sure to consider unlocking and purchasing each one even at the starting levels as soon as you can.

Finally, while hats are primarily decorative, you need one to be able to equip hat pins that grant Kong unique perks and abilities. By default, you can only equip 1 hat pin at a time and the only hat that allows you to use more than 1 pin at a time but the King of the Jungle Crown is certainly among the last purchases you want to make from the shop.

The Golem Pin is notably a superior pin to have and equip and gives you a one-time invulnerability per run but at 1,000 Kong Coins, it will certainly take a lot of grinding to be able to afford it. For the other pins you can purchase with bananas, we recommend going for the Gorilla Pin first. Equipping this pin lets you enjoy a power dash that can travel for 250 meters but only applies for the first power dash in each run. The Lucky Cat Pin is likewise very useful as it gives you a one-time recue when you fall into water or lava.

5. Take Advantage Of Ad Boosts

Banana Kong 2 has a generous enough gameplay mechanics in the sense that invested time into running will always contribute to earning you bananas needed to purchase power-ups that can help you in succeeding runs. On top of actual experience gained that promises better running results moving forward, the combination of perks you can unlock via purchases at the shop also improve Kong and his animal friends’ performances, ultimately making it easier to have better runs.

Despite all these plus being playable without requiring an internet connection, Banana Kong 2 offers extra benefits in the form of ad boosts. Of course, you can expect a completely ad-free adventure if you play offline but the ad boost offers a certainly hard to ignore, most especially if you are aiming to break records and rack up more rewards.

The most common ad boost offers in Banana Kong 2 pops up whenever you hit an obstacle, fall down a cliff, water, or lava, or get run over by the banana avalanche. Without any active one-time life-saving perks available, you can still pick up where you left off as an ad boost will offer to give you a free revive just by playing a short ad.

While this is definitely a good offer you do not need to actually patronize it every time. Some of your runs will definitely be better than others. Even after a lot of play time and practice, you will likely still have surprisingly short runs that may even end less than a minute after its start. In such cases, then we recommend simply starting over outright instead.

Accomplishing missions and reaching certain milestones in Banana Kong 2 earns you special rewards and for the most part, you may also be presented with an ad boost to increase the amount of rewards you can get. In every instance, we recommend taking the time to play the 30-second video ad, most especially if extra Kong Coins are up for grabs.

6. Partake In Weekly Events For Added Rewards

Banana Kong 2 has a missions feature that provides players with an almost limitless number of objectives to accomplish for various rewards. Although we would typically consider prioritizing these missions over anything else in most games, we feel that simply engaging in runs and consistently aiming to break records with your runs will naturally lead to the accomplishment of these missions.

Suffice to say, it is best to focus on staying longer on a level rather than aiming to accomplish any of the listed objectives as a good, long run will always likely lead to grabbing more bananas, swinging on more vines, and so on. The regular missions are not the entirety of specific challenges that Banana Kong 2 offers, though, as there are weekly events that provide you with unique objectives on each day of the week.

The Special Event Levels are unlike regular levels in that they are not randomly generated. In this sense, you will naturally be able to memorize these levels as you repeatedly run in them. These levels are also relatively short and have a finish line with the latter usually forming part of one of your daily targets.

As a reward for accomplishing special event objectives, you will be able to purchase some hat pins from the shop at a discounted price. Each new daily objective you clear increases the discount percentage you get and completing all objectives each day of the week will net you that hat pin for free.

Banana Kong 2 certainly has lots of surprises waiting for players to be discovered but we are confident that the tips and strategies we provided will suffice to give you an edge over whatever challenges come your way. If you have spent some time in Banana Kong 2 and have your very own nifty tricks and discoveries to share, don’t hesitate to share away down in the comments!