Banana

About

In Banana you play a small figure dodging a tribe of man-eaters on a river filled with floating stones. Movement centers around precision: you place a cursor to jump onto stones, but misaim and you end up in the water. The river’s current pulls you along, requiring timing to avoid getting swept into gaps. Bananas float down the stream, which you collect to drop on stones. When a Boconda jumps, it lands on your banana and gets knocked into the river. You can also grab stones from shore and toss them at enemies to dislodge them. The cursor-based jumping feels odd at first but adds a layer of strategy. Every move demands careful placement to avoid drowning or enemy attacks. The Bocondas grow smarter as the game progresses, forcing you to plan ahead. With a runtime of around 30, 45 minutes, it’s a brisk but tricky challenge. Its quirky blend of platforming and puzzle elements earned it a cultish 7.2/10 on the MSX archive. It’s a forgotten oddity that still holds up for its clever use of simple mechanics.