Donkey Kong Bananza Banandium Chip Guide – Where to Find Chip Exchanges & What They’re For

Wondering what to do with Banandium Chips in Donkey Kong Bananza? Here’s how to find Chip Exchanges, trade chips for Banandium Gems, and stack skill points fast.

If you’ve been smashing boxes, digging like a maniac, and punching enemies into orbit, you’ve probably picked up a bunch of those shiny white hexagons with the pink sparkle in the middle.

Those, my friend, are Banandium Chips, and they’re more than just DK bling. They’re the hidden currency of Donkey Kong Bananza, and when spent wisely, they can get you what really matters: Banandium Gems — aka the bananas that boost your skill tree.

But hold up — you can’t just trade them anywhere. You’ll need to find special Chip Exchange shops to cash in your treasure.

Let’s break it all down.

Where to Find Chip Exchanges in Donkey Kong Bananza

First Exchange Location: Hilltop Layer (SL200)

The first time you can cash in your chips is in the Hilltop Layer, specifically in Sublayer 200 (SL200).

How to Spot It:

• Head left from the entrance of SL200.
  
• You’ll find three side-by-side shops.
  
• Look for the one in the middle — marked with a blue hexagon icon with a yellow circle inside it.
  
• That’s your Chip Exchange.
  

Pro Tip: Fast travel back here anytime using the warp gong + Mother Eel combo if you’re stacked on chips and low on patience.

How to Use a Chip Exchange

Step-by-Step:

1. Talk to the NPC inside the shop.
   
2. Choose the option to exchange Banandium Chips.
   
3. The first trade will cost:
   
   • Banandium Chips
     
   • Gold
     
4. Confirm, and boom — you’ll score 1 Banandium Gem.
   

But here’s the twist:

The price goes up every time you trade at the same exchange.

Yup. It’s a supply-and-demand situation. The more you grab, the pricier it gets.

Do These Gems Count Toward 100% Completion?

Yes and no:

• ✅ Your first Chip-exchanged Banandium Gem counts toward your layer’s collectible total.
  
• ❌ Any additional Gems from the same shop are just extra bling. Great for Skill Points, but won’t boost your map completion.
  

Great for leveling up. Not for 100%-ing.

How to Get Banandium Chips

So now you know how to spend ’em — but how do you stockpile these shiny suckers?

Best Sources of Banandium Chips:

You’ll know you’ve picked one up when you see a small white chip with a gold trim and a pink sparkle. Keep an eye on the top right of your screen — Chips are the second number below your Gold total.

Tips for Efficient Chip Farming

• Backtrack sublayers with tons of crates and weak enemies.
  
• Spam ground slams in chip-rich zones (SL100 and SL200 are great).
  
• Keep a stash before visiting exchanges — higher-level exchanges get pricey quick.
  
• Don’t spend chips just for the sake of it — if you’re low on Skill Points, do it. Otherwise, wait until you need that extra edge.
  

Bonus: Don’t Forget You Can Respec

If you’re grinding for Skill Points, remember:

You can respec your skill tree by visiting an Elder NPC and resetting your point distribution.

So if you’re short on Chips or just wanna try a new playstyle, respec and retool instead of overspending your stash.

Trade Smart, Smash Hard

Banandium Chips might seem like a side currency, but if you’re serious about building the ultimate Kong, they’re clutch. Whether you’re gearing up for boss fights, stacking traversal skills, or just trying to collect everything, don’t sleep on Chip Exchanges.

Smash stuff. Farm chips. Trade wisely. And remember: you can always go back to SL200 for another fix of Gem goodness.

Also check:

The Salvager’s Stash: How to Grab the Hidden Banana Below the Shop in DK Bananza

How to Find the Hidden Banana in Nostalgia Country – Donkey Kong Bananza Guide

Donkey Kong Bananza: How to Respec Skills (And Where to Find Every Elder)