Nintendo unleashed a primal roar during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct with Donkey Kong Bananza, a game that’s shaping up to be the most audacious Donkey Kong adventure in decades. It’s been 11 years since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze hit Wii U in 2014, later swinging onto Switch in 2018 to rack up over 6 million sales with its challenging platforming and jaw-dropping art.
That was a 2D triumph, but Bananza marks Donkey Kong’s second dive into a fully 3D adventure since the heavily flawed but ambitious Donkey Kong 64 in 1999. Now, 26 years later, Bananza storms in as a Nintendo Switch 2 launch title on July 17, 2025, promising a next-gen evolution of that 3D legacy. As a fan who’s been barrel blasting since the SNES’s Donkey Kong Country, I’m going bananas with anticipation for this wild journey.
A Jungle Odyssey, Eight Years in the Making
The wizards at Nintendo, who gave us Super Mario Odyssey in 2017, have been toiling for eight years to develop their next game. Instead of the much-anticipated sequel to Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bananza emerges as a beastly cousin to that Mario masterpiece. Since Odyssey redefined 3D platforming with its sandbox kingdoms and innovative Cap-ture mechanics, this team has been quietly sculpting a Donkey Kong epic that feels like its spiritual successor—only rowdier, punchier, and tuned for the Nintendo Switch 2’s beefier guts.
Bananza swaps the expressive 3D platforming of Super Mario Odyssey for a bold, expressive 3D action-adventure set in a sprawling, open-world expanse. The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct’s trailer shined with DK burrowing through the earth and surfing across shattered cliffs, all infused with the same fluid joy that made Odyssey a masterpiece. While classic platforming shines through—including 2D sections that echo Donkey Kong Country’s charm—the heart of the gameplay lies in pummeling foes and tunneling through vibrant landscapes.
Nintendo Switch 2’s raw power supercharges every element, delivering a buttery-smooth framerate and lush details. Particle effects explode with dazzling intensity, rivaling Astro Bot in their sheer on-screen chaos—yet not a single stutter in sight. The game’s persistent world tracks your rampage, boasting a fully rendered 3D map showcasing your trail of glorious destruction. It’s a jaw-dropping technical leap from Odyssey and Tropical Freeze, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in game design.
The Quest for Banandium
Donkey Kong’s redesign in Bananza is a modern glow-up that blends his Super Mario Bros. Movie look with 3D Mario Team’s charm. His iconic red tie returns and is paired with rugged pants held up by suspenders. He’s more expressive than ever, with different facial expressions that make him look goofier than his stern Rareware looks in Donkey Kong Country and DK64.
Donkey Kong Bananza’s story begins with DK punching into the scene to introduce Ingot Isle, a rugged, treasure-laden land with tales of its precious Banandium—massive, golden bananas. DK, ever the glutton, snags his first taste of Banandium, but a storm rips through the sky and vacuums up every Banandium piece in sight, leaving the isle trembling. Shadowy figures loom in the tempest, teasing our new villains. Then, a Final Fantasy–style meteor strike slams into Ingot Isle, cratering the bustling mining town into a subterranean abyss.
After being pulled into the crater, DK stumbles on “The Odd Rock, ” a sentient purple gemstone, while looking for a way out. Shortly after rescuing this talking stone from a group of new foes—glass-like, Metroid-esque creatures with translucent shells and rocky cores—The Odd Rock requests that DK take him along. DK obliges, and this chatterbox becomes a core part of the journey.
An Impactful Moveset
If Super Mario Odyssey was about exploring a wide-open 3D world, Donkey Kong Bananza is about demolishing it. The environments are a fully destructible sandbox where Donkey Kong’s raw power reshapes the world in real time, reminiscent of Red Faction Guerilla.
Punch forward and walls explode into showers of debris, boxes splinter, and collectibles burst out like piñata guts. Smash down, and the ground caves in, letting you dig winding tunnels to new paths or unearth Banandium stashes buried deep. Strike up, and ceilings shatter, either freeing you from a tight spot or showering you with more treasure. Each brutal strike maps intuitively to the face buttons, handing you total control of DK’s ferocious strikes.
In this adventure, DK ditches the Coconut Shooter—why bother when the world itself is his arsenal? From the earth underfoot to glowing volatile rocks primed to detonate, you’ll hurl and smash anything in sight with reckless abandon. The Hand Slam also makes a triumphant return, unleashing an area-of-effect shockwave that pulverizes foes across a wide radius, sucks up every coin and gem in reach, and emits a sonar pulse that reveals Banandium shimmering faintly beneath the surface.
Fast and Furious Traversal
Donkey Kong is just as speedy as he is powerful. Rolling attacks transform DK into a thunderous, barreling boulder, obliterating obstacles and foes alike with unstoppable momentum. This iconic move, straight from the Donkey Kong Country series, returns with more explosive flair than ever. DK can also shred across the landscape by surfing on chunks of terrain, zipping through environments with slick, breakneck speed. Just grab a handful of stone, and you’re off—plowing through enemies, smashing the surroundings in record time, and racing to your next stop with style.
Since the debut of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, I’ve been obsessed with one of gaming’s most liberating mechanics: the freedom to climb anything and anywhere. There’s an exhilarating sense of boundless exploration when vertical limits simply vanish. Bananza brilliantly weaves this into its open world, letting Donkey Kong conquer sheer cliffs, towering trees, and beyond with ease—no stamina bar required because DK’s sheer brawn makes fatigue a non-issue.
Music and Mayhem
Music isn’t just flavor in Donkey Kong Bananza—it’s a mechanic that feels like a callback to Donkey Konga or Jungle Beat on GameCube. “The Odd Rock” reacts to Donkey Kong’s harmonic whistling. His key ability? A screeching voice that disintegrates strange purple seals—barriers that DK’s fists can’t crack. These seals block your progress through the world, and The Odd Rock’s squealing turns them to dust.
The full extent of The Odd Rock’s power remains a mystery, but it’s hard to believe that Nintendo doesn’t have a treasure trove of surprises up its sleeve. If Super Mario Odyssey is any clue, what we’ve glimpsed so far is merely the tip of the iceberg—a tantalizing tease of the wild, expansive adventure that lies ahead.
Clearly, a GOTY (Gorilla of the Year) Contender
Donkey Kong Bananza clocks in at $69.99, optimally squeezed onto a 16GB cartridge—a fair price for its ambition and polish. After two-and-a-half decades, Donkey Kong’s second 3D romp looks ready to eclipse DK64’s legacy. Packing all of the creativity and innovative game design of 3D Mario games, this action-filled DK adventure is easily a GOTY contender. It will undoubtedly be a showcase for the Nintendo Switch 2 and I’m clenching my fists in anticipation for this next-gen knockout.
Written by Lord Don Otaku
