Donkey Kong Bananza – Underground Mayhem Meets Shattering Adventure
Donkey Kong Bananza is the big triumphant return to 3D platforming for this classic series after over twenty years. Available only on Nintendo Switch 2 July 17, 2025, this action is developed by Nintendo EPD (Super Mario Odyssey’s creators) and offers revolutionary terrain-deforming mechanics in combination with colorful characters and dual-player co-op play.
❝Donkey Kong Bananza is a slapstick return to old school platforming brimming with chaos, co-op gameplay, and absurd transformations.
The Story – Digging for Diamonds and Destiny
Donkey Kong teams up with the very young Pauline–trapped in some form of existential mystery–to recover golden banana-shaped diamonds that have been stolen by the evil VoidCo. Venturing through a series of semi-destructible underground caves ("Ingot Isle"), powerful transformations and wrecked environments are all that keep players from their wish granting planet core.
What Makes Donkey Kong Bananza Spectacular
- Destructible Environments: Every surface has a unique destruction element to it that can be destroyed / melted through making for many level progression possibilities and only one solution.
- Bananza Transformations: With Pauline’s vocals, Donkey Kong can transform into powerful new forms like Zebra Donkey Kong or Snake Donkey Kong and gain access to new abilities such as Dragon(ability to fly) and Hammer (an invincible mammal fashioning a hammer for you know-what).
- Co-op Gameplay: In two-player co-op mode, one player can play as Donkey Kong and the other can play as Pauline. It’s up to players to work together (and make use of each character’s unique abilities) to take down baddies. GameShare does co-op even with only one console copy.
- Platforming Legacy, Remixed: With nods to Super Mario Odyssey, Bananza also dives into destructible world-building, sandbox platforming and tie-in exploration.
- Visual and Technical Showcase: Designed from the ground up for Switch 2, Neo maximizes the potential of its new hardware not only to stunning visual effect, but also offering ultra-responsive gameplay – even if it does stutter intermittently.
Gameplay – Smashing, Exploring, Transforming
- Freedom in Destruction: It’s technically possible to bash through the cliffs and dig tunnels underneath them, just to see what’s below. The world welcomes creative destruction and reward.
- Depth of Levels: From the mysterious mines beneath Ingot Isle to the bright lights and strange wonders that stalk above, each tier imparts its own gameplay mechanics and visual themes, connected by secrets and golden ratios!
Collectibles and Upgrades: Seek out and collect Golden Bananas, Banandium Gems, fossils, and other pickups that both unlock upgrades to enhance your abilities and resources for crafting items.
What Critics & Fans Are Saying
Bananza’s destruction is far, far more than a flashy gimmick — one of the best gameplay innovations Nintendo has had in years.
It’s more enjoyable (screw it, I’m saying) than any platformer in years, a balancing act between chaos and creativity
“This could be the Switch 2 experience of all time… cranking up a sense of environmental interaction to a thrilling new high.”
Release Date & Platform Exclusivity
- Release Date: July 17, 2025
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 (exclusive, no native Switch 1 version)
Co-op Option: Local multiplayer works even for Switch 1 users, as long they play with the Switch 2 host.
Why Donkey Kong Bananza Matters
- Revives a Classic Franchise: The first official Donkey Kong 3D platformer since Rare's original at the turn of the millennium.
- Showcases Switch 2 Potential: With destruction mechanics (my favorite mechanic) and Bananza transformations that speak to both fidelity as well as interactional excellence of the console.
- Appeals to All Players: Casual fans enjoy the dizzying combat, visual spectacle and humor; completionists can hunt for collectibles and achievements; core gamers see the deep experience and potential fan service.
Final Verdict – Should You Get Donkey Kong Bananza?
Donkey Kong Bananza is not just a good game, it is flagship title for Nintendo’s next-generation platforming. With its turn-based demolition, delightful co-op, and satisfying twist on shape-shifting it’s a most remarkable adventure of 2025.
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