People forget that Mario has always been a Donkey Kong character, not the other way around. Yes, it’s true. Super Mario is a spin-off of Donkey Kong, but while everyone has been in love with the jump man’s games, the burly great ape was biding his time with his superior hits (Donkey Kong 64 notwithstanding).
Gamers can point to almost any example of DK having better games than Mario. He’s bigger, faster, and stronger too. Any Country game outclasses any 2D plumber-core game. Nintendo has to hold back on DK so that he doesn’t completely steal the spotlight, as he has an impeccable track record of success. A full 3D DK game has been long overdue since the last one in 1999, probably because the technology wasn’t ready for him yet… until now.
Fans had only a couple of 2.5D action platformers since DK was put on ice. Now that Nintendo’s technical prowess has advanced enough, the world can witness what a true 3D Donkey Kong experience can be. He’s the leader of the bunch; you know him well. He’s finally back to kick some tail in our Donkey Kong Bananza review!
This is a review coupled with a supplemental video review. You can watch the video review or read the full review of the below:
Donkey Kong Bananza
Developer: Migami Games
Publisher: Pixel Heart, PQube Games
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2
Release Date: July 17, 2025
Price: $69.99
It doesn’t take long before you realize that Donkey Kong Bananza is going to be a special game. Donkey Kong is depicted as a miner, smashing gaping caves through solid rock. He meets a tween Pauline, and he gradually inspires her to embrace her singing ability, while they go on a trip deeper into the planet’s core.
Things are not what they seem since the Void Co. mining company has moved in with their destructive equipment and is hoarding all of the banandium. What are they after and what are they doing with all of these banana gems? The truth and the utterly insane climax will go way above and beyond expectations, setting the bar high for all future Nintendo games.
Most gamers don’t go into the majority of cartoony Nintendo platformers expecting much of a story, and part of that still rings true in Bananza, but anyone who grew up playing the Donkey Kong Country games will feel an overwhelming wave of catharsis. Even fans of Super Mario Odyssey will be shocked and in awe at where the game goes.
What differentiates DK from Mario? DK’s platforming abilities are more restrictive. He doesn’t do triple jumps or bounces off walls. He won’t be doing side-jumps or long jumps, and he can’t possess objects or characters. DK is a powerful and untamed beast unleashed. He trades dexterity for brutality, which is perfectly illustrated in his playability.
Three of the four face buttons are punching in different directions, with the A button being jump. At first, it seems excessive, but it begins to make sense as DK will need to punch, rip, and tear in all directions for smashing his way through dirt and stone. The effect is dynamic and akin to the destructible environment in the old Red Faction games.
You’ve never truly lived until you have turned a level into Swiss cheese. The digging and throwing mechanics are used to their fullest, and gimmicks like explosive materials that react incorporate some physics into the gameplay. DK is always collecting various currencies like gold chunks, fossils, or banana chips that feed into progression. The experience is stupefying, and I was stunned that this game was even possible.
Boss fights are kept very easy until the final battle, which fittingly ramps up the challenge beyond anything before it. Unfortunately, even the Switch 2 is no match for the sheer ambition in Bananza. Because of the explosive gameplay and high enemy count, compounded with special effects, the framerate buckles.
In a way, it almost becomes satisfying to make the system lurch like this because it feels like DK’s strength is too much. Apart from hard metal, DK is unstoppable and will dig his way through anything as if he is some kind of roided-up mole. His passion for smashin’ is only for starters.
Other abilities include throwing huge chunks of earth or surfing on whatever he tore from beneath his feet. Additional moves from a skill tree can be bought with skill points earned from collecting five banana gems, which gives these collectibles more utility than any Power Moon.
Bananza has no shortage of collectibles, and while it doesn’t go to the absurd lengths as the Koroks in Breath of the Wild or the Moons in Odyssey, they’re more meaningful with more thought put into how you go about getting them. The sheer density of challenges packed into the sprawling levels is intoxicating. Everywhere you go, there is something to see or do.
Aimless exploration and blindly digging around somehow always leads DK to somewhere interesting where there are bananas to collect. Even challenge rooms pop up, which can range from platforming gauntlets, battle arenas, or full-on nostalgic 2D stages.
Buying up outfits has a purpose and adds buffs and benefits to DK’s repertoire. Buying up safe houses offers temporary HP boosts so you can save skill points for other upgrades. The collectibles feedback loop and range of options are stimulating and feel like a more thoughtful execution of the kinds of collect-a-thons that developer Rare used to make, but with a hint of Japanese flair.
While tunneling and bashing baddies remains the core of Bananza, it is still a platformer at heart. DK is more nimble and mobile than he’s ever been. He can climb on any non-slick surface and gain aggressive momentum while rolling, jumping, and getting just enough hang-time when attacking in mid-air. It feels as if DK can do anything, and playing as him feels fluent and wild like the unruly beast that he is.
DK’s moveset is expanded with the animal transformations, which seems like an homage to Banjo-Kazooie. Unlike in Banjo, DK doesn’t get restricted from his normal abilities. For example, the hideous ape-ostrich abomination lets him glide and drop egg bombs. Having more variety is cool, but the DK-animal hybrids are unsightly character designs and border on nightmarish.
Instead of the ugly transformations, DK should have been riding his animal buddies. There is already a Rambi-riding sequence, so it would have made more sense to include the old gang. He’s already got Expresso the ostrich, Rattly the snake, and Ellie the elephant as friends from past games. Almost everyone else is included, so why not them too?
Does Donkey Kong Bananza justify the Nintendo Switch 2? If you liked 3D platformers or Donkey Kong Country, it will feel like the Switch 2 finally has a worthy game that could be the best game of 2025.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a beautiful technical marvel that revels in letting players unleash their inner animal and get crazy, but still takes the time to create situations where you must stop and think before you leap.
Donkey Kong Bananza was reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2 using a code provided by Nintendo. Additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy is here. Donkey Kong Bananza is now available for Nintendo Switch 2.
