Donkey Kong Bananza

Going into the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, many (including myself) predicted a new 3D Mario to be among the games announced. That did not happen, but we did receive a new 3D mascot platformer from Nintendo. Donkey Kong Bananza may not star Mario, but my hands-on time immediately reminded me of one of his greatest adventures, Super Mario Odyssey.

Donkey Kong Bananza is an exploration-based platformer where your primary goal, in true DK fashion, is to collect giant banana gems. From the two areas I played, the spirit of Super Mario Odyssey is alive and well. You control the big ape in open areas, completing objectives, solving puzzles, and uncovering various collectibles like golden shards, fossils, and, yes, those giant banana gems. 

My demo begins on Ingot Isle, a tutorial mining area. Here, I learn that nearly all terrain in Bananza is destructible. Using the face buttons, DK can punch forward, up, or down to smash the walls, ceiling, or ground to explore. Bashing through your surroundings is cathartic as the rubble and collectibles fly in every which way and new paths open. 

After collecting a few bananas and exploring some areas around Ingot Isle, a cutscene shows DK getting sucked into the sky with one of the bananas. Of course, he refuses to let go, so he winds up on an unknown island. Now, DK is accompanied by a purple companion called Odd Rock. I run around the tropical location, discussing problems with the locals and fixing them by smashing things. Flying enemies are throwing rocks, and their propellers hurt Donkey Kong’s hand if you try to punch them, so I grab a chunk of the ground from beneath DK’s feet and hurl it at the enemy, knocking it out of the air. 

Donkey Kong can also climb nearly any surface, giving you myriad options for exploration. At one point, I stumbled upon a challenge to defeat three armored enemies within 30 seconds. I bash in the first two, only to realize the third one has a hard, rock shell that requires me to grab a chunk of the ground and toss it at him. Even in this early area, many of the enemy types require you to use DK’s unique move set to take them down, making it more than a button masher. 

Near the tail-end of my demo, I help an NPC by unclogging a lake and opening a long-sealed waterfall that leads to a new layer of the level. Unfortunately, the demo doesn’t allow me to explore this area, but I love how much exploration Donkey Kong Bananza seems to promise.

It’s been a long time coming for Donkey Kong to star in another 3D platformer, and with Bananza, it’s a title that feels distinctly him. Thankfully, we don’t have long to wait before we can smash our way through his new adventure, as Donkey Kong Bananza arrives exclusively on Switch 2 on July 17.