Donkey Kong Bananza

[Moonface]

Release Date: July 17, 2025
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Official Website: Link

The big guy is back! Donkey Kong swings onto the
Nintendo Switch 2 system with a brand-new action adventure.

DEEPER UNDERGROUND!
Help Donkey Kong make his way through the depths of the Underground World. The deeper he goes, the more amazing places he finds! Break on through this truly destructive adventure; there's no shortage of things DK can pulverize with his powerful punches.

BEHOLD THE GOLDEN BANANAS!
The whole island was buzzing about the discovery of this tasty new treasure. But then, disaster struck! During the chaos, VoidCo stole every breathtaking bunch of bananas. Now Donkey Kong must venture deep underground to get them back!

OTHER MEDIA

• Opening Gameplay | Nintendo Treehouse: Live
  
• Lagoon Layer Exploration Gameplay | Nintendo Treehouse: Live
  
• Alternate Lagoon Layer Exploration Gameplay | Nintendo Treehouse: Live
  

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I was mildly interested in this, but just started watching the opening gameplay video out of boredom and now I'm actually really excited for this game. I love games that reward exploration and seeing you can just bust through a wall and potentially stumble onto stuff is right up my alley!

[queenzelda]

This reminds me more of what a Mario game would be instead of it being a Donkey Kong game. I've never been a fan of the Donkey Kong series after Donkey Kong changed developer hands. Still, looks interesting but Idk if it's worth getting. We don't even know which of the developers did this game at this time.

[Moonface]

This reminds me more of what a Mario game would be instead of it being a Donkey Kong game. I've never been a fan of the Donkey Kong series after Donkey Kong changed developer hands. Still, looks interesting but Idk if it's worth getting. We don't even know which of the developers did this game at this time.

I've seen a lot of comments that this game feels like a Super Mario Odyssey 2 in place of the real thing. For me I've never played a Donkey Kong game, but knowing that Rare did try a 3D title with DK64 that didn't work out well I'm glad the series is at least going to try another 3D entry instead of just taking that one instance as a reason to only be a 2D platformer. If DK64 had turned out better we'd have probably seen more 3D DK games anyway.

As for the developers, I doubt we'll know because Nintendo seem adamant on not saying who works on almost any of their games anymore. Given the similarities though I could see it being Nintendo EPD, who also developed Odyssey.

[Moonface]

Donkey Kong Bananza | June 18 Direct
Here's the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct video for anyone who didn't see it. For the sake of spoilers, I'm not going to summarize the contents because it does reveal a lot that I personally think is better to experience blind and I stopped paying attention to the Direct midway through because of that.

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I will say, with the little I did see/hear my interest in this game has grown a bit. Whether I play it at launch depends on whether I get my Switch 2 set up by then, because it's been living in its box since launch day still.

[ShiraNoMai]

It does look really appealing. The more they show of it, the more I find interesting. And because I am very familiar with the speedgame scene, the speed potential is already off the charts with the amount of movements shown based on just the standard set up alone. Very exciting.

The Pauline reveal was a bit... odd, to say the least

[Mr EliteL]

So how many players are just going to try and see how much of the terrain they can destroy completely down to whatever can't be? Including the Bananza form to smash the tougher bits.

Yea, Pauline in there and not how we normally see her, so what does this do to the Mario/DK continuity? Because Cranky is in this, even Diddy and Dixie make an appearance, because when I saw Pauline before them I thought this DK was going to be Cranky Kong but nope. Not that I care really, they're doing whatever they're doing.

Also dang didn't realise you guys got a Switch 2 after all.