Donkey Kong Bananza: Not the Expected Masterpiece, But a Genuinely Good Game

Donkey Kong Returns to Spotlight in 3D RPG Platformer by Super Mario Odyssey Team

Following the successful launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, Nintendo continues its summer lineup with another major exclusive. While not a new Mario or Zelda installment, Donkey Kong Bananza marks the return of Donkey Kong in a new 3D platformer that incorporates RPG elements. This title generated significant anticipation since its reveal, with particular curiosity surrounding its development studio. It has now been confirmed that the game was developed by the team behind 2017’s critically acclaimed Super Mario Odyssey. This pedigree underscores Nintendo’s commitment to establishing Donkey Kong as a prominent figure in the modern 3D era, mirroring the ambition previously seen with Mario. The objective is clear: elevate Donkey Kong to a central role within the Nintendo universe, moving beyond a mere sidekick. This strategic rejuvenation of the beloved gorilla aligns with the recent green light for an animated movie starring the character. Bananza appears to be a pivotal step in this direction, suggesting that the Donkey Kong series, much like Mario’s, will evolve along two distinct paths: classic 2D adventures and a more ambitious, open, and contemporary 3D approach.

In a move to redefine the character for Donkey Kong Bananza, the developers consulted Shigeru Miyamoto, Donkey Kong’s legendary creator. Miyamoto emphasized the core elements that define Donkey Kong: his strength, size, and distinctive movements like powerful slaps, breaths, and massive strikes, which he likened to the Hulk’s “Hulk Smash.” This theme is central to Donkey Kong Bananza. However, the game’s standout innovation is the extensive implementation of environmental destruction, an idea previously hinted at but now taken to an extreme. Every wall, floor, and cliff can crumble under Donkey Kong’s fists. This mechanic is not merely cosmetic; it drives the game’s design, fostering exploration and creating a sense of controlled chaos. Players can tunnel, navigate paths carved by raw power, and even surf on torn-off rock blocks. Despite the impression of complete freedom, Nintendo maintains its signature design philosophy: every shortcut and discovery leads along a meticulously planned path. This “well-organized disorder” enhances player enjoyment without sacrificing carefully crafted progression.

Donkey Kong Bananza: Destructive Delve into an Explorative Underground Odyssey

From the outset of this new adventure, players are immediately engaged by the core mechanic of continuous destruction, digging, and drilling. This focus may sometimes overshadow the game’s main objective or storyline, but this is not a hindrance, as Donkey Kong Bananza actively encourages players to wreak havoc on its destructible environments. Various points of interest can be explored in any preferred order. However, it is not a full-blown open world; instead, it features expanded, semi-free zones akin to those found in Super Mario Odyssey. There is a clear thematic link between the two titles: while Odyssey focused on vertical and intergalactic exploration, Bananza plunges players into an underground journey deep within the Earth’s crust, maintaining a similar exploratory spirit by smashing everything in sight. As is typical for Nintendo, the most valuable rewards are hidden in unexpected places, often buried deep underground. The game’s emphasis on intensive collection, with an abundance of bananas and hidden objects, mirrors the moon collection system in Super Mario Odyssey.

Donkey Kong Bananza: Fluid Digging Amidst Framerate Drops on Nintendo Switch 2

As players progress through Donkey Kong Bananza, which takes approximately 15 hours to complete the main story, digging remains central to the gameplay experience. The game’s robust 3D engine performs surprisingly well, maintaining fluidity even amidst Donkey Kong’s powerful attacks and numerous explosions. However, the Nintendo Switch 2 does show its limits at times. Noticeable frame rate drops occur during some boss battles, diminishing the action’s intensity. Performance also significantly declines when opening the world map. These instances raise questions about potential technical optimization issues or early signs of hardware limitations on Nintendo’s new console, as they stand in contrast to the game’s otherwise smooth operation.

Donkey Kong Bananza: Dynamic Material Mayhem on Nintendo Switch

Beyond its impressive destructive technology, which utilizes dynamic voxels, Donkey Kong Bananza incorporates a variety of materials—stone, wood, sand, mud, flammable vines, explosive minerals, sticky gel, bouncy rubber, floating clouds, and gravity-defying rainbows. Each material possesses unique properties, such as attracting, repelling, or canceling out others, which are integral to gameplay. These are not merely visual flourishes; they enable players to trigger epic chain reactions by strategically utilizing each substance to demolish obstacles or solve puzzles. While Nintendo has previously experimented with element-based mechanics, Donkey Kong Bananza expands upon this, offering considerable scope for improvisation and creative problem-solving. Solutions can emerge unexpectedly, providing moments of clever insight within a game that otherwise encourages forethought.

Donkey Kong Bananza: Exploring Transformative Potential Unleashed

A distinctive gameplay feature in Donkey Kong Bananza is the temporary transformations triggered by Pauline’s songs. Through her melodies, Donkey Kong can morph into various creatures with unique powers, including a Super Saiyan 4 gorilla, a zebra, an ostrich, a snake, or an elephant. Each form grants specific abilities: the super gorilla enhances attacks, the ostrich allows flight and egg-based explosions, the zebra provides traction on any surface (including water), the snake triples agility with high jumps and slow-mo, and the elephant absorbs and projectiles objects. While the concept is strong on paper, these transformations often feel underutilized, confined to specific areas or limited purposes. Moreover, some sections can be bypassed using unconventional methods, rendering these forms almost optional. Rather than a Metroidvania-style world design dependent on transformations, Donkey Kong Bananza adopts a lighter approach where these morphs function more as occasional bonuses than essential keys to new areas. This is regrettable, as some transformations demonstrate significant gameplay potential and can even create imbalances due to their effectiveness compared to others. The concept is robust but not fully integrated as a primary gameplay feature.

Donkey Kong Bananza: Transformative Elements Unnecessarily Bountiful

As players collect bananas and other hidden goodies, they can unlock new costumes, skills, and outfits for Donkey Kong. These collectibles contribute to the game’s RPG-like elements, where each new transformation also unveils its own skill tree, allowing for upgrades to power, reach, duration, or the addition of new abilities. Superficially, this system appears promising, but in practice, it feels largely superfluous. The game rarely penalizes players, making it possible to complete the entire adventure without investing a single skill point. Similarly, basic upgrades such as increased hearts, Donkey Kong’s strength boosts, or additional abilities are all optional because the game is easier than anticipated. Battles, including boss encounters, often conclude quickly without posing a significant challenge. Furthermore, players receive an abundance of extra hearts, easily replenished by resting in safe spots, which renders health management and defense largely optional.

Unraveling Redundancies and Pacing Issues in Donkey Kong Bananza

The game also presents curious design choices. For instance, players might question the utility of unlocking rock-surfing when the zebra transformation already allows for effortless movement across water. This kind of overlap frequently appears, creating redundancy within the game’s mechanics rather than harmonizing them. One might wonder if Nintendo simplified the system for younger players, but even this demographic may find little challenge, as the game is notably easy, allowing a 10-year-old to complete it without significant effort or reliance on optional features. Despite its technical prowess and engaging destruction mechanics, Donkey Kong Bananza’s pacing can prove taxing for players. While younger gamers may appreciate the exciting visuals and immediate gratification, experienced players might find the experience repetitive over time. The game continually presents challenges without offering moments of respite. This relentless progression contributes to a sense of monotony, leading to exhaustion rather than exhilaration. Even intended moments of relaxation are often interrupted by notifications, surprises, or alerts. Although the game is rich in content and ideas, there is insufficient time to fully appreciate them.

Exploring Dark Landscapes and Visual Discrepancies in Donkey Kong Bananza

The setting, primarily the Earth’s crust, translates to a series of dark, rocky, and at times oppressive landscapes that can become overwhelming during extended exploration. Brief visual escapes, such as bright islands or tropical environments, offer temporary relief but are not frequent enough to provide consistent balance. The sudden appearance of clear skies, fluffy clouds, or giant fruits while digging deep underground feels arbitrary and lacks narrative coherence. Nintendo appears to have aimed to prevent visual fatigue by offering relief whenever possible, even if it meant sacrificing logical consistency. Consequently, despite its colorful destruction, the game’s atmosphere can lean towards dark and oppressive landscapes, which may dampen the joy of exploration over time.

In Case You Missed It

Exciting news for Sonic fans out there! SEGA has unveiled a new customization trailer for *Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds* and shared some intriguing details about the Nintendo Switch 2. Carlos Mendoza dives into this in his latest post from July 17, 2025, where he breaks down what PlayersForLife has officially announced. Don’t miss out on all the racing action and customization options—check it out SEGA Reveals New Customization Trailer for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and Details for Nintendo Switch 2. For all you fans of first-person shooters and intense multiplayer action, be sure to check out Bruno Pferd’s latest piece titled “Killing Floor 3: New Trailer Reminds of July 24 Release Date” (published on July 17, 2025), which dives into the highly anticipated release of Killing Floor 3. The article features a new trailer that promises an immersive campaign set in 2091 with Mr. Foster and his team taking down waves of Zeds. Don’t miss out on all the exciting details—head over to our site for more! Killing Floor 3: New Trailer Reminds of July 24 Release Date For all you gaming enthusiasts out there, the highly anticipated release of GTA 6 is just around the corner! Carlos Mendoza’s latest piece, “GTA 6 Set to Shatter Records, Says Word on the Street,” explores why this upcoming title from Rockstar Games is causing such a stir. Published on July 17, 2025, the article highlights how GTA 6 has already broken records with its trailer and continues to build hype as it approaches its official launch date of May 26, 2026. Ready to learn more about what’s in store for the gaming world? Check out GTA 6 Set to Shatter Records, Says Word on the Street and get excited for a game that promises to revitalize an entire industry.

About the Author

Jonathan Dubinski

Author

Author's posts