Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores, but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, all whilst including some lengthy gameplay, to give you, the reader, the chance to form your own impressions and views while reading and watching.
In this explanatory review, we’re covering Donkey Kong Bananza by developer, Nintendo EPD:
Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo Switch 2)
Mainly developed by Nintendo EPD (Entertainment Planning & Development Department, Production Group.8), with 1-Up Studio assisting with design, programming, level design, and “part of the sound,” Donkey Kong Bananza is a 3D platformer that was released on July 17, 2025, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2.
From the moment Donkey Kong Bananza was first revealed, everyone suspected it was being developed by the team behind 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey, and now we can all give ourselves a pat on the back as we were right. Just like we were right to assume Donkey Kong Bananza could be as good as Super Mario Odyssey, but instead, it feels much superior in every way, and it is time to talk about this game at tremendous length.
Donkey Kong Bananza is not simply another 3D platformer; it is easily one of the best Nintendo has ever created. They reinvented what Zelda could be like with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2017 and have been doing the same with other IPs ever since. Kirby got its Zelda moment with Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Mario had it many times over with Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and Super Mario Kart World, but now they’ve done the same with Donkey Kong. The leader of the bunch has been sidelined for far too long, but now he feels just as important as Mario and Link. So, without further ado, let’s talk story and gameplay.
Donkey Kong Bananza opens on Ingot Isle. The titular Donkey Kong has left his home to go mining for golden bananas, but with smashable terrain all around him and brute strength, who needs a pickaxe? After a brief tutorial accompanied by lots of smash and grab exploration, Donkey Kong unearths a lot more than he bargains for when his pursuit of bananas leads him to an odd rock named, you guessed it, Odd Rock. Within no time, more exploration leads to a battle against a rock-covered enemy, and victory leads to our unlikely pair to descend deeper underground, which is where their real adventure to the Planet Core can begin.
Now, as Nintendo revealed the identity of Odd Rock before the release of Donkey Kong Bananza, it shouldn’t count as a spoiler for us to discuss it. Odd Rock is actually a thirteen-year-old version of Pauline. She is said to be a talented singer, but as it turns out, and is revealed during the game’s first main layer, Pauline is terrified of singing in public. But this is simply something she will have to overcome should she wish to use her voice to assist Donkey Kong in performing for Elders and unlocking new Bananaza powers.
While timid of the new world around her and sceptical at first, the relationship between Pauline and Donkey Kong is one of the things that really sets Donkey Kong Bananza apart from other typical companion games. Pauline wishes to return home and needs to head to the Planet Core to get her wish granted. Donkey Kong, he just wants more bananas, and who can blame him? As Donkey Kong is only capable of grunts and a variety of noises performed by Takashi Nagasako, Pauline is fully voiced by voice actress Jenny Kidd. (In Super Mario Odyssey, adult Pauline was voiced by Kate Higgins.)
Pauline is the player’s connection to the game, and she helps to drive the narrative. She asks the questions that need asking, she leads the way whilst riding atop Donkey Kong’s back, and whenever the two are resting up at a Getaway, she’ll say some of the funniest and cutest things. So, despite it feeling a little weird when Nintendo first revealed Pauline as a companion for Donkey Kong, given their history, but having played Donkey Kong Bananza for as long as we have, this is one duo we absolutely love. Both characters really come to care for each other through the journey, and with such amazing visuals at play and too many expressions to keep track of, this is one perfect pairing that will have you keep coming back for more.Â
With regards to the gameplay itself, being a game all about getting to the Planet Core, together Donkey Kong and Pauline must do all that they can to navigate Donkey Kong Bananza’s many layers. The only thing in their way? Void Company (VoidCo), a mining operation headed by Void Kong and his two underlings, Poppy Kong and Grumpy Kong. Poppy Kong oversees subterranean info gathering, whereas Grumpy Kong oversees creating corporate soldiers. Together, this villainous trio is responsible for the banana maelstrom that Donkey Kong encountered when he was at Ingot Isle.
Donkey Kong and Pauline will regularly come up against VoidCo throughout the entirety of Donkey Kong Bananza, but by beating them and destroying their wake of teravoiders and stakes, our heroes can keep diving deeper underground, reaching new layers, each one drastically different from the last. But there’s no need to worry. Just because Donkey Kong has a new companion this time around, it doesn’t mean old friends like Diddy, Dixie, and even Cranky Kong are long forgotten. Cranky Kong can be encountered in every layer and will chew your ear off when speaking to him. As for Diddy and Dixie? They just want to race Rambis and look good doing it.
As a 3D platformer, Donkey Kong Bananza has all the typical hallmarks befitting a Nintendo game. Each level is intricately designed, and players are free to explore them at their leisure. Donkey Kong can perform all sorts of manoeuvres, such as your typical running, jumping, punching, and hand slapping, and he can even make use of special power-ups called Bananza. By meeting with elders and gathering up pieces of ancient disks, Pauline and Donkey Kong can unlock new transformations through song, with each transformation resulting in turning Donkey Kong into a different animal. Each Bananza comes with unique uses that can greatly impact how you play.
For instance, the first Bananza, Kong Bananza, turns Donkey Kong into a larger Kong capable of greater strength. This Bananza is perfect for players who want to smash through terrain faster in the hopes of uncovering treasure chests containing maps revealing the location of fossils and Banandium Gems. However, there is another Bananza transformation that Nintendo didn’t reveal before release, which is more effective at destroying all destructible terrain, gathering up gold to fill the bananergy gauge, which will allow you to trigger another Bananza just as soon as your current one ends.
When not relying on Bananaza powers, Donkey Kong can also tear off chunks of terrain to use as a shield from aerial enemies, lob them at enemies, use them as a weapon, or simply surf terrain with it. Depending on what the chunk is made from, it will determine how many swings you will get out of it. But, if moving freely in any direction you like isn’t completely to your liking, for every 5 Banandium Gems Donkey Kong and Pauline collect, a skill point is obtained and can be used to learn new skills or empower ones you have previously unlocked.
Something else that can be used to boost current effects is clothing. Both Donkey Kong and Pauline have lots of clothing options, but to obtain them, players will need to gather up every fossil in a layer to purchase every outfit at the style shop and level them up where possible. Smaller layers typically have 30 normal rarity fossils to be found, whereas main layers have 61 normal fossils, 10 rare fossils, and one extra rare fossil. But if it’s the overall total you’re after, Donkey Kong Bananza has a total of 696 fossils to collect, and yes, it is possible to collect every single one before you beat the entire game.
During my time with Donkey Kong Bananza, I opted to collect every Banandium Gem and Fossil on a layer before moving on to the next one. As a result, it took me 35 hours before I finally reached the credits. Admittedly, I wound up with an abundance of Banandium Chips and exchanged the majority of them for extra Banandium Gems to level up sooner, so I was around 700 Banandium Gems gathered, but once in the post-game, plenty more challenges and Banandium Gems awaited for further overall completion, including disc collecting to get all 100 discs.
Now, one place Donkey Kong Bananza really excels is in how well its developers have learned from Super Mario Odyssey. The inspiration is clear to see in almost all things, but this is no Mario clone as it is pure Donkey Kong, and we greatly enjoy how the game allows you to play at your own pace. Banandium Gems have been handled a lot better than Power Moons, and you don’t need to mess around with collecting everything if you don’t want to. You can drive through the story at a rapid pace, as there are no forced restrictions in place, demanding you meet certain goals should you wish to continue. Instead, you can race to the end and then opt to start collecting everything after you’ve beaten the game. In the post-game, however, there are instances of a required number of Banandium Gems being needed should you wish to undertake special trials.
As for where Banandium Gems can be found, while some are merely hidden, others will require players to undertake challenges where multiple Banandium Gems can be obtained, listening to Cranky Kong, making Donkey Kong and Pauline wear specific clothing, defeating bosses, and even answering questions. But, as previously touched on, getting Banandium Gems is a lot more fun than Power Moons, and if in doubt, maps can pinpoint their exact location. If you have spare gold to purchase maps, or find plenty of Banandium Gem maps. Plus, hearing the words, “Oh, Banana!” never failed to put a smile on our faces.
But for the times when you want to get away from it all, by speaking to Architectones, players can part with their gold to purchase getaways. Here you can rest on a bed to restore health, witness verbal moments between Donkey Kong and Pauline. You can even unlock multiple Getaways in a layer and, by doing so, can unlock a Trustytone, who, when you speak to them, can serve as a concierge and allow you to purchase things from the style shop, stuff shop, and chip exchange, without having to go to the locations where the actual ships reside. Items still cost the same, but by using this service, and leaving a 10 gold tip, the more you tip, the more likely you’ll be given a new music disc, which you can then listen to at your Getaway.
As for other main features, co-op mode is really fun. Whether you choose to play locally, with two players using one system but two sets of controls or use GameShare to share the game to a second Nintendo Switch 2 console, or even a Nintendo Switch, both options are a viable choice. The main player will control Donkey Kong, whereas the second player takes control of Pauline. She still remains on DK’s back, but player two can now make her use her voice to destroy the terrain around you, helping to speed up demolition, or to take care of enemies. Using the Joy-Con 2’s mouse controls works well here, but it’s not mandatory, and player two can even copy materials to use them as a vocal weapon for more damage.
Something else you can use mouse controls for is with the game’s DK Artist mode. We didn’t spend as much time in this mode as we could have, but it has its merits, nonetheless. Players are free to create their own sculptors, but for those who wish to simply colour in whatever model they are presented with, you can do that too. It’s a nice break from the main game, with the large Donkey Kong head being reminiscent of Mario’s head in Super Mario 64, but other than that, this is Donkey Kong Bananza’s shallowest feature in a game that is full of depth. Even the photo mode and assist mode, which offers a mellow experience that sees Donkey Kong sustaining reduced damage, with health that recovers naturally and clear-cut directions in the form of automatic path guidance, are more fleshed and better implemented.
Then of course, there’s amiibo. As one of the few newer Nintendo games that still uses amiibo, Donkey Kong Bananza has its own special Donkey Kong & Pauline amiibo, which can be used to acquire the Diva Dress. What Nintendo didn’t say though, is that you need to get halfway through the game before you can use the amiibo to require the outfit, as before then, it, like any other supported amiibo, summons KONG letters and spheres that can go boom!
And now it’s time for the nitty gritty performance details and game comparisons. Donkey Kong Bananza targets 60 FPS, but there are frame rate drops present. This is due to the destructive nature of the game, but honestly, you get so engrossed in Donkey Kong Bananza you don’t even notice it, which is a huge step up compared to the game’s Nintendo Switch 2 Experience demo. However, when frame rate does drop, it dips down to 30 FPS until frame time has completely recovered, which is often instantly.
Donkey Kong Bananza offers docked resolution that falls between 1080p and 1200p, with dynamic resolution scaling in play. It does not use DLSS, but it does use a combination of AMD’s FSR1 and SMAA. With regards to physics, as the destruction system does not adhere to complete physics simulation, this is why when you destroy terrain underneath a pillar, the rest of the pillar will remain standing, but this adds to the gameplay of Donkey Kong Bananza rather than takes away from it.
Lastly, when directly compared to Super Mario Odyssey, all character models are in a class of their own, all being sharp in design and richly animated. All textures are more detailed, as are materials. The decision to swap development of Donkey Kong Bananza for Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2 has well and truly benefited Donkey Kong Bananza in every way possible. It#s allowed for an even greater game to be developed, compared to the one we could have gotten. The way Voxel technology has been implemented is mind-blowing, and Donkey Kong Bananza is easily one of the most beautiful games ever developed. Even the texture of Donkey Kong’s fur is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before in a Nintendo game.
Mario Kart World can be reason enough to buy a Nintendo Switch 2, but Donkey Kong Bananza is the reason to keep coming back to it. As a true Game of the Year contender, this is one exclusive no one should miss out on. It is a phenomenal 3D platformer, with engaging story and gameplay mechanics, but where it excels most is in its charm, its atmosphere, and just how fun it is.
Donkey Kong Bananza can easily be enjoyed as a single-player experience, but thanks to co-op, it offers fun for all the family. Playing Donkey Kong Bananza with my boys, despite them destroying the ground out from beneath my feet, is a memorable experience, nonetheless. Super Mario 64 was my first true 3D platformer, but for them, it’s Donkey Kong Bananza, and honestly, they couldn’t have picked a better game. Bravo Nintendo, in Kenta Motokura and Kazuya Takahashi, we trust! We wish you and your team the best of luck in attempting to make a game that supersedes this one!
Game Specifications:
Developers: Nintendo EPD, 1-Up Studio
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 (Physical)
Genre: Adventure, Platformer
No. of Players:Â 1 – 2 (Single System)
Release Date:Â July 17, 2025
Price:Â $69.99
File Size: 8.5 GB
Nintendo.com Listing
