REVEW: ‘Donkey Kong Bananza’ Is Switch 2’s First Must-Play

Donkey Kong Bananza, the latest 3D platformer starring Nintendo’s titular ape, literally comes out swinging. Coming from the same development team that made the incredible Super Mario Odyssey, it would’ve been easy to take that blueprint and deliver a similar product with a new character. The formula is still there, but the destruction gives the player a form of freedom that makes it feel entirely its own, while just being fun. There are some issues, namely the camera and boss fights, but those fade quickly into background noise as DK punches through everything in sight. It’s a massive win in the Switch 2’s early catalogue of games, and an absolute must-play. 

Donkey Kong Bananza opens up on the mines of Ingot Isle, as Donkey Kong is hard at work looking for giant crystal Bananas. Things go awry quickly as the Void Company is tunneling towards the planet’s core, sending Ingot Isle deep underground. DK finds a companion in Pauline, here much younger than previous iterations, riding along on DK’s back. Together, they tunnel towards the planet’s core to not just stop the Void Company’s nefarious motives, but also to help Pauline get back home.

The story in Donkey Kong Bananza is fun and has some genuinely great moments. DK and Pauline’s relationship is cute, and watching them interact never gets old. The Void Company are serviceable as evil villains, acting more as fun things to punch as you fight your way down. It’s an enjoyable adventure that centers itself on the journey to the core, but ultimately, is really just set dressing for all the destruction to follow. 

DK and Pauline travel through layers and sublayers, as each layer functions as a new world to explore. Despite this being an underground adventure, they’re not all dark and dour. While one might appear to be a desolate forest, another is a vibrant and colorful beach resort. The level design here is consistently creative and imaginative, making each new layer a genuine joy as you discover what the space holds. 

There is plenty to do and collect on each layer in Donkey Kong Bananza.

DK’s fists aren’t just used for combat; instead, they are the core focus of traversal and exploration. Each space is almost entirely destructible, as DK punches through the environment to find gold, fossils, Banandium Chips, and the giant crystal bananas known as Banandium gems. Just like Super Mario Odyssey‘s moons, the Banadium gems are the star of the show here, strewn about and hidden all over the layers. 

DK can slam the ground and emit a sonar-like wave, revealing objects hidden in the environment. From there, it’s up to the player to decide how to obtain them. You can attempt to tunnel straight for them, and most of the time, that’ll work just fine. Sometimes, there’ll be heavier and denser metals that can’t be broken through, which shifts the focus to finding the right approach or completing a challenge. 

There are also challenge levels that hold Banandium gems in Donkey Kong Bananza. These range from combat challenges where you have to defeat a certain number of enemies in a time limit, to platforming levels with gems hidden along the way. Each one of these levels is a blast. Short enough to bring you back to the action quickly, but each creative and varied in a way that never gets old. 

All of this collecting isn’t for nothing, either, as DK can use gold to buy different items. Balloons can save DK from a fall, while different juices can heal or refill the Bananza meter. The most important things to buy are the clothes. DK can find fossils on each layer, using those to buy new dyes and outfits for both himself and Pauline. These aren’t just for show, even though they are stylish; they also offer various benefits.

One pair of pants may increase the time you can stay in Bananza form, while another may increase resistance to poison water. One tie may increase the likelihood of finding treasure chests, while another can increase the amount of Bananergy gained from gold. Pauline’s suits function similarly to DK’s, while the dyes are purely for the aesthetic. 

In Donkey Kong Bananza, DK also has a skill tree for the first time. Collecting 5 Banandium gems grants a skill point, which is then used on the skill tree. The upgrades range from health upgrades to stronger punches, and more nodes are unlocked as you gain new Bananza transformations. As long as you’re exploring, skill points come quickly, making the progression feel quick and snappy, constantly rewarding the player for looking around every corner and under every rock. 

The destructability is the star of the show here, as Nintendo has nailed the punching mechanics. The Switch 2’s joycons HD rumble makes each punch feel tactile, as the controllers rattle off satisfyingly. It’s constantly fun, never getting old as every new space approaches the gimmick in different ways, but always centering on keeping a giant smile on the player’s face. 

Donkey Kong Bananza’s most significant issues stem from its camera and boss fights. Due to the ability to tunnel and move anywhere, the camera can struggle to keep up with the player. It’s fine in the big and open spaces, but you can lose DK in tight and narrow spaces, which are usually the tunnels DK’s fists create. You do get used to it, but it can be genuinely nauseating at first as the camera whips around in small spaces trying to find DK again. 

Donkey Kong Bananza is not a challenging game, but that’s okay.

The boss fights are the other sore spot, as Donkey Kong Bananza is never difficult at all. I was never expecting Dark Souls here, but almost every boss fight can be taken out in less than a minute. It does get better as it goes, but the creativity seen across the rest of the game doesn’t translate to the boss encounters. Difficulty isn’t just learning attack patterns and taking a ton of damage; it’s about testing the player to use the combat kit to its fullest. 

One early fight in Donkey Kong Bananza is against one of the Void Company’s top members and lasts less than 30 seconds. The combat arena seems to want you to dig through and bring the boss lower, opening up access to the weak point on the head. You can instead just climb up the boss and rattle punches away on the exposed area. There are no phases or creative ways to approach the fight, and it just ends. There are some fun encounters along the way, but the majority of them never really use the full suite of what DK can do, especially when you bring in the Bananza forms. 

As you journey, DK gets access to several different animal forms he can transform into. Kong Bananza makes DK huge and even more ape-like, making his punches even more potent than before. Ostrich Bananza, on the other hand, lets DK glide for short distances. These forms are a blast to use when out in the layers, opening up new ways to explore Banandium gems and puzzle-solving. In boss fights, though, they’re basically instant win buttons, trucking through whatever’s in front of you in a handful of seconds. 

The thing is, both of these issues get lost in the noise and action on screen, in a beneficial way. Because the boss fights are so short, they don’t overstay their welcome as you quickly journey to a new level to get lost in. The camera gets more manageable as you learn how to work around it. Donkey Kong Bananza does everything else so well and is just so much fun that these issues don’t significantly detract from the experience; instead, they are minor bumps in the road. 

Donkey Kong Bananza is gorgeous, really showing off what the new Switch 2 can do. Each level is full of visual splendor. From the snowy ice cream-laden pathways of the Freezer layer to the rainy chaos of the Tempest layer, each level is beautiful. Performance is consistently solid, with slight slowdowns when a lot is happening on screen, but these dips are few and far between. It’s a fantastic showcase for what the Switch 2 can do. 

Donkey Kong Bananza is an absolute blast. The destruction and creativity that the level design brings are constantly engaging, and the hunt for Banandium gems is always fun. While the camera and boss fights aren’t the best, the rest of the package more than makes up for it. Donkey Kong Bananza is a genuine game of the year contender and is the Switch 2’s first major must-play. 

Donkey Kong Bananza is out now on the Nintendo Switch 2.