A little over a month from the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza finally hit shelves. Interestingly enough, Nintendo opted not to make this their launch title, despite virtually having an exciting 3D platformer ready to go with the console. Instead, they went with Mario Kart World.

Whatever their plan was, the days without Donkey Kong Bananza have come and gone, as the game finally released on July 17. So far, it’s been getting brilliant reviews and has been compared to some of Nintendo’s best work. It’s the smash hit that the Switch 2 needed.

Donkey Kong Bananza Review

Super Mario Odyssey was the seminal Mario game of the Nintendo Switch. As the preeminent 3D platformer, a genre Nintendo has really become known for its work in, it stands as maybe the best game on the Switch period (Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild would like a word, though). Now the Switch 2 has its own version.

It is perfectly fitting, then, that Donkey Kong Bananza comes from the same developers. It is rife with all the whimsy, joy, and ludicrous fun that Odyssey had, so it would’ve been a surprise to see it come from anyone else. People desperately wanted Odyssey 2 when the Switch 2 was announced, and in a roundabout fashion, they got just that.

Bananza gives players the same basic formula: solve an in-universe crisis by finding items hidden across various places in the world. For Mario, they were moons on different planets. For Donkey Kong, they’re bananas buried in different sub-levels of the Earth.

But that is where the comparisons kind of end. The gameplay is similar, but Donkey Kong Bananza offers a little more creativity. Pretty much everything is destructible, which is impressive in and of itself but also provides a new, fun layer of gameplay.

Donkey Kong can literally break through layers and layers of materials in search of a banana or fossil. Destroying things also isn’t just a fun thing to get distracted doing; it’s also how to enjoy some success in the game. It’s how you can get currency, items, and more. The more you destroy and explore, the better your Donkey Kong will be.

It being “your” DK is an important attribute. Each one can be a little different. You choose what to invest your skill points in, adding a little bit of an RPG layer to the platformer. You can also dress and change Donkey Kong’s colors, which is a fun evolution of Mario’s outfits in Odyssey. This time, the outfits for both Donkey Kong and Pauline can have a major impact, but it’s also just undeniably awesome to turn DK pink on and give him a silly tie.

There is a sheer, unadulterated level of joy in the game. Smashing through terrain, fighting impressive and sometimes challenging bosses, and collecting items, all as a blue Donkey Kong with orange pants and a cowboy-dressed little girl hanging off his shoulder is an experience that hasn’t been matched in a while.

It’s not quite a perfect, flawless game. The Switch 2, for all its upgrades, occasionally does experience some frame drops, especially if you’re really tearing up the world in search of Banandium Gems. And there is something to be said about a slight lack of originality. Odyssey was a special game, and tweaking the formula, changing the setting, and switching characters can only do so much to differentiate.

Nevertheless, when a video game is this much fun, that can be overlooked. If it were reskinned and released as Mario Odyssey 2, it being the same formula wouldn’t matter at all. Regardless of what it’s called, the Switch 2, which was certainly not hurting for sales, finally has a must-play game that demands people finally get on board and buy the latest console.

Final Boss

Halfway through 2025, Donkey Kong Bananza is getting genuine Game of the Year recognition. Odyssey came up short in 2017 to Breath of the Wild. Bananza is maybe a little bit better than its “predecessor.” Similarly, Tears of the Kingdom was better than Breath of the Wild, only losing Game of the Year to Baldur’s Gate 3, an undeniably monumental game that was not undeserving.

So unless something like that comes out soon or if the voters decide Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is that, then there’s a really good chance Donkey Kong takes home some impressive hardware.

Score: 5/5