Donkey Kong Bananza is making ripples as the big, exciting new Switch 2 game. While Mario Kart World also looks great, Bananza is carving out completely new territory (just like Donkey Kong carving paths through the earth with his fists) and setting itself up to be this generation’s big new single-player Nintendo adventure.
Switch 2 pre-orders are still a while away, and Donkey Kong Bananza’s release is even later still. This means that if you’re a complete newbie to the Donkey Kong universe, you’ve got plenty of time to catch up so that you’re all clued in when the big game finally comes. But where to start? The Donkey Kong series has been going on for 44 years, and in that time, the Kong family has had a huge number of outings (and prominent appearances in Mario games), so deciding what to play might feel daunting.
Fortunately for you, I’ve played every Donkey Kong game (except two Game & Watches and Hudson’s weird Japanese-exclusive Donkey Kong 3 sequel, sorry) and for once my esoteric knowledge of this beloved series is going to come in handy. Here are my recommendations of the games you should play before Donkey Kong Bananza – all of which are playable on Switch for your convenience:
Donkey Kong (1994)
While the original Donkey Kong came out in 1981, the definitive version of that experience came 13 years later on the original Game Boy, and many consider it to be one of the best Game Boy games. The general story is something that most Nintendo fans will already know – Donkey Kong kidnaps Pauline, and Mario chases them through various levels to get her back. The original arcade version had only four levels (and the NES port had only three!), but this version of the game has 90, all of them heavily puzzle-oriented and filled with unique enemies not seen in other games (including a rare villainous appearance of Donkey Kong Jr).
It’s always good to know a series’ roots, and from what we’ve seen so far, it’s clear that the original Donkey Kong game has been an influence on Bananza. This partly comes from information that Nintendo of Korea accidentally shared early (I won’t mention for those wishing to avoid spoilers), but also, we see the events of the original outing directly referenced in interactions between Donkey and Cranky Kong. As the game is relatively short and easily available via Nintendo Switch Online, I recommend giving it a try.
Donkey Kong Country (1994)
This was the game that defined the Donkey Kong series as we now understand it. Except for the Game Boy game mentioned above, when Donkey Kong Country came out, it had been over a decade since the last main game in the series (just like the situation today). Developed by Rare, this reintroduction to the Kong family gave us a completely new design for Donkey Kong, while also introducing new enemies (the Kremlings) and loads of other characters (like Diddy, Funky, Cranky, Rambi, and more). Besides all of that, it’s a really fun platforming game that remains visually impressive to this day and has one of the most beautiful game soundtracks ever composed (David Wise and Eveline Novacovic are geniuses).
The Donkey Kong introduced here is supposed to be a separate character from the one who originally kidnapped Pauline (maybe even Donkey Kong Jr. all grown up, but that’s controversial), wiping the slate clean for him to become more of a heroic figure while the sins of the past were attributed to his (grand)father Cranky Kong (who was explained to be the original Donkey Kong now all old and bitter). Despite Bananza seeing Donkey Kong get another redesign, dialogue we’ve seen in the game so far confirms that it is still supposed to be the Donkey Kong introduced in DKC, and Cranky is still supposed to be the original. The trailer has also shown at least one area that explicitly pays homage to the original DKC, and we’ve seen a reference to a long-forgotten DKC enemy too. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a lot more to come.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (2025)
An enhanced rerelease of a 2010 Wii game, this was another of those games that reintroduced Donkey Kong. Developed by Retro Studios, the game brought back Donkey, Diddy, Cranky, and Rambi and gave them a new adventure that spanned Donkey Kong Island just like the original DKC – however, the game has a distinct identity of its own, because Retro introduced new characters (the Tiki Tak Tribe, Professor Chops, and more) alongside new gameplay elements (such as Rocket Barrel levels).
Although there’s not much of a Returns influence in what we’ve seen of Bananza so far, I’d be very surprised if various elements from it don’t surface – especially with its Switch port so fresh in people’s minds. Also, if you’re not so big on vintage games, Returns is a chance to experience some classic 2D Donkey Kong platforming action without having to wade too far out into gaming history. The Switch version is by far the best way to experience it, too, since it has HD graphics, none of the forced waggle controls of the Wii era, and all the new levels added by Monster Games for the 3DS version. Read our full Donkey Kong Country Returns HD review for more about this game.
Super Mario Odyssey (2017)
Not a Donkey Kong game, but still a very important step along the way towards Donkey Kong Bananza. Though it has yet to be confirmed, fansite DK Vine reported long ago that Nintendo EPD (developers of Super Mario Odyssey) were working on the next Donkey Kong game and anyone who is familiar with the look and feel of that game will tell you that it is very clear that EPD is the creative force behind Bananza just based on the trailer.
Super Mario Odyssey reintroduced Pauline as the mayor of New Donk City – a city world that was filled to the brim with references to both the original Donkey Kong as well as Donkey Kong Country. It even acknowledged Donkey Kong characters who hadn’t been seen in years! The Bananza trailer included boxes labeled “New Donk City” so there’s at least going to be a small connection between these games, and possibly even more. At the very least, Super Mario Odyssey will give you a taster of the kind of game Bananza is likely to be: a wide-open 3D platformer that’s filled with respect for the series’ past and offers an enormous list of ways to fill your time. Read our full Super Mario Odyssey review for more information.
More Donkey Kong games to try
Really, I’d recommend playing practically every single Donkey Kong game, but I thought it best to focus on these four, which feel like they will prove to be the most significant for Bananza. A few other quick recommendations are:
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (1995): my personal favorite in the series. If some fans are right, the story of Bananza will tie into its story, but we’ll wait and see. I don’t want to get too excited.
- Donkey Kong 64 (1999): so far, this has been the only 3D platforming game in the Donkey Kong series and it’s clear that Bananza is taking at least some inspiration from it based on what we’ve seen so far… but it’s hard to recommend it at the moment, as the only way to play it is by getting your hands on an N64 cartridge.
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2018): Tropical Freeze is the latest standalone non-remake game in the series and the Switch version adds Funky Kong as a playable character (he’s kind of the easy mode, so good if you’re new to the series, but really fun even if you’re a seasoned player).
No shade to any of the Donkey Kong games not mentioned. I love them all. If you’re looking for more games to fill your time while you wait for the Switch 2, read our list of the best Switch games (which includes some of the games I’ve mentioned here). You should also check out the Switch 2 hands-on feature we have, where our editor, Ruby, had the chance to try the new console for herself.