Every time Nintendo announces a new Direct showcase, the team at Pocket Tactics puts on our clown make-up and states what we'd most like to see. Since joining just over three years ago, I've consistently hoped for a new 3D Donkey Kong platforming adventure, and each year, all I've ended up with is soggy tears rolling onto my big red nose. That was until the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct earlier this year, which revealed Donkey Kong Bananza, a game I was lucky enough to play a few hours of just last week.
Before getting into the details, let me explain why this is such a big deal for Donkey Kong fans like me. The last 3D platformer starring the great ape, Donkey Kong 64, arrived back in 1999. Since then, we've had some great Donkey Kong games, but honestly, at this point, I feel like I've had my fill of side-scrolling action. What the series needs is something new, something fresh, and I'm happy to report that after exploring a little of what Bananza has to offer, I'm pretty confident that's what we've got our hands on here.
For those who missed the direct showcase, Donkey Kong Bananza sees the titular Nintendo icon taking off on a brand-new subterranean adventure. In the opening few minutes, you take control of DK as he mines for Banandium Gems on Ingot Isle until this game's gang of antagonists, Void Company, turn up and send Ingot Isle plummeting below the ground. It's not just DK who finds himself going under, though, discovering a new companion in Odd Rock.
Look away now if you don't want early game spoilers - it turns out that Odd Rock is Pauline, who needs to find a way back to the surface. The only way up, unfortunately for Pauline, is down, with the fresh pairing learning of the Planet Core, a magical destination where Pauline can find the power she needs to return to the top side of the planet. DK, well, he's just in it for the bananas.
Beneath the surface world, there are a lot of layers separating DK and Pauline from Planet Core. During the preview, I got to check out the Lagoon Layer, Canyon Layer, and Forest Layer, as well as the introduction sequence on Ingot Isle that I'd already partly played through during the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience event in London. Each area is visually stunning, and the vibrancy and explorability factor are very reminiscent of Mario Odyssey, one of the very best Switch games, which shouldn't come as a major shock considering that it's the same team of developers at the helm.
As with most of Nintendo's 3D platformers, Donkey Kong Bananza is absolutely overflowing with collectibles. There are Banandium Gems, this game's equivalent of Super Mario Sunshine's Shine Sprites, and Banandium Chips, which you can exchange for the gems, plus fossils and gold. With your fossils, you can pick up new outfits for DK and Pauline, while you use your gold to power up DK's Bananza forms and pick up useful items at the Stuff Shop. The good thing here is that every collectible has its purpose, giving you the incentive to comb through every area to make sure that there's not a stone left unturned or unsmashed.
The main way you progress through Bananza is by completing objectives, picking up Banandium Gems, and fighting the occasional boss battle. As you'd expect from a first-party Nintendo game, the level design is fantastic, gently guiding you from level to level without ever feeling like the game is holding your hand. The boss battles are pretty fantastic, too, and I got to check out a showdown in the Canyon Layer that sees DK riding a minecart while firing bombs towards a massive enemy, which felt simultaneously true to the core DNA of Donkey Kong while adding a sort of cinematic element that I've not seen from the series before.
While Banandium Gems litter the surface and below the surface of every level, you can also earn them by completing Ancient Ruins challenges. Sometimes, these mini-missions are just a case of seeing off a few enemy units against the clock, but not always. During the preview, I found an Ancient Ruin challenge that forced DK back into the 2D world, in a level that felt like something fresh out of Donkey Kong Country Returns, as well as one that had you racing against time to destroy a building in under a minute.
Controlling Donkey Kong is an absolute blast, and with his ability to smash in any direction, the world of Bananza truly feels like your own personal playground. One of my big concerns about DK's ability to tunnel through the world is how easy it might be to get lost, but that isn't a problem at all. If anything, there's a joy in finding out how everything connects while you construct your own system of tunnels through each level.
During the preview, I got to take two of the Bananza transformations for a test drive, and I'm happy to report that this new mechanic is a winner. Bananza Kong essentially sees DK go full Hulk Smash. If it wasn't already incredibly cathartic to bulldoze through the environment, it feels even better when you're Bananza'd up and hitting even harder. Then, there's Ostrich Bananza, enabling you to float across a level, or at least part of a level, or attack enemies from above. Ostrich gliding isn't quite as elegant as Link tearing through the sky in Breath of the Wild, but it adds a new dimension to exploration, which is always a nice touch.
My only concern surrounding the Bananza forms is that they might be a little too powerful, especially Kong Bananza, which allows you to tear through enemies with little effort. Admittedly, the sections I played were, for the most part, from the first few hours of the game, so I'm just hoping that it gets trickier in the late game, as while it's a lot of fun to wipe out the landscape and any enemies in your way, it doesn't provide much in the way of a challenge.
Another fantastic new concept for Donkey Kong Bananza is DK and Pauline's ever-expanding wardrobe, with a bunch of outfits, ties, and fur styles to try on for size. These aren't just cosmetics, though. Each costume has a unique benefit, ranging from increased Bananza time to enabling DK to move faster while in the mud, with plenty in between. I can imagine that these bonuses will come in especially handy in the later game, but honestly, I spent more time deciding which shade of fur I wanted to style DK in. Blue is my current favorite, as it makes it look like he's going to Comic Con in Sonic cosplay.
What I hadn't anticipated going into playing three hours of Donkey Kong Bananza was how charming I'd find it. When it was first revealed that DK's travelling companion would be Pauline, not Diddy Kong, I felt a little sad for the tiny primate, but now, I get it. The relationship between the new protagonist pairing is heartwarming.
There are moments when DK and Pauline settle down for a snooze in one of the overworld Getaway resting points, in which Pauline will ask the ape if he's asleep. If you tell her you're not, she'll open up a little, detailing her opinion on the area or her thoughts surrounding the adventure so far. It's incredibly endearing, and I found myself using Getaways more often than necessary just to enjoy the growing bond between Pauline and her new primate pal.
Before the preview wrapped up, we were put into pairs to try out a bit of Bananza's co-op mode. It feels a lot like Mario Odyssey's two-player option, in which player one controls Donkey Kong, determining which direction you're heading in, while the other controls Pauline using the Joy-Con 2's mouse controls. I'd assumed it might be a little boring to get stuck with Pauline as player two, but it's a lot more fun than it looks, with the ability to absorb materials and spit them back out into the world, either causing destruction or building on top of the scenery. I can't imagine I'll play it much, but it seems like a great feature for any DK-loving parents who want to get their kids in on the action.
Coming away from the preview, it occurred to me that Donkey Kong Bananza felt like a combination of some of the best ideas from the last seven or eight years of my favorite first-party Nintendo games. It has the vibrancy and explorability of Mario Odyssey, the Shrine-factor of Breath of the Wild, and the gameplay variety of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, all while offering something that feels authentic to the core Donkey Kong DNA. For me, praise doesn't get much higher than that, and I can't wait to get my hands on the finished product.
There you have it, our Donkey Kong Bananza preview ahead of the big release date on July 17. If you're still debating picking up some of the Nintendo Switch 2 launch titles, be sure to check out our Mario Kart World review and Cyberpunk 2077 Switch 2 review while you're here. Or, if it's peripherals you're after, see our guides to the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers and the best Nintendo Switch 2 accessories to complete your gaming setup.