Donkey Kong Bananza is not merely another jungle-themed romp in Nintendo’s hallowed platformer franchise—it’s a brazen, banana-fueled romp that rewrites the rules of what it means to be a Donkey Kong game. The first big platformer to show up on the Nintendo Switch 2, Bananza has Mario’s legacy to live up to, but it quickly makes one thing abundantly clear: this game isn’t taking anyone’s cues—it’s making its own crazy, destructive way.
A New Kind of Platformer Playground
At its core, Bananza breaks away from the traditional linear platforming formula. Rather than marching players from Point A to Point B, the game embraces an open-ended, sandbox-style approach. You’re free to explore, experiment, and—perhaps most importantly—smash everything in sight.
Environmental degradation isn’t an eye-catching trick; it’s a fundamental game mechanic. Almost any section of terrain can be smashed, bored through, or remolded. The deeper you burrow into the layers of the planet, the more secret bananas, cache-to-find treasure chests, and offbeat fossil trinkets recompense curiosity. Environments change as you progress—initial soil yields thick wood, toxic gas pockets, and other threats that test your reaction time and puzzle-solving abilities.
It’s a new approach that is more sandbox exploration than straight-up platforming, reminding one of the open-ended randomness of games such as Grand Theft Auto—without the crime wave. Here, the freedom of the player is paramount. You can waste an hour on one level just because it’s cool to watch what you can destroy, dig out, or discover. Aye, there are boss fights and obstacle courses and side-scrolling throwbacks to the origins of DK, but the real magic is in discovery’s pleasure.
Technical Powerhouse for Switch 2
Technically, Donkey Kong Bananza is a fantastic demonstration of the Switch 2. The game runs at silky-smooth 60 frames per second, with support for 4K resolution and rich, persistent worlds that don’t get lost when you blink. It is unlike previous Nintendo tricks, which discreetly hid the hardware restraints. Bananza doesn’t just appear to be a leap forward in terms of visual detail and reactivity; it is a leap forward in both.
The world you can destroy isn’t only visually pleasing—it’s practical and significant. Your actions alter the landscape in ways that impact travel, battle, and discovery, making a dynamic environment that reflects how you play.
Co-op Chaos with a Pauline Twist
The game also excels in co-op, where a second can be played as Pauline. She’s not merely along for the ride—Pauline has her skillset to offer, such as vocal shockwaves and the power to absorb and throw objects with flair. As much as her move set is less complicated than DK’s, her addition introduces a degree of charm and variability, particularly with full voice acting providing her character with real presence.
With Nintendo’s GameShare, all you need is one game copy to play together locally or online. It’s frictionless, hassle-free fun to plunge into chaos shared. For new players or younger gamers, Assist Mode, which can be turned on and off at any time, diminishes incoming damage and offers useful advice.
Not Every Experiment Sticks—But That’s Okay
As with any game that takes a risk by doing something different, Bonanza has its hiccups. The skill tree, for example, is more of a justification to pick up items rather than an important tool for advancement. And although transformations into power-ups—such as DK briefly turning into an ostrich to glide—are a blast, they’re situational and humorous rather than required.
But these idiosyncrasies are deliberate, one part of Bananza’s vaguely anarchy-infused personality. It’s not trying to redefine the genre in a refined, honed manner. Rather, it’s testing limits and embracing Donkey Kong’s playful, volatile nature.
A Platformer That Plays by Its Own Rules
What distinguishes Donkey Kong Bananza is its self-assurance. It’s not attempting to be Super Mario Odyssey 2, nor living in anyone else’s shadow. It’s rather far from it—a game heavily focused on exploration, demolition, and an air of happy chaos. Be it digging through layers of the environment, collaborating with Pauline, or simply enjoying the time spent breaking things for the sake of it, the game invites players to pen their narrative.
In a generation where many platformers feel safe or overly nostalgic, Bananza swings in with something genuinely fresh. It’s a reminder that when Nintendo lets its iconic characters break free from tradition, the results can be thrilling, strange, and surprisingly impactful.