2025-07-17
Big DK energy
Even though it confirmed my suspicions, the reveal that Donkey Kong Bananza was coming to us from the team behind Super Mario Odyssey couldn't help but strike a little bit of fear into my heart. We know that the group within Nintendo EPD is a talented bunch, but how was I ever going to be able to fully throw myself into another 3D adventure, with the all-timer 'Jump Up Superstar' sequence lurking at the back of my brain?
This was my overwhelming thought as I made my way through Bananza's opening layer. It was all fantastic, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd seen these slick moves and shiny object hunts before, albeit with a touch more punching this time around.
And then it happened. Rather than following the suggested approach, I ripped up a chunk of earth, solved a puzzle in a way that I never expected to work, and laughed as DK goofily ooh'ed and ahh'ed at the reward. On the surface, Donkey Kong Bananza has more than a little Odyssey in its DNA, and the comparisons are on display right from the jump; but once I dug beneath, I realised this is the devs swinging for something more chaotic, more destructive and — dare I say it — at times, more entertaining. Simply put, it's the most fun I've had with a platformer in years.
DK storylines generally go as deep as 'Big monkey loses big banana hoard', and Bananza doesn't stray a million miles from that format. While mining for Banandium Gems (Are they rocks? Are they fruit? I'm still not sure) on Ingot Isle, ol' DK has his collection ripped from him before being plunged underground by the Void Company, a mining operation bent on reaching the planet's core to have their deepest desire granted.
It doesn't make too much sense, but nor did a sentient cap with eyes, so stay with me here. Keen to catch up with the terrible trio and get his bananas back in the process, DK stumbles across Pauline — the artist formerly known as OddRock — who assumes the position of back companion and quickly learns that she can assist the titular tie-wearer through the magic of... song.
The pair dive through a series of underground worlds, or Layers, in pursuit of Void Co., collecting straggling Banandium Gems, helping out the locals, and picking up shape-shifting Bananza Transformations from huge underground Elders on the way, all in the hope of reaching the core first.
It's a simple, if somewhat ridiculous, set-up that only really comes into its own in the game's later stages, but it provides a strong enough backbone for the gameplay, and that's the important part.
Much like Odyssey's cap-throwing, Bananza has a big new mechanic to get to grips with in the shape of DK's fists. Equipped with nothing more than his primate palms, DK can punch, dig, and throw just about anything that he can see through the magic of Nintendo's voxel tech experimentation — which you might remember from the cheese digging in Odyssey's Luncheon Kingdom. Bananza wastes no time introducing you to this newfound strength, with the opening tunnels of Ingot Isle serving as little more than a demonstration of just how much you can smash. And boy, did I put it to good use.
To my own detriment, my first hours were spent doing just this. I couldn't bring myself to follow the mission marker because what if there was something under my feet? Nintendo's promise of everything being destructible holds true (mostly), and there's a certain dopamine hit to be had in levelling a cliff face just for the sake of it, but it quickly loses its impact if that's all you're doing.
And I think Nintendo knows this. I eased up on the 'Punch' button, put DK's smoking fists back in their holsters, and started to see Bananza differently. Because yes, everything can be broken, but that doesn't mean everything should be. Each layer is set up not to be destroyed, but to be explored, and I soon learned that while the odd Fossil or Treasure Chest may be waiting underground, the real attraction lies in the creativity on top.
When you put the digging to one side, DKB is all about the platforming. DK has a silky smooth moveset, consisting of three directional punches, a jump, a roll, and a hand slap. Oh, he can also climb just about any vertical surface in front of him. If that sounds pretty pared back, it is, but there's sweetness in that simplicity.
You can roll, jump, and roll again to clear more ground, rip up a chunk of earth and surf on it, then throw said chunk into the ground to double-jump all without pausing for thought. Bananza has a fast travel system, but I found it much more enjoyable to take the scenic route on foot.
That's not to say that digging and punching don't have their place — they are absolutely the headline mechanic — but if, like me, you feared Bananza would be nothing more than a smashathon, you can rest easy knowing that it's quite the opposite.
You see, each layer brings a new idea about how DK should use his surroundings. Whether it's surfing over slime in the mud-filled Hilltop Layer, growing paths in the Forest Layer, or pulling up chunks of floating Liftoff Ore in the Resort Layer, each level of DK's early descent demonstrates another way to get around, with none sticking about for long enough to become frustrating.
All of these introductions serve their purpose, too. The second act feels like Nintendo firing on all cylinders to up the inventiveness, and it uses your base understanding of the game's ruleset to showcase even wackier ideas. Part of the joy is finding out how these all work yourself, but rest assured that by the end, the uncanny Bananza Transformations will feel like old news compared to some of the originality on display.
Would you look at that, I made it 1,000 words in before touching on the abomination that is DK's Bananza forms! In truth, I never warmed to the sight of Donkey Kong melded with an ostrich or a zebra, but the devs needed to work in Mario's Power-Up prowess, and the time limit given to each transformation meant I didn't have to look them in the eye for long.
Kong Bananza is your Hulk-like big hitter and can crush just about any material with ease. Zebra Bananza is all about speed, and Ostrich Bananza can momentarily fly through the air when you inevitably see something shiny glimmering in the distance.
At first, each form felt a little too overpowered, particularly in the early boss fights, which are proper blink-and-you'll-miss-'em affairs if you have the right power-up equipped. Fortunately, things calm down in the later game and into the post-credits content (of which there's a lot), where the transformations feel like more of an integral piece of the puzzle than an OTT superpower for a quick insta-win. Heck, the difficulty of some of the later challenges, particularly the boss fights, had me wishing for that earlier sense of ease.
What's more, they feel strangely at home in Bananza's world. Walking the same path as Odyssey, each layer down to the planet's core presents a different flavour of off-the-wall weirdness. There are ice cream-loving zebras who all talk like frat boys, googly-eyed 'Fractone' rocks that look like they've been swept off the Rare cutting room floor, underground eels that will spit you between layers like a slimy Tube train. And DK reacts to it all with such a wonderful range of expression. He'll shiver in cold areas, sweat in hot ones, and you'll want to pay particular attention to how his interactions with Pauline shift as their relationship changes. No, you're crying at an idle animation.
All of this means that each layer is a pleasure to explore, which is a relief, because they are packed, and I mean packed, with things to do. Odyssey's Power Moons are succeeded by Banandium Gems picked up in main story missions or by exploring the surroundings. Battle and Challenge Ruins crop up on every corner, too, shuffling a certain BOTW Shrine-esque pit stop into the proceedings, and occasionally calling out specific DK touchstones like Mine Cart Madness or Bramble Blast to brilliant effect.
Which reminds me, Bananza's score is wonderful — stay with me for this quick musical sidebar. The atmospheric environmental tunes are one thing, but Pauline's Bananza songs are some of the catchiest damn bops I've heard from a game for a long time, which is a relief, because you'll hear them every time you want to transform (you can turn it off in settings if that's not your jam, don't worry). I dare you to listen to Kong Bananza without throwing in a little shoulder shimmy whenever you hear the main riff. And yes, much like those aforementioned Challenge Courses, there are musical cameos aplenty, so make sure you've brushed up on your Country music — and we don't mean Dolly Parton — before diving in.
Anyway, back to those bananas. The Gems serve their in-game purpose well enough — collect five to unlock a Skill Point, which can be used to level up DK's stats, Bananza Transformations, or grant some bonus abilities — but we all know they're really there to encourage exploration. Nintendo has crafted gorgeously detailed worlds, and it would feel like a waste if all I did with them was dig. Instead, the collectibles encouraged me to scour every corner and speak to every NPC, all while keeping things completely optional for those who'd prefer to storm ahead with the main quest. There's no 'Collect XX Bananas to power up the Odyssey' to see here.
I picked up around 600 gems throughout my roughly 35-hour playthrough (it would be much shorter, had I not been such a fiend for shiny collectibles), and I know that even more are still waiting. That's not to mention the Fossils, Smashin' Stats, and Outfits, all of which are calling me back for that sweet 100% completion.
And then there's the entirely optional sculpting DK Artist mode, which gobbled up more of my time than I was expecting in my crude attempt to build DK a Waluigi hat. The tools are deeper than I had imagined, and it's nice to see Mouse Mode in action, though it doesn't add much to the overall experience other than the worrying thought of what people will do with that poor banana model. Still, it's a nice little addition.
I spent the majority of my time playing solo, but you can bring a pal along for the ride to make the collectathon that bit more manageable. The co-op is more Mario Odyssey than 3D World. Player two stays tethered to DK as Pauline, and is on hand to dish out attacks and pick up collectibles.
It's a perfectly pleasant time playing with two adults — even if the option to have both players control the camera feels like a mistake — but it really feels designed for a parent-child paring, where a less-experienced player can still be part of the adventure without having to worry about all the pesky platforming and punching. You can even try this out between Switch 2 and Switch 1 systems via the magic of GameShare, though I wasn't able to test this during the review period. Elsewhere, an Assist Mode accessed from the menu at any time can make DK's health last a little longer and point you in the right direction. There are also tools for button remapping, language options for Pauline's dialogue (though the text language is set at a system level), and subtitle toggles.
For the most part, Donkey Kong Bananza is a prime example of the Switch 2's beefed-up performance, running at a smooth 60fps for most of the time, with some genuinely stunning vistas and a nice touch of that swanky 3D audio thrown in for good measure — you'll hear the gramophone of a safe Getaway and know exactly which direction to head. The destruction left in DK's wake is permanent (until you leave the layer or opt to reset the terrain, that is), and while the environments don't obey the real-world laws of physics to the letter — you can punch through the base of a tree and the rest of the trunk will remain standing — some sections see hundreds of objects, each with their own physics, realised on screen at once, lifting the lid on a new console generation in style.
It's truly impressive stuff, but there are some hiccups along the way. More intense digging sequences see the camera get a little squiffy as it tries to realise DK without showing the underground areas around him. Distant textures lose their detail, and speeding towards them reveals pop-in aplenty. And, when you really put the game through its paces in the later layers, where new paths are being created, destroyed and moved all at the same time, the frame rate takes a noticeable dive before springing back.
All that said, it didn't come close to ruining my experience. This is an ambitious game where you can head in any direction at any time, make or break new routes to your will, and tear up the terrain knowing full well that the damage will still be there next time you come back.
So, can I say that Donkey Kong Bananza is better than Super Mario Odyssey? No, I can't. And honestly, what is? But if you loved Jumpman's planet-hopping adventure, you'll have no shortage of smiles on this underground descent.
Source: Nintendolife.com
