Donkey Kong: Bananza

Donkey Kong Bananza is a groundbreaking 3D platformer from the Super Mario Odyssey team that pushes the genre to thrilling new heights.

Donkey Kong Bananza is a game so committed to its premise you can’t help but revel in the gorgeous, destructive genius of it all. Constantly building to a spectacular finish and incorporating the most comprehensive post-game experience I have seen in a Nintendo game to date, this is a proper benchmark of brilliance for what a first-party Switch 2 title should be. The world is your oyster – so why not punch it into pieces.

Donkey Kong Bananza is perhaps the best 3D platformer of the 2020s so far. It has immaculate movement, mountains of incredibly fun content, challenges that genuinely test your skill, and a style so charming that you'll be thinking about it for weeks. Every part of this game comes together to make something cohesive and tightly designed, even in a world that you can fully dig through and destroy nearly every piece of. It's a generational great, an incredible use of the Donkey Kong franchise, and the star of the Switch 2 lineup.

One of the most unique Nintendo Switch 2 games is finally here and Donkey Kong Bananza is awesomer than a bunch of just-ripe bananas.

I will be the first one to admit I was bummed out with the initial reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2, as well as its launch lineup. Ever since grabbing a portable gaming PC, the entire concept of “big budgeted AAA gaming on the go” had lost its novelty. It’s still very much appealing, of course, but when you have access to a Steam library on-the-go, a launch lineup plastered with third party ports and just, like, two new Nintendo games wasn’t delivering the best of first impressions. Su...

Donkey Kong Bananza is an incredible iteration and spin on the Odyssey formula creating another incredible first-party experience. The world destruction did rob some of the challenge of the world, but it was a smaller percentage of the time.

A triumphant return to centre court for Donkey Kong, with the best destruction effects in gaming and mountains of bizarre and wonderful ideas – and a surprising amount of jank when it comes to the camera.

Donkey Kong Bananza is an almighty re-introduction to the world of 3D platforming for DK, and arguably the Switch 2's first absolute must-play. The punching and crashing is a passing novelty that, once you get your fill, quickly becomes just another way of exploring the wonderfully varied and beautifully presented layers. Whether it's smashing through the scenery with a Bananza Transformation or carefully planning a route to a hidden Banandium Gem, you'll have trouble finding more originality and, crucially, more enjoyment from a platformer in recent years. As the DK Rap so wisely said, "Donke...

With the arrival of Donkey Kong: Bananza, Nintendo’s legendary gorilla is finally back in the spotlight for a new 3D platformer. This sprawling journey is rich with challenging platforming sequences, a plethora of unique enemies, and features that will alter the DNA of this franchise moving forward. Top it all off with a story full of heart, and you’ve got an excellent addition to the Switch 2’s young library.

Despite being the franchise that started it all for Nintendo, Donkey Kong has never been as meticulously managed as, say, Mario or Zelda. For decades, DK was largely entrusted to teams outside Nintendo’s core Japanese development structure, with the likes of Rare, Retro Studios, and the occasional third party offering their own varying spins on the franchise. That said, between a major role in the recent Super Mario Bros. movie and new Universal Studios attractions, it seems clear Nintendo is interested in returning Donkey Kong to true top-tier franchise status. As part of this, Nintendo is ro...

Bananza is a great platformer, but it can't match Mario's heights

Donkey Kong Bananza is a smashing good time. With Pauline clutching onto the fur on his back as the pair race to the centre of the world, you’ll be rampaging across the landscape of each level, slapping rock-encased enemies around, and dig-punching yourself in a gluttonous frenzy of screen-filling button mashing as you search for the moreish bananas that DK goes ga-ga for.