The Nintendo Switch 2 came out on June 5, 2025, and with it were new additions to franchises like “Mario Kart”and “Donkey Kong.” “Donkey Kong Bananza” is a game about unique worlds waiting to be explored, with 17 different biomes players must go through in order to reach the core of the planet, like the Freezer Layer or the Forest Layer.
Featuring Bananzas, given to the player from the elders of each tribe, makes this game a magical musical experience. There are five specific layers players must stop at in order to gain Bananza Transformations, each with a single animal species, and once that layer is reached by the player, they are able to become that specific being through a Bananza Transformation.
During the Bananza Transformation, each animal species has its own cutscene of the animals of the tribe and elders having a party with Donkey Kong, providing percussion and Pauline performing, along with a tutorial on how to use the power of the Bananza. The Zebra Bananza can be obtained in the Freezer Layer and has a speed boost ability that helps players run across water with ease. The other Bananza’s have their own powers, like the Kong Bananza having super strength, which is helpful since it allows players to get rewards or essentials they might have missed.
Bananzas can be gained by collecting pieces of a vinyl record located in front of the elders of each tribe.
“Donkey Kong Bananza” also brought back some characters from past games, like Diddy Kong and Cranky Kong. The sidekick is a young singing sensation named Pauline, but with a twist, there is a theory that this version of her is the granddaughter of Pauline from the original “Donkey Kong” game. In the beginning of the game, players find her as an odd rock that hitches a ride on the player’s back for the rest of the game and helps complete tasks.
Pauline’s goal is to get back to the surface from the Lagoon Layer, where here the player finds her and defeat the members of the VoidCo that captured her before the main events of the game.
This dastardly band of villains is led by Void Kong, along with the help from his associates Poppy Kong and Grumpy Kong. The character designs are unique with details that hint at their personality, with Grumpy Kong having a permanent scowl on his face. I like how these details coordinate with their personalities.
Their goal is to claim the Banandium Root at the core of the planet, which has the power to grant wishes. They intend to use the root to steal all the Banandium Gems to become wealthy and powerful.
A famous “Donkey Kong” villain comes back known as King K. Rool of the Kremling crew, trying to claim the Banandium Root for himself to make all the bananas rotten. The main reason for this is so he can feed his Kremling army. He comes later in the game where he is shown at the core of the planet being mistaken for the Banandium root thanks to his iconic golden belly, nonetheless, not even VoidCo can stop him from achieving his goal.
The story is amazing with surprises left and right, making nods to older games. When players meet up with Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong, they have their own animations that hint back to “Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest.” The gameplay is strong with smooth graphics, an example is when players go fast while riding a boulder or using the Zebra Bananza, the game doesn’t lag and the mechanics are easy to understand.
Most “Donkey Kong” games are either 2D or 3D side scrolling games, however, since this is a free roaming game like “Donkey Kong 64,” players are able to manipulate the terrain to their advantage. Although side scrolling games have their advantages, like being able to see what’s ahead, once the player goes forward in the level they can’t go back, which is really bad if something is missed.
The graphics and sound tracks are top notch. It not only gave a grand reveal for “Donkey Kong’s” new design, but also carved a path for new Nintendo fans to find interest in the franchise.
