Donkey Kong Bananza Review – DK Gets His Masterpiece

If you’re wondering whether Donkey Kong Bananza lives up to the excitement, you’re not alone. On a recent episode of the Nintendo Entertainment Podcast, I asked, “What was the last game you played that gave you the purest sense of fun?” For me, that answer is easily Donkey Kong Bananza. When Nintendo announced a new Donkey Kong game for the Switch 2, I was just as thrilled as everyone else—but I had no idea how much joy this game would bring. This Donkey Kong Bananza review is nothing short of a celebration of one of the most fun and surprising titles I’ve ever played.

Game Name: Donkey Kong Bananza
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 2
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Developer(s): Nintendo
Release Date: July 17, 2025

Given how much I love this game…how do I even start my Donkey Kong Bananza Review? How about at the beginning? As they explain in a simple yet effective way, Donkey Kong and a whole bunch of other primates from the world hear a tale about a special kind of banana, which we all know DK loves, and they race to Ingot Isle to try and get them. After arriving, DK gets to work and is enjoying the “bananas of his labor,” only to find himself sucked into an underground world due to a group of Kongs known as Void Co.

Due to their meddling, DK is now trapped there, but he’s not alone. He soon finds an “Odd Rock,” and after getting some help, Odd Rock turns into…Pauline! Now, the two are on a journey to stop Void Co., reach the planet’s core, and discover if the legend about the wishes granted by the planet’s core is true.

Easily one of the best parts about the game is that from the MOMENT you start controlling Donkey Kong, you can smash just about everything in sight. Seriously. I spent the first hour or so in the prologue level just smashing everything to bits, simply because I could! In those opening segments, you have plenty of things to smash to get gold and Bananadium Shards, both of which are vital to multiple parts of gameplay down the line.

You can feel the power of DK as you go through the terrain, as he punches, slams, rips things apart, and more, and it’s addictive. Plus, thanks to abilities like his sonar, once you get to the underground world, which is filled with items, chests, fossils, and Bananas to get, you’ll see something in the distance and be almost COMPELLED to go get it…which typically leads to more destruction.

I’m not lying when I say that, especially in those opening few layers, I spent a lot of time ignoring the checkpoints that I was supposed to go to so I could advance the story, simply because I wanted nothing more than to get everything I could see, find, and just explore the layers themselves. It made the game even more enjoyable because pretty much every layer, with one or two intentional exceptions, is vast, and you’ll WANT to see them all and ponder where your next “buried treasure” will be.

Plus, when you collect enough Banandium Gems, you can power up DK even more!

I’m bringing this up specifically because it not only entices you to collect as many bananas as possible (and trust me when I say there are HUNDREDS of them in the game), but you can tailor “your version of DK” to how you want to play. For me, I made it so that Donkey Kong would be a tank in health, have plenty of items to help him when things got tense, and maxed out my sonar so I always knew where other items were.

That’s not the only thing you can “power up,” though, as the other big addition to this game is the “Bananza Transformations.” There are five in total, and while I won’t spoil the final two, I will say that each one is special, has a unique moveset that will make you view the terrain you’re in differently, and look really cool. Oh, and Pauline sings a special song for each transformation, and they’re all catchy.

To me, the Bananzas not only enhanced the gameplay but also made me think about how I could use them to get to certain areas or overcome certain enemies and obstacles. The game, like many other open-world titles, allows for “free thought” to try and get through certain challenges, and that’s what I took advantage of. For example, if there was a large span of terrain I had to get across, but couldn’t walk upon, I used one Bananza to launch me high into the air, and then used the Ostrich Bananza to fly/glide over to the area I wanted to without issue. Is that what they intended for me to do? No idea. But did it work and make me smile when I got to my destination? Every time.

Before I move on to other things, I wish to spend a little more time in my Donkey Kong Bananza Review praising the level design and what the Nintendo team did to make each layer feel special. A consistent thing I experienced throughout the adventure was that every time I thought the team would “just start repeating the classics,” which it does a nice fakeout for early enough in the title, they reveal a new mechanic or terrain element that completely changes things and forces you to adapt.

One example was “Switcheroo Gel,” which had you hitting a gel on one side of the level to affect an empty section on another side of the level. It was a simple twist, and yet, it worked. There was also a level where you had to cloak enemies in light or shadow to make them vulnerable, which was something I didn’t expect. There’s even a “landfill layer” that completely turns the level design concept on its head and forces you to “dig through the waste” to see what you can find, and it was a thrill every time! There are levels in this game that you won’t see coming, period. It’s so enjoyable.

Plus, the game gives you some special rest areas via “getaways” that can give you extra hearts if you keep building them all over the level. There are also stores where you can purchase items, including clothes that’ll give DK and Pauline special boosts or resistances, allowing you to customize their appearance as you see fit. When you add that to the side challenges, retro levels, and combat clashes, you’ll be busy no matter where you are in the game.

Alright, you’ve waited long enough…let’s talk about Pauline. When the game was first announced, Nintendo intentionally hid Pauline’s involvement via her “Odd Rock” form (outside of a leaked piece of art that many rightfully wondered if it was fake). Then, when the game’s Nintendo Direct arrived, and Pauline was revealed to be a key part of the game’s narrative and gameplay, we were all stunned! However, the question with her becomes, “Is her involvement meaningful?”

Yes. Absolutely yes. It would’ve been so easy for Nintendo to just put her there due to her popularity post Super Mario Odyssey and just let DK do the heavy lifting. Instead, they make this younger version of Pauline a key part of the gameplay via her singing, and flesh out her character in both hilarious and endearing ways. When we meet her, she’s a far cry from the Mayor of New Donk City. She’s nervous in front of crowds and just wants to get back to the surface.

However, through DK’s unyielding support and a little bit of courage, she rocks every Bananza performance and slowly gets the confidence she needs to start pressing toward her “dream.” You can even see the progression through her performances, where at first, she doesn’t want to do it, and then, by the fifth Bananza concert, SHE is the one asking for a beat from DK, instead of him doing it to encourage her.

My FAVORITE thing that Nintendo did, though, is that when Pauline and DK rest in their getaways, they do little monologues where Pauline voices her thoughts, insights, fears, and appreciation for Donkey Kong. It’s such a simple thing, but it makes her all the more pronounced as a character, while also highlighting the bond that they have.

Late in the game, as teased by one of the trailers, Donkey Kong and Pauline are separated, and you can see the pain in DK’s face when he realizes she’s gone, and witness his drive to get her back. Then, when they do need to separate “for good,” you can tell that Pauline is broken up about it, but that it’s the right thing to do to let DK be DK and “let him chase his dreams.”

You will have a newfound appreciation for Pauline after this game that goes far beyond her incredible voice.

What’s that? I still have more to talk about? You bet! Also, WARNING, major spoilers are incoming, so if you haven’t beaten the game yet, you’ll want to leave before this particular section ends!

Two things I want to highlight are the game’s graphics and soundtrack. First, much like in Mario Kart World, you can see the graphical power of the Nintendo Switch 2 on display from pretty much the word go. Everything is big, beautiful, and detailed, and when they pour on some of the effects and animations, you’ll be shocked you settled for anything less than this in the past. Donkey Kong’s new look has gotten some flak since it was first unveiled, but I personally dig it. He’s MUCH more expressive this time around, and when you throw in the looks, expressions, and moves of the Bananza transformations, things just feel more “alive.”

As for the music, there are plenty of epic tracks to witness, including redone versions of classic tracks from the SNES and N64 days! One of the “collection quests” you do in the game is getting records that you can play in your getaways! I, naturally, chose the classic DK themes to play…but the new tracks are good, too, especially a certain epic track that Pauline sings as the credits roll. I cried listening to it, and I regret nothing.

Finally, for this section, before I get into HUGE SPOILERS, the game is LONG! I apparently got close to 30 hours with this title, which I didn’t expect in the least. Plus, I was kind of rushing through the final layers so that I could get this review made. By the time I got to the post-game content, YES, THERE IS POST-GAME CONTENT, I had just under 600 bananas collected, and there were plenty that I likely missed. The game absolutely encourages you to go “find what you didn’t get,” while also buying more bananas from the various stores in-game. I’m genuinely curious how many are left to get.

Okay, spoiler time, you ready? Because we need to talk about…

He’s…BACK!!!!!! From almost the moment we learned more about this game, and learning it was a “prequel” to Donkey Kong Country (it’s complicated), many wondered if King K. Rool would return. Sure enough, he did, and it’s the most PEAK THING EVER!!!! His entrance? Peak. His boss battles? Peak. The fact that the game does a full-on fake ending before giving you multiple shocking reveals and other boss battles? Peak. The fact that they brought back the KREMLING KREW in updated forms? PEAK!!!!!!

I honestly liked the Void Co. enemies, especially Grumpy and Poppy Kong. But the moment King K. Rool showed up, I knew that things were getting taken to a whole new level, and I was right. This game not only paved the way for DK’s gaming future, but it also honored the past in the best way possible.

So, as I end this Donkey Kong Bananza Review, what else is left to say? You’re probably wondering, “Where are the negative points?” Well, there are a few TINY criticisms I have. First, the camera can be an issue at times, but you’ll get used to it quickly, and some of the “issues” actually can help you find stuff. Go figure. Second, some of the game’s side challenges will annoy. I’ve never been the biggest fan of “precision platforming” to get a task done, so my “liking” of those particular sections was a bit less than others. Finally, DK has so many moves that you can sometimes press the wrong button and end up getting hurt or getting put into precarious scenarios. I recommend having PLENTY of items on it for when that happens.

But those are MINISCULE issues that couldn’t even come close to wiping out my joy for this game. Donkey Kong has been a mainstay for Nintendo since the literal beginning, but even when he was making great titles, like with Retro’s return to DKC, you wondered if he could ever “truly evolve.” This is proof that he can, and I almost pity the follow-up to this game, because it has a LOT to overcome to match the quality that is on display here.

Beauty comes in many forms. Donkey Kong Bananza is a beautiful game from start to finish, and I’ll remember the joyous feeling it’s given me for a long time.

Review Disclosure Statement: This copy of Donkey Kong Bananza was provided to us by Nintendo of America for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.

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