I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—I’m hyped for Donkey Kong Bananza. It feels like a fresh, fun take on DK, and Nintendo nailed it with that recent Direct from two weeks ago. That breakdown showed exactly why this game stands out.
Launching July 17 for the Nintendo Switch 2, the hype just got cranked up another notch thanks to today’s round of previews. One major reveal? The team behind Super Mario Odyssey is developing this. Yeah, that’s right—Odyssey-level quality for a Donkey Kong game. If that doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will.
Also, VGC dropped a 20-minute gameplay video from their 3-hour hands-on preview. Check it out below:
Pretty much every preview for Donkey Kong Bananza that I’ve seen praises the game for its looks, depth (no pun intended), and its use of Pauline. Many also suspect Nintendo still hasn’t revealed everything about the game, and that makes me even more excited for what else they might be hiding.
Donkey Kong Bananza launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2 this July 17, 2025.
UPDATE: We now know some specific people who are working on the game!
Donkey Kong Bananza is being developed by Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 8 specifically.Key People (3D Mario):- Yoshiaki Koizumi ~ Producer- Kenta Motokura ~ Director- Daisuke Tsujimura ~ Planning- Shinya Hiratake / Futoshi Shirai ~ Level Design- Atsushi Yamaguchi ~ Programmer
— Stealth40k (@stealth40k.bsky.social) 2025-07-02T01:03:24.598Z
