Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong Bananza
Developer(s)Nintendo EPD[a]
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)
  • Wataru Tanaka
  • Kazuya Takahashi
Producer(s)Kenta Motokura
Designer(s)Kazuya Takahashi
Programmer(s)Wataru Tanaka
Artist(s)Daisuke Watanabe
Composer(s)Naoto Kubo
SeriesDonkey Kong
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch 2
ReleaseJuly 17, 2025
Genre(s)Platform, action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Donkey Kong Bananza[b] is a 2025 platform game developed by Nintendo EPD for the Nintendo Switch 2. The player controls the gorilla Donkey Kong, who ventures underground with a young Pauline to recover stolen banana-shaped diamonds from a group of villainous apes. It plays similarly to EPD's Super Mario Odyssey (2017), with players exploring sandbox-like levels while completing objectives, battling enemies, and collecting objects. Bananza is distinguished by its destructible environments; the player can destroy most terrain to create paths and find items.

EPD began working on Donkey Kong Bananza following Super Mario Odyssey's completion. It was the first Donkey Kong game that Nintendo developed internally since Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (2004); development began on the original Nintendo Switch, but shifted to the Switch 2 after EPD determined that it would better realize their concepts. They used the voxel technology that allowed players to manipulate terrain in some Odyssey levels to a significantly greater degree, designing large, destructible worlds emphasizing Donkey Kong's strength. The soundtrack includes rearrangements of David Wise and Grant Kirkhope's music from Rare's Donkey Kong games alongside new material.

Nintendo released Donkey Kong Bananza on July 17, 2025, as the first original Donkey Kong game since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014) and the first 3D platformer since Donkey Kong 64 (1999). It received acclaim from critics, who considered it the Switch 2's killer app. They praised its visuals, gameplay, and story, but criticized its camera and frame rate.

Gameplay

Donkey Kong swings a stone slab and destroys terrain. Bananza features destructible environments; almost every surface can be destroyed.

Donkey Kong Bananza is a 3D platformer and adventure game that emphasizes destruction and open-world exploration.[1][2] Journalists have compared it to Super Mario Odyssey (2017),[3][4][5] with some describing it as a successor.[c] As the gorilla Donkey Kong, the player seeks to collect the Banandium Gems,[10] golden banana-shaped diamonds,[11][3] while exploring sandbox-like levels in an underground world.[6][12] Each underground layer has a unique theme, including ice, lava, and tropical biomes.[13]

Donkey Kong can roll,[14] punch, slap the terrain, pick up and throw objects, and climb most surfaces.[2][4] Banandium Gems can be used to upgrade Donkey Kong's abilities from a skill tree. The player learns five animal-themed power-up transformations from non-player character (NPC) elders: a gorilla transformation that increases Donkey Kong's strength; a zebra transformation that increases his speed; an ostrich transformation that allows him to glide and drop egg bombs; an elephant transformation that allows him to inhale and spit terrain; and a snake transformation that increases his jump height.[15] The player can use and swap between transformations at any time, though their duration is limited by an energy meter.[10]

The player completes missions, solves puzzles, and fights enemies to collect Banandium Gems.[6][4] Banandium Gems function similarly to Odyssey's Power Moons and are obtained by progressing through the story or found through exploration.[6] While exploring, the player discovers secluded areas where they must complete challenges including platforming, solving puzzles, defeating enemies within a time limit, and mining for gold.[6][16] They are rewarded Banandium Gems or gold upon completion.[6] Some areas contain side-scrolling sections,[17] which pay homage to the Donkey Kong Country games,[8][18] and minecarts.[12]

The player can receive advice from, assist, and obtain Banandium Gems from NPCs, including Donkey Kong characters such as Cranky Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Rambi.[10][19][20] When Bananza starts, Donkey Kong befriends Odd Rock, an anthropomorphic purple stone who directs him towards objectives.[1][21] As the game progresses, Odd Rock is revealed to be a young Pauline, who can use her singing voice to activate Donkey Kong's transformations, remove seals, and, if a second player controls her in a co-op mode, emit explosive projectiles.[13][22] Bananza supports GameShare, allowing a second player to control Pauline locally or online on another Nintendo Switch 2, or locally on an original Nintendo Switch.[10]

Bananza is distinguished by its destructible environments:[17] Donkey Kong can smash almost every surface and destroy terrain.[3][21] He can rip pieces of the environment from the ground or walls and throw them to uncover items or destroy enemies,[6][7] or use them as snowboards.[14] Soft terrain can be stacked to create new paths.[13] Destroying environments allows for varied traversal;[21] for instance, Donkey Kong can dig underground and create a path to another area of the world.[7] He can also uncover Banandium Gems by digging.[3] The extent to which the player can destroy the environment is limited by a layer of unbreakable bedrock at the bottom of each level.[19] Large bosses block the routes that link each layer, and the player must defeat each to progress.[13] Progress is tracked in a 3D world map,[6] and giant eels allow players to fast travel to different layers or across the current layer.[13]

Other collectibles include gold, which serves as currency and fuel for transformations; balloons, which rescue Donkey Kong from bottomless pits; Banandium Chips, coins that the player can trade for Banandium Gems; fossils, which the player can trade for clothing to customize Donkey Kong and Pauline; and tracks for an in-game music player.[10][9] Bananza features Amiibo support; scanning a Bananza-themed Donkey Kong and Pauline figure unlocks a special costume for Pauline,[23] and existing Donkey Kong Amiibo (Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, King K. Rool, and Super Nintendo World bands) summon explosive gold tiles.[10][13] Other Amiibo summon spheres with special properties that assist traversal.[23] A photo mode allows the player to use a free-moving camera to take and customize screenshots,[13] and an art creation mode, DK Artist, allows them to carve and paint sculptures using the Joy-Con 2's mouse functionality.[24]

Plot

Donkey Kong travels to Ingot Isle to search for Banandium Gems amidst a gold rush, but a mining company, VoidCo., steals the gems to power its ship. VoidCo.'s president, Void Kong, seeks to travel to the planetary core to find the Banandium Root, a magical object that grants the wishes of its wielder, and obtain riches. Donkey Kong is swept underground, where he rescues Odd Rock. They discover a vast Hollow Earth-like region inhabited by animal societies and their ancient elders. An enormous Kong Elder grants Donkey Kong transformative powers and restores Odd Rock to its true self, the teenage girl Pauline. The elder advises them to continue to the core to find the root.

Donkey Kong and Pauline discover more underground layers, battle VoidCo.'s minions, and meet other animal tribe elders, who grant Donkey Kong new transformations. Pauline dreams of becoming a famous singer and gains more confidence to sing as she and Donkey Kong progress. The two battle Void Kong at the core, where they awaken an object that they think is the root. They instead free King K. Rool, who became trapped with his Kremling Krew while searching for the root. They follow K. Rool into the core, but are unable to prevent him from claiming the root. Donkey Kong and Pauline defeat him and make their wishes; Donkey Kong wishes for a large supply of bananas, while Pauline wishes to return home. The root brings them back to the surface on a large mass of bananas. K. Rool pursues them, and the three emerge in New Donk City, Pauline's hometown; K. Rool reclaims the root and floods the city with toxic mush. Donkey Kong and Pauline defeat him again, restoring New Donk City, and reluctantly part ways; Donkey Kong dives underground to continue adventuring while Pauline begins street performing.

Three months later, Donkey Kong returns to Ingot Isle, where Void Kong's reformed subordinates Grumpy and Poppy introduce a gong that lets him revisit the underground layers. The gong also summons Pauline, who asks Donkey Kong to help prepare for a show at New Donk City Hall. She believes that the elders can help her write a new song, and they embark on more adventures. Donkey Kong and Pauline complete a challenge in the core, and Pauline comes up with the melody. They return to the surface, where Pauline performs with Donkey Kong in the audience.

Development

Conception

Donkey Kong Bananza entered development on the original Nintendo Switch (top) before shifting to the Switch 2 (bottom).

After Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development (EPD) Production Group No. 8 completed Super Mario Odyssey, EPD's senior general manager Yoshiaki Koizumi—who directed Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (2004)—asked the team to develop a 3D Donkey Kong game. Koizumi wanted to expand the Donkey Kong franchise,[25] which had not received an original game since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014).[26] Furthermore, Nintendo had not developed a Donkey Kong game internally since Jungle Beat,[27] and wanted to establish separate 2D and 3D Donkey Kong series as they had with the Super Mario series.[25] The Odyssey director Kenta Motokura, who worked as a character artist on Jungle Beat,[28] was assigned as producer.[27]

Motokura conceived Bananza's concept and provided a template for the creative direction. He said that, upon receiving the assignment, EPD wanted to innovate as Donkey Kong (1981) had with story-driven gameplay and varied stage design and Donkey Kong Country (1994) had with pre-rendered graphics, using the skills they gathered from developing Super Mario games.[25] The team consulted Koizumi and Donkey Kong's creator Shigeru Miyamoto to better understand Donkey Kong; they emphasized Donkey Kong's strength.[25] Koizumi highlighted his large arms as distinguishing him from Mario,[27] while Miyamoto highlighted his varied abilities, such as slapping terrain and blowing on objects.[25]

After Odyssey's release, a programmer began conducting experiments with voxel technology.[29] It was used to a limited degree in Odyssey, having been implemented around halfway through development, to allow Mario to dig through cheese and plow snow.[27] In one experiment, they added large hands to a Goomba so it could rip and throw terrain. Tanaka said the team found this "surprisingly satisfying" and interesting as a central gameplay element,[29] and the team realized that Donkey Kong's physical strength was a good fit for the technology.[27] Kazuya Takahashi, who joined Nintendo in 2020 after previously working on open-world role-playing video games, and Wataru Tanaka, Odyssey's programmer, were assigned as Bananza's directors.[25] It was the first 3D Donkey Kong platformer since Donkey Kong 64 (1999),[30] and the title is a pun on the words banana and bonanza.[28]

Nintendo Life reported that development began in 2017 or 2018,[31] while GamesRadar+ speculated that full-scale production likely did not start until after Takahashi joined Nintendo and EPD finished Bowser's Fury (2021).[32] Bananza's development began on the original Switch,[29] but shifted to the Switch 2 around 2021,[29] to allow for the inclusion of more destructible objects.[27] Prototypes on the original Switch ran into performance problems, as its limited memory struggled to handle the detailed environments. Conversely, the Switch 2 allowed Bananza to run at a stable 60 frames per second, expand the environmental size and details, and incorporate concepts that had previously been discarded due to technical constraints.[29] Takahashi said the team was also enticed by the Switch 2's support for mouse controls, which they implemented in the co-op mode and DK Artist.[27]

Design

The entirety of Bananza's terrain is made from voxels, which Motokura said was the primary factor distinguishing it from Odyssey.[27] Takahashi described building levels from voxels as much more convenient than polygonal modeling, as developers could "freely combine voxels and materials to build terrain and then test it out immediately in-game. This let us quickly experiment and iterate".[29] EPD sought to ensure players would not notice the voxels during gameplay. Moving to the Switch 2 enabled the expansion of the level of environmental destruction; Daisuke Watanabe, Bananza's art director, said: "[the Switch 2] unlocked the game's full potential—no, it made the game possible."[29]

Motokura said they created the levels to exploit Donkey Kong's strength.[27] In designing each layer, they generally chose a theme and then thought about what voxel-based game mechanics could be included. In one instance, the ability to surf on pieces of terrain inspired a layer with rolling hills. The team wanted the underground world to be distinct from the surface setting of previous Donkey Kong games, though they still sought to evoke the franchise's original Brooklyn-inspired aesthetic and incorporated the neon pink and blue colors from the 1981 game as highlights.[33] Unlike the 3D Super Mario games, levels were designed to guide the player downward rather than upward.[29]

Players can continuously destroy terrain,[34] and Takahashi said that the discoveries players make from destruction, as well as the addition of a skill tree, made for a gameplay loop different from Odyssey's.[27] The team prioritized freedom, designing Bananza so that players were not restricted to collecting items via the intended route and would not encounter problems if sequence breaking.[29][33] They developed a new virtual camera system so players would be able to see while digging underground. Motokura described designing Donkey Kong's punch as one of the most difficult elements, as he wanted to avoid it becoming monotonous. This required minute refinements to various systems, including the sound design, controller rumble, and camera effects.[35] They used effects such as slow motion and freeze frames to add emphasis.[28] 1-Up Studio assisted with design, programming, and sound,[36] while tri-Crescendo assisted with programming.[37]

EPD revisited various Donkey Kong games for inspiration. They sought to honor the franchise's history and revive elements they felt would mesh with the destructible environments.[27] Takahashi replayed every Donkey Kong game after he was assigned to direct Bananza and cited Donkey Kong Country (1994) as a particular influence.[28] The team used the voxel technology to present returning elements, including minecarts, barrel cannons, and Animal Friends such as Rambi, in new ways; Motokura added that they did not want to rely solely on nostalgia. They wanted to satisfy veteran Donkey Kong fans while also appealing to players who were alienated by the franchise's high difficulty level, so they included the skill tree, an easier game mode, and co-op features as options.[27]

Characters

Bananza features a redesigned Donkey Kong that combines the expressiveness of Miyamoto's original design and his more cool and adventurous Country depiction.[27] The redesign had previously appeared in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and Mario Kart World (2025), though it was created for Bananza.[25] Watanabe said the team "strove for a design that would get to the core of what makes Donkey Kong who he is, bringing out his unique characteristics and appeal".[25] They wanted to create a unique depiction while remaining true to Miyamoto's vision and accounting for how different generations of Donkey Kong fans saw the character,[35] and consulted previous Donkey Kong artists for advice. Because Donkey Kong's character model is much larger than Mario's, they emphasized his facial expressions, and gave him overalls and thick fur to make him look interesting from a third-person perspective.[25]

When determining the other Donkey Kong characters to include, EPD referenced the 1981 Donkey Kong to acknowledge that Donkey Kong coexists with human characters. They attempted to balance the human world with the Country series' animal characters. Character inclusions were a source of debate, though Motokura mandated that Cranky Kong, a character he enjoys, be included. Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong's sidekick in previous games, was relegated to a cameo.[35] Bananza marked K. Rool and the Kremlings' first appearance in a Donkey Kong game in nearly 20 years, with an in-universe explanation for their absence.[38]

Early in development, EPD decided that another character would accompany Donkey Kong. Though one developer suggested Pauline, a specific character was not included in the software design description. Motokura recalled that the team revisited the Pauline idea when implementing Donkey Kong's zebra transformation. A composer, Naoto Kubo, wrote music for the transformation sequence,[33] and the team decided to turn it into a song that Pauline—who had been established as a singer in Odyssey[34]—could perform. They used Pauline as a human guide who could relate and explain concepts to the player.[33] Motokura and Takahashi credited Pauline's inclusion with helping many of their ideas take form. In contrast to her previous appearances as an adult, Pauline is depicted as a 13-year-old girl in Bananza, a decision Takahashi said was made to include a character who existing fans knew while intriguing new players. The in-universe reason for the age discrepancy is not explained; EPD wanted to leave it to fans' imagination.[27]

Sound and music

Kubo, Odyssey's lead composer, was Bananza's sound director.[25] EPD placed a strong emphasis on music due to Pauline's inclusion,[35] using her singing to signify routes or destroy barriers.[33] They used Foley techniques to record sound effects and aimed to make destruction sound varied and satisfying. Kubo said they "added subtle randomness through programming and fine-tuned the sounds to make sure they weren't too loud or high-pitched", and "emphasized fun and flashy sounds" for unusual objects that appear during later levels.[29]

Music composers included Kubo, Daisuke Matsuoka, Reika Nakai, Yuri Goto, and Tsukasa Usui.[39] Kubo said they used music to immerse the player and establish each layer's atmosphere. The composers sought to suit both fast-paced destruction and methodical exploration, as they felt it would become tiring if all the music was high energy. They split level themes into parts and adjusted them to reflect the player's surroundings.[33] Kubo decided to tie music to the animal transformations, similar to how the music changes in Super Mario games when Mario obtains certain power-ups, and Motokura asked him to write songs for each transformation. He drew inspiration from Latin music for the zebra transformation theme.[33]

Kubo wanted to retain the variety of previous Donkey Kong soundtracks, balancing upbeat tracks with somber, atmospheric ones.[33] Bananza features rearrangements of David Wise and Grant Kirkhope's music from the Rare-developed Donkey Kong games,[9] including Donkey Kong Country,[40] Donkey Kong Country 2 (1995),[41] and Donkey Kong 64,[42] though neither was involved as a composer.[43] Kirkhope was amused to learn that Bananza would include a remix of Donkey Kong 64's "DK Rap", which he called "the worst rap track in the history of rap tracks".[44] Kubo said the composers prioritized original material and briefly ignored that Bananza was a Donkey Kong game to write new music, but "sprinkled [rearrangements] throughout".[33]

Release

Context

Following the release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze in 2014, the Donkey Kong franchise became largely inactive.[31] The last Donkey Kong-related game before Bananza's release, excluding ports, was the spin-off Mini Mario & Friends: Amiibo Challenge (2016).[45] Reports of an EPD-developed Donkey Kong game emerged in 2021;[31] Shacknews wrote that Donkey Kong's prominent role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie "went a long way to restore his star power" and, alongside the Switch 2's launch, provided Nintendo an opportunity to revitalize the character.[45]

Marketing

Nintendo announced Donkey Kong Bananza via a trailer as the finale of a Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct presentation on April 2, 2025,[46][47] before allowing journalists in New York City to play a 20-minute demo.[18][48] Journalists considered the announcement a surprise;[2][12][49] Game Informer wrote that many expected a 3D Super Mario announcement instead.[4]

Nintendo promoted Bananza through Nintendo Treehouse streams,[50] a dedicated Nintendo Direct presentation,[51] live-action television advertisements,[52] and events in live service games such as Super Mario Run (2016) and Tetris 99 (2019).[53] Nintendo distributed playable ten-minute demos for Switch 2 kiosks in Walmart and Target stores in the US in June,[54] and hosted demo events for shoppers at EB Games and Costco stores in Canada between July 18 and 20.[55] In Japan, Nintendo accompanied the release with merchandise including keychains and plushes.[56]

Sales

As the first original Donkey Kong game since Tropical Freeze,[26] Bananza was highly anticipated.[57] It was the bestselling game on Amazon by June 23, 2025.[58] It was released on July 18, and debuted at the top of the UK physical sales charts, selling three times as many copies as the Switch version of Tropical Freeze. Sales were about half of Odyssey's launch sales; an analyst attributed this to Nintendo releasing Bananza closer to the console launch than Odyssey and during a slower sales period.[59] In Japan, it debuted in second place, selling 127,905 copies during its first three days on sale,[60] and 207,055 copies by August 3.[61]

Reception

Donkey Kong Bananza received "universal acclaim" according to the review aggregator website Metacritic,[62] and a "mighty" approval rating on OpenCritic.[63] It is the sixth-highest-rated game of 2025 on Metacritic,[80] and the third on OpenCritic.[81] Reviewers described it as the Switch 2's killer app.[82][83][84] IGN called Bananza "Nintendo's first Switch 2 masterpiece" and one of the best platform games,[73] and The Washington Post said it was one of the best Nintendo games of recent years, likening it to Super Mario Odyssey.[79]

Critics praised the visuals.[73][65]

The gameplay received praise.[71][78][73][69] IGN praised DK's movement and abilities, as well as the destructible environments and platforming challenges, calling it "a smashing return for a classic Nintendo character."[73] Adam Newell in his review for Destructoid applauded the surprises in Donkey Kong Bananza, its gameplay, and its story.[65] Jim Norman in his review for Nintendo Life praised the variety, sense of adventure, and challenges.[75]

Critics enjoyed the destruction.[73][69][70]

Reviewers criticized the camera[68][76][64] and frame rate.[64][75][71] 4Players and NME criticized the co-op mode,[76][64] which NME said felt "like an afterthought".[76] Jeuxvideo.com said that the bosses are too easy and are "recycled", that the music is not impactful enough, and that the game has few "wow" sequences.[74]

Notes

  1. ^ Additional development support by 1-Up Studio and tri-Crescendo
  2. ^ Japanese: ドンキーコングバナンザ, Hepburn: Donkī Kongu Bananza
  3. ^ Sources describing Bananza as an Odyssey successor: IGN,[6] Nintendo World Report,[7] Rolling Stone,[8] and Eurogamer[9]
  4. ^ Based on 139 reviews[62]
  5. ^ Based on 141 reviews[63]

References

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