Nintendo’s King of Swing Returns with a smash-happy reinvention in Donkey Kong Bananza.
On Donkey Kong Bananza, a lot depends. It holds the same generational weight as Breath of the Wild when the original Switch came out, making it Nintendo’s first big single-player game for the Switch 2.
When it was announced that the makers of the popular 3D Super Mario series would be in charge, expectations were even higher. The choice to focus on a Donkey Kong game instead of a Super Mario Odyssey sequel looked like an odd digression to many fans. What about a gorilla wearing a tie was so intriguing that it deserved front-row seats?
However, Donkey Kong literally dispels those worries. In Donkey Kong Bananza, he destroys a lot of things. On the surface, the game looks like a 3D platformer in the vein of Mario 64, complete with themed areas and collecting bananas strewn around.
DK’s fists, though, appear intent on disregarding the playground’s limits in Donkey Kong Bananza. Almost all of the landscape in this game can be destroyed. Press the buttons to witness his strong arms tearing up slabs of stone to swing like a sledgehammer, pounding immaculate lawns into muddy craters, or thumping tunnels through hills. He is more of a potassium-fueled wrecking crew than a conventional platforming hero.
This method gives the game a primordial sense of excitement. Throwing a punch that seems so well-timed brings a repeating, gratifying thrill. The deep rumble of the Joy-Con 2 and the abrupt halt when his knuckles touch rock enhance the satisfying impact that each hit brings. Surfaces splinter, crumble, and collapse in addition to denting.
Donkey Kong Bananza, a game in which you can throw explosive boulders at cliffs to turn them into rubble, may end up becoming the standard digital rage room. You can even bring a co-op buddy if that’s not enough chaos. They can troll you if you’re attempting to prevent collateral damage, or they can ride on DK’s back and shoot projectiles to increase the chaos.
There is a tale with just enough stakes to keep your fists flying beneath the joyful wreckage. Reminiscent of Rare’s Donkey Kong Country days, the Kong family makes some memorable cameos.
The evil mining Kongs, however, who are sifting through the planet’s core in search of a treasure, provide the true drama. They abduct Pauline along the way—yes, the same Pauline that Donkey Kong abducted during his arcade debut. Their connection is reimagined only now.
She croons catchy Latin-pop songs straight into DK’s skull, using her strong voice to activate his animal superpowers. If that sounds strange, it is, and it is effective. You’re more likely to remember one especially catchy zebra-themed song than any plot beats in Donkey Kong Bananza.
The difficulty of designing around a character who has the ability to destroy almost everything is what makes Donkey Kong Bananza an intriguing and novel platformer. What sort of puzzle could you make for someone who can jackhammer through a reinforced wall or tunnel beneath a laser fence?
The independence is nearly overwhelming at first. You might find yourself punching your way into rewards before you’ve even figured out what the challenge was, because the destructible world feels loose. Instead of solving puzzles, it can seem like you’re avoiding them. In the early phases, the freeform design may appear more chaotic than artistic.
But when you play Donkey Kong Bananza more, that impression shifts. Playful lagoons and bright meadows give way to more dangerous settings. Lava springs, cold lakes, and poison marshes make you value the soil beneath your feet. Each blow gets more strategic.
You begin to understand the ingenuity behind Donkey Kong Bananza‘s changeable terrain when metal caterpillars eat away at your life raft or when bouncing enemies breach the platforms you previously softened. This is furthered by boss fights, which transform arenas into precarious terrain where dexterity becomes just as crucial as physical prowess.
Next come the Bananzas, which are Donkey Kong’s several animal-themed metamorphoses that can be unlocked through Pauline’s songs. You can get super speed, flying, or sheer power in these transient forms. They are delightful when restricted to levels made just for them.
The inspired physicality of Odyssey’s possession mechanics comes to mind. However, they feel overpowering above those levels, particularly when going back to gather goods that were overlooked. What would otherwise be clever platforming portions can be flattened by their instant-win nature.
Donkey Kong Bananza never truly slows down as you advance, allowing you to fully experience everything. In contrast to Super Mario Odyssey, which thrived in its post-game environment, Donkey Kong Bananza rapidly advances, consuming new set pieces and features without ever turning around.
It moves at an unrelenting pace. Donkey Kong has destroyed watermelons, rubber, concrete, ostrich eggs, glitter balls, and even whole tributes to Donkey Kong Country by the game’s dramatic conclusion. He occasionally even runs right past the NPCs he was meant to defend. He just shrugs and slams a hole through the console itself if the Switch 2 is weighing him down. It’s impossible to avoid getting caught up in the momentum of destruction.
The combat and puzzles cleverly capitalize on this devastation. Knowing when not to destroy something is a common theme in puzzles. Do you punch through a platform to reveal a hidden stash, or do you leave it intact for an escape route?
Meanwhile, the environment’s vulnerability is advantageous for combat sometimes. It involves more than just striking adversaries; it also involves controlling your environment to weaken them or reveal their vulnerabilities. You often have to think ahead because bosses adjust to your attempts to destroy the battlefield. Although there aren’t many different enemy types or combos in the game, the destructible terrain adds a unique element to each battle.
The emphasis here is not on experience points or conventional XP systems. Rather, advancement is linked to inquiry and learning. You actually unearth more than you grind. Every crack you punch into could reveal an old-school side level with barrels, bonus areas, or references to previous DK games. There are also plenty of secrets. It’s always satisfying to find these detours, and it inspires you to investigate every inch of the surroundings.
Donkey Kong Bananza serves as a showcase for the Switch 2’s visual capabilities. Even when you destroy the colorful worlds, they still look beautiful. Every landscape, from verdant woods to subterranean dungeons to lofty islands, seems well designed and alive.
The devastation itself is exquisitely represented, which is more significant. The way that rubble scatters, particles fly, and landscape crumbles is always satisfying. The frame rate remains stable in spite of all this chaos. The system remains resilient to the on-screen chaos, even when playing in two-player mode.
To keep the chaos in check, sound design is just as crucial. Each of the explosions, cracks, and thuds packs a satisfying blow. The soundtrack, however, is what truly makes an impression. The tone for the game’s quirky charm is established by Pauline’s surprisingly memorable vocal numbers.
As DK changes into a ferocious animal with new powers, there is a sincere delight in listening to her sing. The background music changes to fit the style of each level, but it never becomes dull; instead, it pulsates with vitality and frequently propels you ahead.
Ultimately, Donkey Kong Bananza not only meets but surpasses its high standards in a stylish manner. It may lack Super Mario Odyssey’s sophisticated structure and in-game depth, but it gives a distinct kind of happiness: the unadulterated excitement of taking apart a world and uncovering what lies behind.
