Donkey Kong Bananza Review
My Honest Take on Donkey Kong Bananza: A Total Blast with a Few Hiccups
So, I’ve been playing Donkey Kong Bananza on the Switch 2 since it dropped on July 17, 2025, and man, it’s been a wild ride. This is Donkey Kong’s big comeback in a 3D platformer, and it’s like Nintendo took everything awesome about Super Mario Odyssey and gave it a DK-sized punch. It’s not perfect, but it’s so much fun that I’ve barely put it down. Here’s the scoop on why it’s awesome and where it stumbles a bit.
What’s Awesome: Smashing Stuff and Pure DK Vibes
Right off the bat, the best thing about Bananza is how it makes you feel like a total beast as Donkey Kong. You can smash, punch, and rip apart pretty much anything—dirt piles, walls, you name it. It’s not just for show either; you’re carving out new paths, finding hidden goodies, or chucking chunks of the ground at enemies. It’s so satisfying, like playing in a sandbox where you get to break everything. Think Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom but with DK’s raw power. I’ve spent hours just messing around, seeing what I can destroy or how many ways I can tackle a level.
The world’s a stunner too. You’re exploring these underground “layers” after a meteor crashes—think deserts, jungles, icy caves, all with that Nintendo polish. Each area’s packed with secrets like Banandium Gems or fossils, and I love how it rewards you for poking around without feeling like a collect-a-thon slog. There are these side challenge rooms, kinda like Breath of the Wild shrines, with tricky platforming or puzzles that really test your skills. They get brutal in the post-game, which I’m still grinding through.
The story’s surprisingly sweet. You’re teaming up with a young Pauline (yeah, that Pauline from the arcade days), who’s shy but has these cool singing powers that double as attacks or puzzle-solving tools. The co-op mode where someone else can control her singing with the Joy-Con is a riot—my little cousin had a blast with it. There’s this talking rock, Oddrock, who’s your guide, and he’s got that quirky Nintendo charm. The whole vibe feels like a love letter to DK’s history, with remixed Donkey Kong Country tunes like Stickerbush Symphony that hit me right in the nostalgia.
You’ve got so much freedom too. You can smash your way through, use these wild Bananza Transformations (DK as a super-charged ostrich? Yes, please!), or mess with different terrain types, like tossing ice to cool lava. The campaign’s about 20 hours, and it just keeps getting better, with a final boss that’s one of Nintendo’s all-time greats. Plus, there’s tons to do after you beat it, so I’m still hooked.
What’s Not So Great: A Few Annoying Bits
Okay, it’s not all bananas. The game’s kinda easy, especially the main story. I breezed through most of it without breaking a sweat, and the bosses, while they look epic, aren’t that tough. Some of them even reuse the same tricks, which got old. I was hoping for more of DK’s classic enemies to spice things up.
There are some technical hiccups too. I noticed a few frame rate dips when things get chaotic, especially in docked mode. The camera can be a pain in tight spots—sometimes it clips through walls or hides what you need to see, and I’ve fallen into lava because of it. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s annoying when you’re in the zone.
The destruction mechanic is awesome, but it doesn’t change up as much as I hoped. Like, you get some cool ideas—using obsidian to break concrete or whatever—but they don’t lean into it enough. A few levels felt like they were reusing the same tricks, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that this is Odyssey with a DK makeover at times. It’s still its own thing, but it doesn’t quite have that “whoa, this is totally new” vibe Odyssey had.
The Bottom Line: DK’s Back and It’s a Must-Play
Donkey Kong Bananza is a freaking blast. It’s got that Nintendo magic—gorgeous levels, tight controls, and a vibe that’s just pure fun. Smashing through everything as DK feels amazing, and the story’s got more heart than I expected. It’s not as polished as Super Mario Odyssey, and the easy difficulty and occasional jank hold it back from being a 10/10 masterpiece. But with a Metacritic score of 90 and a ton of love from reviewers, it’s clear this is something special.
If you’ve got a Switch 2, you need this game. It’s great for kids, hardcore gamers, or just anyone who wants to wreck stuff and have a good time. I’m giving it a 9/10—not quite the king of the jungle, but damn close. Anyone else playing this? Let me know what you think of those transformations or that killer final boss!
