Last week, I was lucky enough to get an extended hands-on look at the new Donkey Kong Bananza, and if you are a fan of Donkey Kong, even in the slightest, you will have a blast with this game. To sum it up in one sentence, picture the classic DK energy and quirkiness you love, and combine it with a stress relief smash room and even some RPG-type leveling up, and you have the perfect DK game. Here is what you need to know.
What is Donkey Kong Bananza about?
Just for reference, I walked into it relatively blind regarding the storyline. I had gotten a quick demo of the game a few months back, but outside of smashing a few rocks, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The game is set in Congo Kong Island, and we set off as Donkey Kong to recover the Banandium Gems, which Bruno Steelbeard has stolen. You partner up with Pauline pretty quickly into the game, and she stays with you throughout the game. The idea is to smash, bash, and swing through diverse environments to get to Steelbeard eventually. I thought the storyline was unique and something I had never experienced. You descend downwards into more levels and more terrains that change as you progress. I thought it was great!
First impressions
The setup was simple for the demo. They gave us a Pro controller, and we played in TV console mode. There were two reps there who helped guide us through the game. At first, it was a tutorial to learn the game’s basic mechanics, and they were very easy to pick up. You just smash everything, and I mean that in the coolest way! The demo was pre-determined for us. But within the constraints of a certain level, we were 100% free to either roam around or follow the storyline completely, or do something in between. They told me some people followed the storyline as quickly as possible, while others roamed the new worlds and terrains they were in.
Terrain variety and destruction
One of the coolest mechanics? Each environment reacts differently based on its materials. Rock and mud crumble easily, while concrete and steel structures put up more of a fight, requiring Donkey Kong to use enhanced abilities or his skill tree upgrades to break through. You can pick up certain terrains and materials, which have vastly different effects when you throw them. For example, the mud can be thrown, and it sticks to walls, so you can create steps or a plateau to stand on. Then you had another material that explodes on impact. This added a surprising amount of strategy to what could’ve been mindless bashing.
Pauline
As I mentioned earlier, Pauiline is introduced to you as a companion pretty early in the game. She has her own powers and abilities that supplement Donkey Kong’s strength. With her help, Donkey Kong can enter a temporary Bananza Transformation, each with its own unique power. P’s insanely satisfying watching him tear through obstacles with Pauline hyping you up in the background. She also uses her singing powers to help unlock challenges and so much more.
The visuals
What surprised me was how good Donkey Kong Bananza looks, especially running on the new Switch 2 hardware. The environments pop with vibrant color and detail, but it’s not just for show — the terrain plays a massive role in how you interact with the world. So I am sure developers had an emphasis on making these subterranean worlds look as good as possible. A player needs to be able to distinguish between certain terrains because they are integral in getting past certain levels or beating certain villains or opponents.
Another nice touch I noticed is just how much personality is given to the main characters. You can see the different emotions on Donkey Kong’s face during different aspects of the game.
Check out our hands-on video below:
Price, availability & final thoughts
Donkey Kong Bananza officially launches on July 17, 2025, exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. You can pre-order the game now at major retailers. You can get it either digitally or as a physical game for $69.99. This is a Switch 2 exclusive.
I know that the big headliner for the Switch 2 launch was Mario Kart World, and that game is great! But I think this new Donkey Kong Bananza game is the true Switch 2 exclusive that people wanted. It pushes the new Switch 2 hardware, and it looks fantastic. And it’s also just a new game; Mario Kart has been around forever. So I really enjoyed this Switch up (no pun intended).
FTC: 9to5Toys is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links
Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!
