In the Nintendo Switch era, Donkey Kong has been left playing second banana. Throughout the last 8 years, the character’s only appearances have been in ports, remasters, or the occasional game alongside Mario. With the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, that’s all changing, as the big ape is getting his first 3D platformer in decades with the release of Donkey Kong Bananza. ComicBook had a chance to go hands-on with the game, to see how DK’s new outing is shaping up. So far, it seems like Donkey Kong’s new adventure will be filling a big void in the system’s library left by Mario.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Donkey Kong Bananza pulls the big ape away from his familiar territory on DK Island. This time around, the hero is exploring a new underground world, filled with new ape NPCs, and new characters. At first glance, the game seems to have more in common with Super Mario Odyssey than Donkey Kong Country. However, DK isn’t just a placeholder for Mario, as the developers have given the character several abilities that feel authentic to the franchise. Donkey Kong pounds and stomps his way through the game’s various locales, as he searches for the new Golden Bananas.
The game’s new locations are big and vibrant, and the art direction looks stellar so far. For 3 decades, Nintendo has used the character design that originated in Rare’s Donkey Kong Country series, but that’s clearly changing for Switch 2. In both Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, the company has embraced a take on the character much closer to the one that debuted in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. This can be seen largely in the character’s eyes, but also in his much more detailed fur. Nintendo isn’t just aping the movie design, though. Instead, the company seems to be using that as a launchpad for making Donkey Kong more expressive. DK’s new facial expressions are a huge step beyond the static look we’ve seen in so many games. While the change does take some getting used to, it’s easy to see why it was embraced on Switch 2.
During the trailer shown at the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, there was a brief glimpse at a 2D area clearly inspired by the original Donkey Kong Country on Super Nintendo. That did not appear in the demo, which instead focused on content that felt wholly original. There was no sign of any existing Kongs either; there was no Diddy, no Cranky, no Funky, and no Dixie. It remains to be seen whether any of these existing characters will show up in Donkey Kong Bananza, or if this game will instead focus on a new beginning.
Donkey Kong 64 is widely considered a misfire, thanks to its over focus on item collection and various playable characters. It’s understandable that some fans might have reservations about Donkey Kong’s return to 3D, while others have long been waiting for it to happen. It seems Nintendo has learned from Rare’s mistakes, as the game does have DK collecting shiny objects, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the game’s sole focus. Instead, Donkey Kong Bananza puts a bigger emphasis on destruction. DK seems to be able to destroy quite a bit in his environment, and that’s core to the gameplay experience. Spiked enemy impervious to physical attacks? Dig up a chunk of Earth and hurl it. Giant barrier in the way? Certain rocks can be dug up to form Boom Bombs, which can blow up enemies and open paths.
The game’s demo consisted of 2 areas: Ingot Isle, where DK’s adventure begins, and a later section called Lagoon Layer. Ingot Isle features a giant mine, where several primate NPCs are digging for Golden Bananas. They aren’t alone, however, as DK is forced to rescue some of the diggers from bug-like enemies, later identified in the demo as Antickoids. After making his way out of the mine towards a big pile of Golden Bananas, DK is sucked up into a giant vortex, which seems to be the work of a new gang of mystery villains. The demo offers just the quickest glimpse at these mean monkeys, but the game’s official website refers to the group as VoidCo. Unfortunately, that means the Kremlings are once again missing in action, but the new villain designs already seem like a giant step above the Tiki Tak Tribe and the Snowmads from the last 2 Donkey Kong Country games.
Once in Lagoon Layer, Donkey Kong is joined by a new companion. Presumably, this character will have some kind of name revealed later, but the demo merely identifies it as “Odd Rock.” If the name isn’t enough of a giveaway, Odd Rock is literally a big cracked rock that sits perched on Donkey Kong’s shoulder. Like Cappy in Super Mario Odyssey, and Navi in Ocarina of Time, Odd Rock seems to be there primarily as a source of exposition and tips throughout the game. For a game that’s all about pounding and breaking apart the earth, it makes sense to have a rock-inspired companion, but it’s hard to get a good feel for the character thus far.
Donkey Kong’s games have often featured some difficult sections, and Bananza seems to be no exception. The demo featured multiple challenge sections, in which the player had to defeat a batch of enemies in a short amount of time. Battle Challenge 1 gave players 30 seconds to defeat 3 Crockoids, which appeared to be a blend of crocodiles and rocks, with a dragon-like skeleton underneath. Completing it in time proved very difficult, and after 2 losses, I moved on, interested to see what else the demo had to offer. In the next sublayer of Lagoon Layer, I discovered Battle Challenge 2, which featured the same time limit to defeat 6 Antickoids. While the timer was still unforgiving, I found a bit more success with this one.
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In our short time with the game, Donkey Kong Bananza seems to be heading in a very positive direction. The art direction is fantastic, and the gameplay feels like a nice mix between what you’d expect from a 3D Mario game, and the overall Donkey Kong franchise. The short demo feels like the tip of a very large iceberg, and it will be interesting to see what Nintendo has in store for the king of swing. Hopefully we’ll get to see a lot more of the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive before it releases on July 17th.
Are you planning to check out Donkey Kong Bananza this summer? Have you been eagerly awaiting a new DK game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at@Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at@Dachampgaming!
