Donkey Kong Bananza Review – One of the Greatest Platformers of This Generation

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The upcoming 3D platformer, hailing from the creators of the acclaimed “Super Mario Odyssey”, is quite significant. With “Odyssey” often regarded as the epitome of 3D platformers, showcasing limitless creativity and a wealth of mechanical precision and player freedom, one wonders what a new game from this team could possibly be like. Could it surpass “Odyssey”? Such an expectation might seem daunting, but how exhilarating would it be to experience the potential masterpiece they could create?

Independent of whether it’s just or not, it’s apparent that Donkey Kong Bananza, the first new 3D platformer from the Odyssey team since the launch of their previous game around eight years ago, will be a point of comparison for many players. As you delve deeper into Bananza, it becomes increasingly clear that the developers were aware of this and may have viewed it as a challenge to produce something even more daringly ambitious and remarkable than their previous work.

Due to the fact that Bananza adopts and expands upon the remarkable foundation and design of Odyssey, while also modifying, refining, and sometimes shattering it, in order to leave a unique mark on the 3D platformer genre and push it into unprecedented directions. There’s a strong case to be made that Bananza represents the best 3D platformer Nintendo has ever produced – an accolade that is extraordinarily high, bordering on excessively enthusiastic acclaim.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but express my awe at the sheer inventiveness of Donkey Kong Bananza. The game’s design is nothing short of phenomenal, offering an endless playground for creative expression. Yet, what sets it apart is its uncanny ability to predict and accommodate your actions, making you feel as if the developers had read your mind. It truly embodies the future of collectathon platformers, eagerly welcoming any player input with a nod of approval, and lavishing rewards on those who dare to challenge conventional 3D game design boundaries.

The standout feature defining the game is its destructible environment. Nearly everything within the game can be picked up, torn apart, shattered, pushed through, or demolished in various manners. This results in a distinctive, immersive style of exploration and movement that sets it apart from most platform games, even 3D ones.

Platform games typically have clear constraints on a character’s movement speed, jumping distance, and so forth. However, in the game Bananza, these limitations are largely removed, allowing DK to burrow into any terrain freely. Additionally, his ability to climb any surface without restriction (no stamina meter required) further expands the exploration possibilities within the 3D levels. This open-ended movement is intentionally designed by the game developers, as evidenced by the numerous rewards and collectibles hidden in hard-to-reach places that would seem implausible in most other games.

As a gamer, I’ve found this 3D platformer to be remarkably intuitive. It doesn’t feel like it’s just following a pre-determined design; instead, it seems as though the game has read my mind, predicting how I’ll interact with its world. Somehow, it subtly steers me towards areas where my exploration and curiosity are richly rewarded. It’s as if the game is whispering in my ear, guiding me without being too overbearing.

Additionally, what’s advantageous is that the act of demolition offers a wide range of possibilities. You aren’t confined to merely punching and shattering objects; you can lift items, toss them at other objects or distant targets, flail broken pieces towards adversaries and obstacles, and even employ it for various mobility techniques such as ripping off a piece to leap from as a temporary platform, or using it to skateboard on, careening into any foes or hindrances as you go, thus amplifying the devastation in your trail.

“Bananza uses excellent visual cues to guide the player’s eye.”

In this context, “Destruction” appears somewhat limiting as an explanation, given the vast array of ways this action can manifest. It’s not just about annihilation; it encompasses everything from causing explosions with powerful devices to shaping landscapes through forceful impacts, the intensity of which dictates the extent of what is altered or damaged.

In a unique fashion for platformer games, the act of “destruction” seems incredibly adaptable, leading to a level design that’s based on movement rather than typical gameplay. What makes this even more engaging is the exceptional and reactive control over Donkey Kong as he moves heavily and demolishes everything around him. This immaculate control adds to the sheer pleasure of participating in these actions every time you play.

Interacting with it is where the real brilliance of Bananza‘s construction shines. Interestingly enough, one doesn’t have to demolish anything to enjoy a fun, exploratory playground filled with intriguing nooks and crannies. However, the more you demolish, the more you uncover, revealing some of the game’s most challenging aspects and hidden gems that lie beneath what appears to be an ordinary surface at first glance.

As a gamer, I find myself drawn to the seemingly ordinary world of Bananza, but its deceptive simplicity hides a wealth of visual cues that subtly guide my gaze. A subtle crack or bump here and there serves as a hint for further exploration. What makes Bananza truly special is its innovative design, offering features like a “sonar” that highlights hidden and buried items in your immediate surroundings, and frequent treasure maps discovered during digging sessions, which pinpoint the locations of valuable collectibles within the level.

In summary, Donkey Kong Bananza crafts a captivating cycle where visual prompts guide players to demolish objects, receive rewards, follow new visual cues, and repeat. This loop is so engrossing that it’s easy to lose track of time, with hours seemingly slipping away unnoticed. The earlier levels boast intricate designs and generous rewards for the diligent player, while later stages are expansive and awe-inspiring, some even containing content that could stand alone as separate games.

In a more straightforward manner, I’d say: Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t only about destruction; it’s essentially an action-adventure game due to the richness and diversity of its gameplay beyond basic platforming. As you traverse through the different subterranean regions, you encounter not just rewards but also currency, NPCs who offer quests, entire villages and settlements, each with distinct shops where you can purchase helpful gear and items.

The narrative begins modestly, but as the game progresses, the importance and tension build up significantly within its expansive storyline.

Gathering the key items in the game, known as Banandium Gems, similar to Moons in Odyssey, offers an additional advantage for players. When you accumulate five of these gems, it awards one skill point that can be utilized to open up abilities and skills from a skill chart. These skills can range from improving your health and attack power, all the way up to unlocking fresh abilities and technologies, such as the ability to glide across water on a stone slab.

In simpler terms, a common complaint about games like Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild is that they lack variety in rewards. Specifically, performing various actions within these games often results in receiving the same type of reward, which can discourage players from exploring different aspects of the game. This central issue is addressed by introducing diverse collectibles, some of which contribute to a skill tree, in order to make the gaming experience more engaging and less repetitive.

The diversity of rewards in this game, which often correspond to the level of effort exerted by the player and can be utilized in various methods like trading for equipment or enhancing abilities, makes it exceptionally skilled at offering a significant incentive to players compared to many other Nintendo games that follow the “make your own fun” design philosophy.

For those seeking a more classic platforming experience, Bananza doesn’t disappoint. Its levels are filled with self-contained zones featuring themed challenges that offer rewards upon completion. These challenges, which are incredibly diverse, may require tasks such as destruction, combat, navigation, and even tough platforming sequences. There seems to be an endless array of these challenges throughout the game world, and they consistently keep you on your toes with their unexpected twists.

The mini-challenge zones are enclosed within progressively complex and imaginative sandbox stages as you delve deeper into the earth. Each stage in the game presents a fresh underground layer, and while the initial themes may seem rather ordinary, they soon take unexpected turns and result in some exceptionally unusual and diverse visuals and their application in gameplay dynamics.

“Bananza represents the next step for platformers.”

It’s no secret that this is exactly what Nintendo excels at, and the team behind it really showcased their talent with Super Mario Odyssey. Given its reappearance now, it’s clear that they’ve expanded and improved upon its original tracks.

Bananza marks a significant leap, not only in terms of mechanics and design for platformers, but also narratively for Nintendo platformers. Intriguingly, Bananza is a game that places more emphasis on storytelling than any other Nintendo platformer to date, and even many other in-house Nintendo titles overall.

The tale begins modestly, but the tension progressively intensifies throughout the game’s extensive mission, with the climax and events leading to it being exceptionally epic. Much of the game’s impact is derived more from character development than the story itself, especially Donkey Kong and gifted young singer Pauline, whom he aids in her journey to return to the surface.

Gratefully, Nintendo has taken the expansive storyline of this game seriously and invested heavily in its narrative and production quality. It’s a fully voiced game, with Pauline, the sole human character, being the only one who speaks a language we understand; everyone else communicates through cute, expressive animal noises. Surprisingly endearing, it’s Pauline’s performance that truly shines in this game. Kudos to Nintendo for ensuring that Pauline’s voice is dubbed in every language the game supports, including her dialogues and all the songs she sings.

In the narrative, DK and Pauline teaming up results in an unexpected gameplay feature known as Bananzas. These are temporary power-ups for DK triggered by Pauline’s singing, which boost his physical abilities.

At a resolution of 1440p, it outperforms any visual clarity that the previous-generation Switch was capable of achieving.

As you progress in the game, you gain access to various types of Bananzas, each with unique abilities such as increasing your speed, granting flight capabilities, or enabling stronger attacks. These Bananzas can be activated anywhere without restriction, and switching between different kinds is instantaneous, enabling you to combine them for an impressive display of moves and mobility tricks. Additionally, Bananzas can be upgraded using skill points earned from Banandium Gems, making these gem rewards even more valuable.

Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the initial games specifically designed for the Nintendo Switch 2. It does an impressive job demonstrating the system’s diverse capabilities and functions. At a resolution of 1440p, it operates significantly higher than anything the previous-generation Switch could handle. Moreover, the game’s level detail, geometry, and complexity surpass that of Super Mario Odyssey.

The game maintains a consistently smooth 60 frames per second amidst all the chaos (and there’s truly an abundance of chaos). Generally, it looks good, but its stylized visuals might not appeal to everyone, especially when considering the character designs. It effectively demonstrates the system’s VRR capability in portable mode, handling the occasional drops significantly better in handheld mode than on TV mode. Furthermore, it showcases the mouse functionality of the Joycons exceptionally well in the new Mario Paint-style sculpting toolkit, and takes advantage of the enhanced HD Rumble in the Switch 2 and its controllers, providing excellent tactile feedback as you navigate through the levels.

A notable aspect of this game deserves recognition: the camera system. Initially, it might seem clumsy, especially when players venture underground for the first time, and if they try to adjust it like in any other game. However, with practice, you’ll discover that it’s not just a camera—it’s an intelligent one. It provides 360-degree movement even in tight spaces without losing track of Donkey Kong or the scene’s framing.

“Designing a camera that works well in a game like Bananza can’t have been easy.”

Creating a camera for a game like Bananza must have been quite challenging – usually, third-person games don’t often emphasize movement, offer 360-degree navigation, and are set in tight, enclosed spaces. Even games like Minecraft, which involve almost free movement within cramped underground areas, are first-person, meaning the player directly controls both character and camera – a feature not found in third-person games like Bananza. It might take a couple of hours to conquer the camera control, but once you do, it becomes instinctual, allowing you to effortlessly manipulate it without giving it much thought.

Occasionally, Nintendo unveils a game that underscores why it remains one of the top game developers despite criticism over its business practices; a game that showcases exceptional skill in creating engaging experiences, a title that seems to captivate players effortlessly, with only a handful of other games or creators able to achieve such a feat.

Donkey Kong Bananza is an exceptional game that leaves you in awe with its vastness and ambition, its diverse features, and near-perfection in execution. It strongly contends for being the best platformer Nintendo has ever produced, and even rivals their masterpiece, Breath of the Wild, on the Switch. The upcoming Switch 2 now has a standout game to boast about.

This game was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.

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2025-07-21 16:44