Donkey Kong Bananza Reviews
Bananza is a lot of fun, but it's also a game that I wish I could have appreciated more. If its particular brand of sandbox gameplay had clicked with me, I might have considered calling it a Nintendo classic.
Donkey Kong Bananza is the reason to own a Switch 2. It is not only the most fun I’ve had with a Nintendo game in decades, it’s quite possibly one of Nintendo’s best games ever. Layer upon layer, everything has been built with care and detail. It is fun, silly, joyous, jaw-dropping, and heartfelt. You simply must play this game.
Having a Donkey Kong platformer for the Switch 2 launch year is a bold move from Nintendo. Everyone was expecting a sequel to Mario Odyssey but instead they gave us a Donkey Kong developed by the Mario Odyssey team, but it’s nothing like a Mario Odyssey game. It’s a game of its own caliber. Donkey Kong throws punches like we’ve never seen before.
Donkey Kong's and Pauline's journey to the center of the Planet Core is one worth taking. Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the most creative and entertaining 3D platformers of recent years, with a huge world full of challenges with plenty of fun to find hidden throughout it if you take the time to explore.
Donkey Kong Bananza is, simply put, one of Nintendo’s finest games and a must-buy for the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo consistently innovate with its flagship titles, and Bananza is the latest to achieve this with its relentlessly exceptional level design. The gameplay is addictive, and the soundtrack pays tribute to the older games while recreating new DK sound beats for this new generation.
Donkey Kong Bananza is an incredibly impressive 3D platformer for the Nintendo Switch 2 and one of Donkey Kong's greatest adventures to date.
A brilliant core mechanic and clever design twists make Bananza a delightfully sticky 3D platform adventure topped off with a sweet central character relationship.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a truly groundbreaking 3D platformer, with satisfying movement, powerful abilities, impressive destructible environments, and clever challenges that all come together in complete harmony to create Nintendo’s first Switch 2 masterpiece.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a fantastic platformer with a lot of ideas hidden inside of its barrels, but falls short of the perfection it aims for by playing a little safe.
Who needs all that platforming when you can just dig there?
Donkey Kong and Pauline’s adventure is a showpiece for Nintendo’s new console, and it meets the incredibly high standard the developer has been setting for itself since the ‘80s.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a raucous, wildly inventive, and propulsive platformer that reboots one of Nintendo's most iconic mascots.
Overall, Donkey Kong Bananza does what Super Mario Odyssey did before it: offer one of the best platforming games available on a new system. The fact that the bulk of the game is about wanton joyous destruction is also another big bonus. So, if you want to tunnel to the center of the planet and destroy most of it along the way, Donkey Kong Bananza is your kind of platformer.
The narrative is a step in the right direction by focusing on the relationship between the two leads and delivering a truly stellar final act.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a joy to play from start to finish thanks to the game's destructible environments and unique visuals. It's the 3D Donkey Kong game fans of the character have always wanted and it lives up to the hype, even if there are a few minor issues with its camera here and there and far too many Banandium Gems to collect in a single playthrough.
Donkey Kong Bananza is an almighty re-introduction to the world of 3D platforming for DK, and arguably the Switch 2's first absolute must-play. The punching and crashing is a passing novelty that, once you get your fill, quickly becomes just another way of exploring the wonderfully varied and beautifully presented layers.Whether it's smashing through the scenery with a Bananza Transformation or carefully planning a route to a hidden Banandium Gem, you'll have trouble finding more originality and, crucially, more enjoyment from a platformer in recent years. As the DK Rap so wisely said, "Donkey Kong is here." Now let's just hope he stays.
Donkey Kong Bananza is perhaps the best 3D platformer of the 2020s so far. It has immaculate movement, mountains of incredibly fun content, challenges that genuinely test your skill, and a style so charming that you'll be thinking about it for weeks.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a confident subversion of the 3D platformer.
A triumphant return to centre court for Donkey Kong, with the best destruction effects in gaming and mountains of bizarre and wonderful ideas – and a surprising amount of jank when it comes to the camera.
A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.