Donkey Kong Bananza Reviews
For longtime Donkey Kong fans, this is the evolution you have been waiting for.
Donkey Kong Bananza is an absolute blast. The destruction and creativity that the level design brings are constantly engaging, and the hunt for Banandium gems is always fun.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a very special game, and it unexpectedly took me right back to my childhood. That feeling I had the first time I picked up a Nintendo 64 controller to play Super Mario 64? Bananza brought it all back. There is something magical about this world and the amount of freedom Donkey Kong now has to explore it. Destroying everything in sight, coming up with creative ways to solve puzzles, and boss fights that initially seem simple but eventually evolve into unforgettable encounters... The art design, the soundtrack, and Pauline in general—there is just so much to love here. All of these individual pieces come together to create something I never want to end. I went into this game expecting at least to have a fun time, but what I never counted on was it becoming one of my new all-time favorites. If you have a Nintendo Switch 2, you owe it to yourself to play this game.
Never in my life did I think that we would be getting another 3D Donkey Kong game, let alone one developed by Nintendo, but it's here, and it's some of the most fun I've had with a Nintendo-developed game in a while. I'd go so far as to say that Donkey Kong Bananza is the real killer app for the Switch 2, not Mario Kart World. World is fun, but Bananza is a blast.
We can say that DK's new title has finally managed to dispel the dark days the franchise seemed to be experiencing. I believe that not even the most optimistic fans of the series were expecting something so fun, beautiful, and addictive. In short, a video game in its raw form. Donkey Kong Bananza—as the subtitle puns—is an "unexpected riches," an abundance of good things for players, and it points, once again, to the possibility of a calm and prosperous future for DK and his friends.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Donkey Kong Bananza marks a strong 3D comeback for the iconic ape, offering a must-buy adventure on the Nintendo Switch 2 that keeps surprising with fresh content and post-game activities, despite minor flaws like framedrops and unbalanced power-ups.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Donkey Kong Bananza is a master class in game development and design, and is the perfect showcase for the Switch 2. Nintendo always finds a way to outdo themselves. When it feels like they peaked, you get games like Donkey Kong Bananza–a title well worth its weight in crystallized golden bananas.
Donkey Kong Bananza is an evolution, not just for DK, but for 3D platformers in general. It’s bold, unpredictable, and overflowing with ideas.
If you want to ask me if this is the first true reason to own a Switch 2, then my answer is a resounding yes. This is the first game that made me cherish the brand new system as more than just a phone-esque upgrade. It’s the kind of game that showcases a system’s capabilities, and a company’s creative prowess still going strong after all these years. Not everything sticks the landing, but the pros overwhelmingly outweigh the cons, and that’s what really matters.
Donkey Kong Bananza is, without question, one of my favorite Nintendo games of the past decade.
Donkey Kong Bananza is nothing short of a love letter to the big ape’s past, a regrounding of his present and the start of a wondrous new chapter for the hijinks that await in his future.
The difficulty ramps up nicely for all levels of gamer and there’s tons of secret areas to come back for once completed.
Donkey Kong Bananza is a truly magnificent game. There are some lovely nods to the classic Donkey Kong games, and obvious vibes from other Nintendo franchises. For someone who no longer enjoys relentless platforming, Donkey Kong Bananza brings together so many of my new gaming passions: the ability to bash and smash through the terrain, collecting everything which is revealed; large areas of land to roam and explore, spotting NPCs with a quest; and puzzling arenas to test my observation skills in finding that final hidden banandium gem. I can even harvest some vegetables! For some Donkey Kong purists, the Bananza transformations might be a change too far, but for me, Donkey Kong Bananza is a ground-breaking winner.
With Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo marks a bold and successful return for its legendary primate. Buoyed by its dazzling art direction, refreshing gameplay and endearing main duo, the game brilliantly combines nostalgia and innovation. Destructive mechanics, secret-filled levels and a wealth of customization options make for an experience as rich as it is surprising. Much more than a simple nod to the past, Bananza affirms Nintendo's ambition to renew its flagship licenses on Switch 2. And the least we can say is that the challenge has been met.
Review in French | Read full review
If Super Mario Odyssey were a music album, it would be a top-tier Art Pop record. Donkey Kong Bananza, on the other hand, leans more towards baroque Progressive Rock. The game starts off slowly, but it's a continuous crescendo leading to a masterful finale, with unique, deep, and often brilliant mechanics. It's one of the best 3D platformers ever made - deeply respectful of the character's past, yet entirely forward-looking.
Review in Italian | Read full review
What starts as a straightforward romp quickly reveals itself to be one of Nintendo’s most creative and mechanically playful platformers in a long time. Donkey Kong Bananza's level design is smart, the gameplay mechanics even more so, and the sheer joy of controlled destruction never really gets old. Even with a few performance hiccups and a main campaign that flies by quicker than expected, there’s a ton to dig into here if you’re willing to peel off its many layers (pun very much intended).
Donkey Kong Bananza is a constant series of pleasant surprises and shows exactly what the Switch 2 can handle.
I'm happy to say that Donkey Kong Bananza is here to whisk you off to multilevel worlds of satisfyingly smashing madness, to cheer you up and give you an excuse to punch the heck out of things.
Not only does the game look great and once again shine with a charming and detailed setting, but above all, it's incredibly powerful in terms of gameplay. Even if we could just smash half the world, we'd have tons of fun.
Review in German | Read full review
Donkey Kong Bananza follows the successful formula of Super Mario Odyssey, with great additions like a skill tree, functional customizations, strategic transformations, and intense exploration. It’s liberating to destroy everything in your path, with beautiful and varied layers, charismatic NPCs, and Pauline’s stories that are always worth listening to. The outfits acquired throughout the journey do more than change appearance—they also offer important functionalities like poison resistance, health recovery, and longer transformation durations, which are key to progress. The game can be finished in about 50 hours without feeling tired or bored, and there’s even post-game content. The only downside is the ease of the battles, but everything else makes up for it. Donkey Kong Bananza is a must-have for Switch 2 owners.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review