There are certain game studios in the AAA space that just command trust. When a new FromSoftware or Naughty Dog game gets announced, I set aside seventy bucks. When Kojima takes the stage at the Game Awards for a bizarre trailer, I let the man cook. And when Rockstar says “it’s coming,” I shut up and wait.
Undoubtedly, Nintendo EPD Tokyo enjoys that same rarified air. An arm of the broader Nintendo EPD label, EPD Tokyo — also known as Production Group No. 8 — is responsible for all of the publisher’s 3D Super Mario titles. While certainly not the only chef in the Nintendo kitchen (Production Group No. 3 helms The Legend of Zelda, for instance), EPD Tokyo is certainly among the most prolific.
So, when confirmation came that EPD Tokyo was heading up Nintendo’s big summer splash, Donkey Kong Bananza, it was a Big Freaking Deal. To much surprise, the first 3D Donkey Kong game in decades hadn’t been outsourced to Grezzo or relegated to a greener studio in the bullpen; for DK, Nintendo had called in its ace.
I preface all that to say this: Expectations were high coming into the launch of DK Bananza. This is the same team that brought us Super Mario Odyssey, a game I once described as “transcend[ing] the types of boxes we typically use to categorize experiences such as these.” Given the lack of Odyssey DLC after all these years, it’s no surprise why folks like me have let ourselves get a bit carried away with the hype.
In what’s probably the least shocking thesis I’ll write this year, Donkey Kong Bananza is indeed incredible. Nintendo EPD Tokyo runs with the formula that made Super Mario Odyssey a hit — varied worlds, bizarre powers, constant collectibles — and fittingly turns it on its side. DK and Pauline are a refreshing departure from Mario and Cappy, and it’s a joy to see Nintendo operating near the height of its platforming powers once again.
Now for the bad: Donkey Kong Bananza is far from EPD Tokyo’s crown jewel. The adventure takes a while to get going, and the early hours can at times feel like a baffling slog. The game’s challenge levels range from extraordinary to forgettable, and the game — dare I say it — does become quite formulaic. Consider also a lackluster score and a disappointing endgame, and DK Bananza lacks some of the brilliance of its predecessor.
But that, dear reader, doesn’t disqualify Bananza’s own greatness.
Sublayer 000 — A Minor Disturbance
Donkey Kong Bananza opens with our favorite tie-wearing ape working the mines of Ingot Isle. Located “far off the shores” of Donkey Kong Island, Ingot Isle is home to a host of hard-working primates. Their main hustle: mining generous spouts of gold and enjoying far-more-precious “Banandium Gems” that dot the landscape.
During his latest hunt, DK finds his home besieged by VoidCo, a nefarious mining company led by Void Kong and his two lieutenants, Poppy Kong and Grumpy Kong. Summoning a gigantic Final Fantasy-esque meteor, VoidCo sends Ingot Isle spiraling into the earth — unlocking a path down to the planet’s core. In the process, a mysterious rock-like being gets separated from the VoidCo entourage, which DK soon rescues.
Thus begins an epic race to beat VoidCo to the center of the planet. Along the way, fans will descend from sublayer to sublayer, doing battle against the Kongs while discovering the various secrets hidden beneath the earth. And, of course, you’ll eventually encounter Pauline (in a reveal you can probably guess but I won’t spoil here).
In typical Nintendo fashion, the story in Donkey Kong Bananza is merely an appetizer for the gameplay journey lying in wait. But that doesn’t mean Bananza’s narrative is an afterthought; if anything, it’s a surprising step up from past EPD Tokyo efforts. Void is a fairly cookie-cutter villain, but Poppy and Grumpy make for compelling foils you can’t help but like. Expect plenty of other familiar faces from the DK universe as well.
At the center of it all is DK and Pauline. In a nice blend of old and new Nintendo, Bananza features a mix of unintelligible grunts (for DK and the other Kongs) and full-fledged voice acting (for Pauline). Her story in particular steals the show. As you journey from one sublayer to the next, she’ll comment on her and DK’s latest travails while learning to harness her greatest weapon: her voice. Her happy-go-lucky sincerity — furthered by a stellar performance from voice actor Jenny Kidd — adds a welcome layer of emotion to an otherwise straightforward tale.
Sublayer 400 — Going Bananza for Bananas
Donkey Kong Bananza strikes a chord early on with its story and world — which is a good thing, as the game itself takes quite a while to actually get going. “Lethargic” is the only way I can describe the opening five to 10 hours of a (thankfully) bigger and much more expansive game.
Upon leaving Ingot Isle (which serves as a quick tutorial), DK dives into the Lagoon Layer: a whimsical land with bright colors; wide, open areas to explore; and plenty of discoverables. The music, too, sets the stage: warm, lively, and adventurous. For a second, I felt like I’d been transported to the world of Hyrule. My mind ran with the possibilities! Oh, I’m gonna love this, I thought to myself.
For a few hours, I did love it. The Lagoon Layer is where the training wheels come off and Donkey Kong Bananza showcases its creative vision for the first time. Unlike Super Mario Odyssey, which revolved around intricate (and often off-the-walls insane) platforming maneuvers, Bananza pivots in favor of something truer to DK’s sensibilities: smashing rocks.
In a departure for EPD Tokyo and even other Donkey Kong games, the main draw of Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t its collectathon DNA but rather its destructible environments. Much like the Red Faction or Mercenaries franchises, nearly everything in DK Bananza can be destroyed — from trees and terrain to buildings and even certain (regenerable, thankfully) NPCs. A single face button is dedicated to DK’s jump; the other three let you throw down in a different direction: either forward, up, or down.
Though the controls take some getting used to, by the time I hit the lagoon I was already leveling hills, tossing chunks of rock (accomplished with the right trigger), and collecting everything I could find. Donkey Kong Bananza features a ton of discoverables, much in the vein of any sandbox-centric platformer. Fossils can be unearthed and exchanged at shops for new gear for DK or Pauline. Gold can be used as currency to buy items (like classic DK balloons, which prevent you from falling to your death), while Banandium Chips, earned mainly by defeating enemies, allow you to unlock additional skill points (more on that later).
But the main collectable, of course, are Banandium Gems. Bananza’s version of Mario’s stars or moons, Banandium Gems are littered throughout the environment. Some you’ll find only after digging deep into a clifftop; others you’ll find by completing small, Korok-esque trials around the environment. Others still require you to hop into one of Bananza’s many challenge levels — optional diversions that task you with one of two objectives: clobber a bunch of enemies, or navigate a tricky puzzle room.
The point is, these things are everywhere. Normally, I’m game for a bunch of collectables in my collectathon, but DK Bananza pushes that tolerance to its limits. While I enjoyed my time in the lagoon, subsequent worlds began to chip at my patience. Before long, I began to notice a pattern: Hit a new sublayer, wack everything in sight, progress whatever main quest is available, defeat a big baddie, clean up any leftover collectables, then repeat. Structure isn’t bad, but Bananza rarely strays from the path in the early game, and I soon found myself (as a devout completionist) questioning whether I was actually having a good time.
Sublayer 800 — A Shift in the Heart
I don’t wish to be a downer, as those opening worlds do show glimmers of greatness. The world of Bananza is vibrant, and each new sublayer brings with it a vibe and energy completely its own. From a snowy tundra to a murky bog, each biome always made me giddy with excitement. What will I find here? I’d ask myself. There’s also a pervasive skill tree; for every five bananas you find (or buy with coins), you unlock a skill point to invest in DK’s abilities. Some unlock new abilities (like surfing on a piece of rock) while others increase your brute strength or health.
I’d also be remiss not to mention the game’s titular “Bananza” powers. These abilities allow DK to transform into a host of animals. In the lagoon, you gain access to the mighty “Kong” transformation, which lets you smash through concrete. Later, you’ll acquire a Zebra form, which lets you sprint over crumbling terrain; an Ostrich form, which lets you glide through the air; and more. Each Bananza can be powered up via the skill tree, granting access to even more perks.
But even all of that couldn’t overcome a scary feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was “whelmed” by Donkey Kong Bananza, a game I had mentally positioned as the Next Big Thing. I was having fun, to be clear, but that quintessential Nintendo magic wasn’t quite there for me. Challenge levels felt largely derivative compared to what I’d seen in Odyssey. Boss battles, though imaginative, were a total cakewalk. Heck, even the Bananzas, the game’s supposed card up the sleeve, hardly seemed to impact the trajectory of my fun. By sublayer 700, I was entertained by Nintendo’s latest, but not over the banana-shaped moon for it.
Then, by sublayer 800, everything began to shift.
I’d been expecting the change. “The early layers are fine but it really takes a turn,” fellow writer Mark Bowers teased via Discord. “This game hits a certain gear and never lets up afterward,” co-editor Sam Martinelli cosigned. Even still, I cannot understate how much different the later hours of Donkey Kong Bananza feel compared to its earlier ones.
Halfway through the journey, everything locks into place. To quote my thoughts in our Donkey Kong Bananza impressions piece: “The game just magically got better. The sandbox levels became more colorful and intricate. Fresh mechanics added exciting ways to engage with the environment. The side challenges got cooler, the skill tree got deeper, the bosses became (slightly) more complex, and I didn’t hit a single rut from then on.”
“Magic” really is the only way to describe it. Halfway through DK Bananza, it’s as if Nintendo EPD Tokyo found the glitter dust, summoned the genie, captured the lightning, or whatever wacky metaphor resonates with you best. As Sam alluded to, the creativity hit another gear — one that seems impossible, but never is for Nintendo — and I started to see what so many others see in DK and Pauline’s adventure. I don’t wish to spoil these later moments, as discovery is so much of the fun. Just know that you’re in good hands until the moment those credits roll.
Sublayer 1,200 — Bopping and Grooving
When you’re not smashing things to smithereens, you’re likely taking in Donkey Kong Bananza’s lovely vistas. In my Super Mario Odyssey review, I was critical about the game’s visuals, particularly in handheld mode, especially considering it was running on then-extremely-nascent Nintendo Switch 1 hardware. The game bopped, but the tech already felt dated.
I’m elated to say I can’t say the same here. DK Bananza is a bonafide looker, from the way the light refracts (in banana shapes, mind you) during a sunset to the wonderfully delicious-looking food in the game’s Feast Layer. (You thought the grub in Final Fantasy XV looked appetizing? Prepare to be amazed!)
The same praise extends to the game’s sound design. Pauline’s voice acting is terrific, and the sound of DK shuffling across the sand — or any number of other terrain types — is a highlight. The Bananza powers all have their own theme songs, which never grew tiring. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a modern Nintendo game without an end credits song that makes me want to cry.
If there’s a rough edge to the audio-visual presentation, it’s the rest of the game’s score. Anything Pauline sings is peak, and the aforementioned Lagoon Layer theme is terrific. Outside of those tunes, however, the Bananza soundtrack takes a decided backseat to the action. Nothing here is bad, per se — everything just skews atmospheric as opposed to the earworms you might expect from such a rich and historic franchise. (Don’t worry; there are also some classic DK themes you’ll get to hear before all is said and done.)
Sublayer 1,600 — Striking Gold
I’ve written more than 2,000 words about Donkey Kong Bananza, and I’m still not quite sure I’ve done the game justice. Yes, the early hours are a bit of a slog, but the game ramps up by the halfway point and is all gas until its very climatic finish. The Bananza abilities capture much of the “what’ll I transform into next?!” energy of Super Mario Odyssey, while the fully destructible environments add welcome dimension to an IP that has been criminally underserved the past few decades.
No, it isn’t perfect, as I’m sure I’ve driven home. But the juice is well worth the squeeze. Whether you’re a 3D Mario transplant or you’ve played every Donkey Kong title since the arcade, you’ll find quite a lot to love in DK Bananza. Take time to clear past the rock, and you’ll strike certain gold.
Score: 9.0/10
Donkey Kong Bananza, developed by Nintendo EPD Tokyo and published by Nintendo, released on July 17, 2025, for Nintendo Switch 2. MSRP: $69.99.
Additional Thoughts
- My total playtime clocked in at about 40 hours. I 100%ed everything (save for a few purchasable bananas I didn’t bother to grind for the skill tree). If you beeline through the story, expect to spend closer to 15 or 20 hours.
- The game contains a postgame, but it’s decidedly barebones compared to Super Mario Odyssey. Take the advice of my fellow Punished Backloggers and don’t stress about collecting everything the first go around. It’ll make that return trip all the more satisfying.
- Another missed opportunity: the game’s take on traditional 2D levels. Expect quite a few moments where the camera turns 90 degrees to allow for some classic DK callbacks. Although fun, they are tragically few in number; I would have loved more than the brief sample we were given.
- When I say the bosses are easy, I mean easy. Expect to down the vast majority of foes in 60 seconds or less, with the exception of a few late-game baddies.
- The destructability is great, but it comes with a caveat: The system can’t quite keep up with it all the time. Expect some framerate dips when you’re really going at the terrain. This includes the final boss, which — despite being super enjoyable — nearly turned my Switch 2 into a PowerPoint presentation. That’s the exception rather than the norm, though.
- Shoutout to my partner, Alyssa, who absolutely devoured the game while I was busy questioning my Nintendo faith. Her enthusiasm about the game is a big part of why I felt compelled to finish the journey and write this review.
David is the founder of The Punished Backlog. He has a problem finishing games he starts. Just beat: Nine Sols, UFO 50. Working on: Metaphor: ReFantazio. Can't wait for: Hollow Knight: Silksong. Follow David on Twitter at @David_Silbert to keep up to date with all things The Punished Backlog.
