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Donkey Kong Bananza
Released On: Jul 17, 2025
9.0
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
All Platforms
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 143 Critic Reviews
91
100% Positive
143 Reviews
143 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim Based on 143 Critic Reviews
91
100% Positive
143 Reviews
143 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Aug 27, 2025
Donkey Kong Bananza is nothing short of a revelation and revolution about what DK can be as a character and how his games can be different from Mario’s, Kirby’s, and others of his platforming ilk. He and Pauline are the epic “dynamic duo” that Nintendo can rally around to start the Switch 2 age, and you’ll love this game from start to finish…then go back for even more.
Jul 16, 2025
Every time I’d get to a new layer, I’d immediately ignore the story objective and spend a half dozen hours just smashing things around like a toddler in a sandbox.
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 2,461 User Ratings
9.0
87% Positive
2139 Ratings
2139 Ratings
7% Mixed
181 Ratings
181 Ratings
6% Negative
141 Ratings
141 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim Based on 2,461 User Ratings
9.0
87% Positive
2139 Ratings
2139 Ratings
7% Mixed
181 Ratings
181 Ratings
6% Negative
141 Ratings
141 Ratings
Dec 6, 2025
Truly masterpiece with minor problems and a very clever level design. Banana!
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Nintendo Switch 2 Dec 5, 2025
It's a brave, solid, soulful game with gameplay that feels like a breath of fresh air in an industry that often plays it safe. Those rumors about frame rate drops in certain areas aren't even noticeable while playing. And I'm sure you'll spend your time searching for thousands of collectibles and destroying everything in sight. The truth is, no one expected this game to be this fun, and it's a pleasant surprise that it's bringing so much joy to die-hard Nintendo fans. Nintendo is truly crazy, absolutely crazy, to release a game of this quality that will last the entire lifespan of the Switch 2. You're going to love and enjoy this game without a doubt, because right now it's the most important reason to own a Nintendo Switch 2. This game is a complete gem.
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Nintendo Switch 2 Jul 16, 2025
Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the most unique and immensely enjoyable games that I've ever played. Plus, behind its chaotic open-ended gameplay and incredibly imaginative worlds, you'll find a lot of heart.
Jul 21, 2025
It’s a little messy and definitely has a few missed opportunities, but the core gameplay is so much fun that I couldn’t put it down. It captures the thrill of exploration that made Odyssey so compelling while taking the gameplay mechanics in a completely unique direction that kept developing in ways I didn’t see coming, and that’s exactly why I love Nintendo’s fun-first approach to design so much. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to buy a Switch 2, it’s just arrived.
Jul 16, 2025
Bananza sets out to act as a fresh start for new and old fans alike, taking a fresh twist on what a Donkey Kong game feels like.
Jul 16, 2025
Innovative, refreshing and incredibly entertaining: Donkey Kong Bananza inspires with new ideas without forgetting its roots.
Jul 16, 2025
From start to finish, Donkey Kong Bananza is a riot. I wrapped up my journey to Bananza's credits in a little over 20 hours. Your mileage will vary wildly depending on how much optional content you decide to invest time in, but that's the beauty of it. If you're not big on collectathons, there's still plenty of game here for platforming purists to enjoy. I can't recommend enough taking on the various trials – think Shrines from Breath of the Wild – littered throughout the world, though, especially if you're a fan of 2D Donkey Kong. While performance issues were largely nonexistent in handheld mode, quite severe frame rate drops were commonplace when docked, especially during certain boss battles. This doesn't take into account any day one patches that may or may not arrive on release, and not egregious enough that your enjoyment will be hampered.
Dec 4, 2025
This game is fun from start to finish. And the music is sooo good! Gameplay 10/10. Soundtrack 9/10. Graphics 9/10. A must-have for Switch 2!
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Nintendo Switch 2 Nov 27, 2025
I’m going to be honest here. When I picked up this game for the first time I felt the hype and got it completely. In the beginning stages of this game it’s so fun, the destruction physics just turn off your brain and you have a blast exploring. However and the reason this went from a 10/10 to a 7/10 to me is that the game is too easy and closer to brain rot than anything. The bananza mechanic while cool initially makes every boss fight piss easy and you don’t even really need to use most of them. Besides the sections where the game forces you to use one I only used the first bananza on bosses and the ostrich to cheese areas. They don’t feel as vital to the gameplay as they should be and even then they also ruin the point to the skill tree. All the bananza abilities make most of the skill tree useless. Which then brings the issue of there being way too many collectibles to the point that you don’t really need to explore and do the more “difficult” bananas. Sure all the collectibles can contribute to a stronger dk but as I said the game is way too easy and the bananzas already do this making the collectibles feel pointless. I get that some people like just having a sandbox but that’s not me I guess.
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Nintendo Switch 2 Nov 21, 2025
It's a really beautiful and fun game, at the start to mid game at least. The game is good and fun indeed, but after some hours it's repetitive, all the same things, just take something here, destroy something there and everything. The graphics and design is really awesome, which really shows the Switch 2 capacity. But the game is really short tbh, I mean, I wasn't waiting some Zelda with 100+ hours of content, but anyway, this game is really short for that expensive price of $80.
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Nintendo Switch 2 Nov 3, 2025
This game strips away everything I loved about the DK universe. It feels like the devs had a new physics engine that allows for destructible environments and needed an IP that would fit. So they picked Donkey Kong. So DK now collects fossils and gold. He no longer eats bananas, but eats apples. He no longer plays with the Kong family, but has Pauline singing Japanese pop. He lives in the mines, but doesn’t ride any mine-carts. He sings to unveil hundreds of boring Zelda like metallic dungeons. He also looks and acts like a four year old. Poor DK, what have they done to you.
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Nintendo Switch 2 Oct 10, 2025
It feels really mediocre coming from DK games like tropical freeze and DK returns, there is 0 challenge in the game, the bosses are ridiculous easy that you can kill them in 10 seconds WTF
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Nintendo Switch 2 Summary The big guy is back—and he’s not alone! Explore a vast underground world with Donkey Kong and Pauline—by smashing your way through it! With DK’s brute force and Pauline’s special singing abilities, you can crash through walls, carve tunnels with your fists, punch straight down into the ground, and even tear off chunks of terrain to swing...
Rated E +10 for Everyone +10
Platforms:
- Nintendo Switch 2
Initial Release Date: Jul 17, 2025
Genres:
