Attention Donkey Kong fans! Nintendo's Donkey Kong Bananza has been available on Nintendo Switch 2 since July 17, 2025. A 3D game - the very first for Donkey Kong - that plunges you into the heart of the planet, in search of the wish-granting Banandium vein.
"Help Donkey Kong make his way through the depths of an underground world. The further he goes, the more surprises await him! Above, below... And on the sides! Donkey Kong has no shortage of scenery to smash! Let your fists do the talking in this smashing adventure. Golden bananas?! The discovery of this exquisite booty sent the whole island into a frenzy... before disaster struck! Who is behind VoidCo and what is their goal? Taking advantage of the chaos, VoidCo seizes the priceless treasure! Donkey Kong sets off in pursuit to get his hands on it! Can Donkey Kong get his beloved bananas back?
A game that breaks with the moulds of the franchise, since it will be an adventure... in 3D! A great first for Donkey Kong, who is about to embark on a very eventful adventure.
This new 3D platform game takes video games' most famous gorilla into an underground world full of traps, mysteries and, of course... bananas! With acrobatics, demolition phases and rhythmic songs, the experience promises to be as rich as it is unexpected, both solo and as a duo.
The story begins onLingot Island, the scene of an incredible archaeological discovery: golden bananas buried in the bowels of the earth. But just as Donkey Kong is about to feast on them, a storm throws him into the depths. There he meets Pauline, a mysterious living stone... who turns out to be a singer with astonishing talents. Together, they embark on an epic journey of singing, leaping and destruction.
This new Nintendo title promises a colorful experience full of humor, rhythm and twists, capitalizing on DK 's brute force and Pauline's musical personality. An explosive mix that will delight fans of dynamic, narrative platform games.
Our review of Donkey Kong Bananza:
This is a game that the editors obviously wanted to try out, piqued by the curiosity of a 3D Donkey Kong game. And it's a real success! Graphically speaking, the software is absolutely magnificent, and very colorful. An inspired artistic direction that leaves no one indifferent as the story progresses. Special mention must be made of Banandium's vein, visually complex yet very clean. It's beautiful, and it's good.
Gameplay-wise, the game is quite complete, between exploration, mini challenges (packed with homage to DK games), boss phases and environmental destruction. Everything is done to encourage you to let off steam... Because that's what this game is all about: destroying everything in your path! You can dig galleries, break rocks or throw boulders. The rocks themselves, with their various properties (gold, brambles, explosive rocks...), require a little thought to handle.
We also love the Bananza powers, which allow you to acquire the abilities of various animals (zebra, vulture, snake, etc.), and add an extra depth to the gameplay, allowing you to vary the pleasures depending on the enemies you encounter. Add to this the banana gems you can collect to improve your skill tree, the outfits that give you bonuses and the gold you can collect in abundance, and you have a very complete opus, a real little videogame gem to be discovered without moderation. The only downside is a few lags here and there, but they're negligible (we only had one, in fact).
And once you've finished the game, the adventure continues, with little missions that take you back to the different strata of the map. A clever way of continuing the adventure while revisiting the various levels (and picking up anything you might have missed...). Probably THE summer hit on Nintendo Switch 2, and one that should also work for the holidays... We're going back for more! On your Joy-Con!
A nice surprise, in any case, for Nintendo Switch 2, while Donkey Kong Country Returns HD has only just been released on the classic Nintendo Switch. But it's certainly something to look forward to. And while we're waiting for July, let's get to work on Mario Kart World, available from the Switch 2 launch on June 5. On your Joy-Cons!
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