Donkey Kong Bananza Is the Wildest Platformer We Didn’t Know We Needed

Donkey Kong Bananza is Nintendo raw, unfiltered, and absolutely bananas. Released July 16th, 2025, for Nintendo Switch 2, this bold reboot of the Donkey Kong franchise throws away restraint and doubles down on absurdity, delivering a tight 2.5D platformer that oozes kinetic energy and charm. And more importantly, it’s unapologetically weird.

Tearing up rulebooks and smashing barrels with giddy rebellion, Donkey Kong Bananza is less about monkey business and more about double-jump anarchy. But is this the evolution fans really wanted? Or just a chaotic celebration of excess?

Hey, This Isn’t the Donkey Kong You Remember (And That’s the Point)

If you’re expecting a mellower platformer in the vein of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, you’d better reset your expectations. Donkey Kong Bananza is a loud, fast, almost surreal platformer that seems more preoccupied with delivering jaw-dropping spectacle than outlining a coherent jungle narrative.

That’s not a criticism. In fact, this fantastic approach fuels one of the most refreshing sidescroller experiences in recent memory. Nintendo dares to inject that fourth-wall-winking, over-the-top energy that made WarioWare popular—but applies it in a cohesive action-adventure scenario. Expect exaggerated banana brawls with enemy pirates, frequent perspective shifts, puzzle mini-segments, and rhythm-based action sequences that feel like they belong in a music game.

The campaign—entirely single player—unfolds with such spontaneous creativity that it’s almost impossible to predict what’s coming next. Even long-time platformer fans will be surprised. There’s a certain joy here reminiscent of the 2.5D creativity in titles like Rayman Legends and Yoshi’s Crafted World, only layered with classic DK physics and a hint of optical mayhem.

Visual Makeover? More Like a Full-On Banana Overdose

Visually, Donkey Kong Bananza is a clear departure from anything before. Let’s say this up front: it’s glorious and completely absurd. The switch to 2.5D doesn’t just offer depth—it invites developers to cram insane set pieces into the background and foreground, crafting levels that feel alive even when they’re falling apart in real-time.

Much like Super Mario Bros. Wonder, this game doesn’t abide by standard world logic. One moment you’re riding a rocket-propelled whale, the next you’re running along paint-brushed banana peels that squish Beethoven’s Fifth in rhythm as you leap. And yes, things are animated with a loose-limbed chaos that leans into cartoon physics more than ever. The result is something closer to Looney Tunes than Jungle Beat.

Credit goes to the art direction for making each stage not just eye-catching but visually thematic. You’ve got rain-slick pirate ships, psychedelic cloud kingdoms and enormous mechanical banana production factories—each with their own gimmicks and musical cues. The constant reinvention, powered by the Switch 2’s new capabilities, keeps fatigue at bay, even in longer sessions.

Gameplay: Chaos, Yes… But Surprisingly Tight

There’s a fear when games go quirky that the gameplay might fall apart into gimmicks. Luckily, Donkey Kong Bananza avoids this. Beneath the kaleidoscopic surface, this is one of the most precisely tuned Donkey Kong games to date.

Traversal is tight—possibly the tightest it’s been since Tropical Freeze. DK feels weighty but responsive, and the levels often reward momentum. There’s enough bounce in the jumps to allow midair drama and quick turnarounds without feeling floaty. Add in power-ups that push you into hilarious situations—like a banana jetpack with limited juice or sticky gloves for ceiling crawling—and there’s real mechanical depth under its flailing arms.

The boss battles are easily some of the most inventive in recent Nintendo memory. Think rhythm-infused chases that take up multiple planes, or a fight where you must beat an AI-controlled Cranky Kong in a game of “who can mess up stage physics faster.” It’s exhilarating, weird, and more importantly, fully committed to its insanity. No half-measures here. While the lack of multiplayer will disappoint some fans, the focused single-player story feels intentional. Everything you experience is curated and polished. Plus, it leaves room for more storytelling—even if it mostly stays in the background.

Nostalgia and New Beginnings

Nintendo clearly knew what they were doing. They could’ve played it safe—throw in a few mine cart levels, rehash Rambi the Rhino, and call it a day. Instead, they let the Donkey Kong franchise evolve, not by modernising it, but by unhinging it fully. This is DK unleashed in the most literal sense, and it absolutely works. We’ve had decades of exacting balance in platformers—it’s refreshing to get one that’s giddy to be a video game. Donkey Kong Bananza is a side-view experiment that doubles both as fanservice and fresh direction. Not everyone will love its chaos, but few can deny its ambition.