Players dive into an underground realm on Ingot Isle, filled with diverse settings from sandy beaches and icy caverns to ancient ruins taken straight from Zelda‑style environments.
The Direct showcased DK’s arsenal of abilities: Dive Punch, Roll, Hand Slap, Chunk Jump and more. Unique destructible environments allow DK to smash apart terrain, toss massive debris, or even turf‑surf smashing through obstacles and uncovering new paths and secrets.
The mysterious Odd Rock companion is actually a younger version of Pauline, the famed singer and New Donk City mayor. Her singing powers aren’t just narrative they’re active gameplay tools, launching sonic blasts to combat enemies and reveal hidden treasures.
DK and Pauline collect “Bananergy” (golden bananas) to activate powerful Bananza Transformations:
- Kong Bananza: Power-up strength
- Zebra Bananza: Speed boost, even runs on water
- Ostrich Bananza: Grants flight and egg-bomb attacks
These forms add layers of traversal variety and strategic gameplay.
Supports two-player co-op using Switch 2’s GameShare feature only one game copy needed for a friend to join on a separate console. One player controls DK, the other handles Pauline’s sonic attacks.
The newly introduced ‘DK Artist’ mode lets players unleash their creativity by sculpting and painting stone creations using the intuitive mouse controls of Joy-Con 2. It offers a refreshing pause from the main adventure, giving users a chance to explore their artistic side.
- Banandium Gems earned via side‑scrolling challenge stages
- Skills & abilities unlocked through an RPG‑like skill tree
- Full Amiibo compatibility, including a new special Pauline Amiibo and support for existing DK figures.
The antagonists include the corporate “VoidCo” headed by a sinister Void Kong and apes known as Grumpy Kong and Poppy Kong. Boss encounters guard the deeper layers of the underground.
Nintendo has set the price of Donkey Kong Bananza at $69.99, with pre-orders now open across major regions. Launching on July 17, 2025, the game is positioned as a key title for the new Switch 2, building momentum just weeks after the console’s release.
Bananza marks Donkey Kong’s long-awaited return to 3D platforming the first since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64 and the franchise’s first new installment since Tropical Freeze in 2014. Packed with innovative features like destructible environments, animal transformations, GameShare functionality, and a creative Artist Mode, Bananza is built to fully harness the power of the Switch 2.
Ahead of release, Nintendo is planning Treehouse livestreams, with gameplay breakdowns, DK Artist showcases, and skill tree tutorials. As excitement builds, Bananza is shaping up to be a defining release for both Donkey Kong fans and Switch 2 adopters.
With its mix of explosive platform action, cooperative gameplay, creative sculpting, and nostalgic yet fresh transformations, Donkey Kong Bananza positions itself as the standout first-party title of the Switch 2 era. If the June 18 Direct is anything to judge by, Nintendo is setting the stage for a wild, music-infused underground romp with plenty of surprises to dig through.
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