Donkey Kong Bananza breaks new ground for Nintendo platformers

Jake Wilkinson | Staff Writer

Nintendo has always been ahead in the video game industry, from the invention of the platforming genre with 1985’s Super Mario Bros. to 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, they have pushed the envelope in innovation and fun. The release of the Nintendo Switch 2 console has not only brought back the iconic Mario Kart series, but has also made one of their most groundbreaking platforming adventures in Donkey Kong Bananza. 

Donkey Kong Bananza is the first 3D Donkey Kong platformer since 1999’s Nintendo 64 title Donkey Kong 64. It follows Nintendo’s beloved ape on a subterranean adventure to get back his one and only desire: bananas. When the wicked Void Company strikes the heart of Ingot Isle with a meteor, the titular DK, alongside a talented young singer named Pauline, is sent on an epic quest to smash everything on the way to the planet's core to grant one wish for both Pauline and DK.

While Nintendo has not often thrived on storytelling, unlike PlayStation’s extensive catalog on their systems, it’s nice to see some groundwork laid out for the thing they thrive on: innovation in their genres. Previously, with games like Super Mario Odyssey, you jumped around massive environments to explore and collect coins and moons. However, with Donkey Kong Bananza, instead of hopping through expertly crafted levels, Nintendo just lets you smash through them like the Hulk, and it’s bananas in motion.

Each of the levels is structured as layers of the underground, and they vary wildly from rolling hills to snowy tundras, each layer handcrafted for destruction. DK can break through most structures: dirt, rock, and even metal. DK’s fist solves most problems in the game. The simple acts of taking a chunk from the ground and bashing a wall or mountain down is always satisfying and, more importantly, fun. There’s never been a more dynamic or free-form Nintendo game like this, especially not a platformer, which is refreshing to see.

Each level is full of secrets and collectables to find, capturing the same kinetic energy as the old Banjo-Kazooie games by Rare. Fans of Donkey Kong can find series staples such as red balloons that save you from falling, apples that refill your health, and plenty of vines that’ll stick you with the pointy end from the Donkey Kong Country series. However, the main collectables of this game are the Banandium gems and gold. The bananas that DK will snack on are incredibly exciting, just like the power moons in Super Mario Odyssey.

Once you collect five Banadium gems, DK will gain a skill point, which can be used to upgrade the power of your punch, making it easier to bust through floors, walls, and ceilings around you. If you want to move faster on the surf turf ability, where you rip a chunk off the ground and surf on it to move faster through environments, you can upgrade it to go at a faster pace. The act of collecting Banandium gems feeds into DK’s progression and makes the experience as air-tight as any of Nintendo’s 3D outings.

Though as innovative as the destruction, skill tree progression, and level design are, frames can drop during the adventure. While the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware is substantially more powerful than the previous Switch and can keep the game running at a mostly rock-solid 60 frames per second, the map will almost always drop frames when DK’s path of destruction is being rendered. If there’s too much happening on screen as well, frames will drop, but the creativity and wow-factor of being able to shape the environment at any moment more than makes up for it.

The game is also extremely colorful. Art direction often trumps graphics, and Nintendo has consistently utilized its lower-grade hardware to excel in artistry. Colors pop in each of the different layers, and DK’s new designs are cartoonishly charming to watch as he bashes, jumps, and climbs through the terrain. The Kong family from past games can be found throughout the game. Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong all show up to lend DK a hand by rewarding him with Bananadium gems, adding to the fun by revisiting some of Nintendo’s lesser-known icons with challenging environmental puzzles.

By the time players pick up the control and start controlling DK, they will already be hooked. Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t just one of Nintendo’s best; it’s one of the most innovative and eye-catching platformers to date. With stunning level destruction, expertly crafted levels with tons of secrets to find and rewards to collect, there is nothing short of things to do in the vast underground. While some frame drops are present in the game, the immense amount of joy crashing through each layer trumps all technical nitpicks. Donkey Kong Bananza is a certified masterpiece in the platforming landscape, and here’s hoping Nintendo goes bananas with their next 3D odyssey. 

Jake’s score: 5/5