Overview

• Donkey Kong Bananza launches July 17, 2025 exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2, marking the franchise’s first internally developed 3D installment in over 20 years.
• Developed by Nintendo EPD Tokyo veterans of Super Mario Odyssey, the game combines Rare-era heritage with modern mechanics across layered subterranean biomes.
• Players can punch through terrain at will and use animal “Bananza” transformations—such as ostrich flight, ape strength and zebra speed—to reshape exploration and combat.
• The story teams Donkey Kong with Pauline in local and online co-op as they delve toward the planet’s core to stop the mining-shrewd Void Company.
• Early reviews applaud its inventive mechanics and deep replay value but note noticeable frame-rate drops and stutters in docked mode during high-particle effects.