Donkey Kong’s long-awaited return to 3D platforming is almost here. The Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive “Donkey Kong Bananza” launches this Thursday, July 17, 2025, and promises to showcase the new console’s capabilities through its destructible environments.
Despite not being released yet, Bananza is already topping the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop charts thanks to pre-loads. This marks the first original Donkey Kong game since 2014’s Tropical Freeze and the first 3D Donkey Kong adventure since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64.
The game’s director, Kazuya Takahashi, recently addressed concerns about frame rate issues, acknowledging that players might notice “slight drops” during large-scale destruction sequences. “We intentionally used effects like hit-stop and slow motion to emphasize impacts,” Takahashi explained. “We prioritized fun and playability” over maintaining a perfectly consistent frame rate.
Developed by the same Nintendo EPD team behind Super Mario Odyssey, Bananza began life as a Nintendo Switch 1 title before migrating to the Switch 2. Producer Kenta Motokura revealed this shift happened because the game’s voxel-based destruction technology required more processing power than the original Switch could provide.
The game centers around Donkey Kong and a young 13-year-old Pauline searching for the Planet Core, which is said to grant any desire. They’re racing against the villainous Void Kong and Void Company. The environment is almost entirely destructible, allowing players to break through walls, dig tunnels, and reshape the world using Donkey Kong’s strength.
Bananza includes various gameplay features designed to appeal to a wide audience. An assist mode helps newer or less experienced players, while a two-player co-op mode lets one person control Donkey Kong while another plays as Pauline, who can use her powerful singing voice to blast rocks and bestow transformations on Donkey Kong.
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The soundtrack features rearrangements of classic Donkey Kong Country music by David Wise and Grant Kirkhope, along with new vocal songs performed by Pauline.
With industry analysts predicting potential lifetime sales exceeding 20 million units, Donkey Kong Bananza appears positioned to be a major success for Nintendo and a significant driver of Switch 2 adoption, priced at $69.99. The game joins other July releases including Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 and Shadow Labyrinth.