Honestly, it feels like forever since we’ve seen a mascot platformer actually take a risk. When Donkey Kong Bananza dropped on the Nintendo Switch 2 back in July 2025, the hype was almost suffocating. IGN famously slapped a 10/10 "Masterpiece" label on it, and for a few months, you couldn’t scroll through a feed without seeing DK punching a hole through a mountain.
But now that the dust has settled and we're well into 2026, it's worth asking: was it just "new console" fever? Or did the team behind Super Mario Odyssey actually reinvent the wheel for our favorite tie-wearing gorilla?
The Voxel Revolution You Probably Didn't Notice
Most people look at Donkey Kong Bananza and just see a pretty 3D platformer. But the secret sauce is actually hidden in a tech experiment with voxels. Essentially, those are 3D pixels. While Mario Odyssey used them sparingly—think digging through the cheese in the Luncheon Kingdom—Bananza goes all in.
Everything is destructible.
It’s not just for show, either. You aren't just breaking crates for coins. You are literally tearing chunks out of the ground to use as platforms or projectiles. DK's "Tear Off" ability is the heart of the game. You can rip a slab of stone from the floor, hurl it at a flying enemy, or—my personal favorite—use it as a makeshift surfboard to cross lava.
It's chaotic. It's loud. It’s exactly how a 3D Donkey Kong game should feel.
Why the Pauline Connection Matters
The story setup is kinda wild. DK and a teenage version of Pauline get stuck in an underground world called Ingot Isle. A shady mining company named VoidCo. is stealing "Banandium Gems" to power a massive ship. The president, Void Kong, wants to reach the Planet Core to find the "Banandium Root" and get his wishes granted.
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Pauline isn't just a damsel here. She's basically your co-op partner and a central part of the lore. There was a ton of debate on the IGN forums about whether this game is a prequel to Odyssey. Teenage Pauline mentions her "grandma" (potentially the original Arcade Pauline) and ends up in New Donk City by the end.
Whether it's a prequel or a sequel involving a different generation, the chemistry works. Pauline sings "Transformation" songs that give DK his unique forms, like the Zebra or the Ostrich.
King K. Rool: The Surprise That Wasn't a Surprise
Nintendo played it super coy with the marketing. They didn't show King K. Rool once before launch. Fans were convinced Void Kong was just K. Rool in a suit.
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They were wrong.
K. Rool shows up near the end, kicks Void Kong out of the way, and tries to turn the entire world into "rotten banana mush." It’s a classic villain move. The final boss fight at the core is legitimately one of the hardest things Nintendo has put out in years. It’s a massive difficulty spike compared to the rest of the game, which is generally pretty chill.
The DLC and the "Emerald Rush" Grind
If you finished the main story and felt it was too easy, the DK Island + Emerald Rush DLC is where the real game begins. It adds a roguelite mode. You start with nothing. No powers, no upgrades. You have 100 seconds to hit a quota of emerald ore.
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It’s frantic.
IGN’s Logan Plant pointed out that this mode turns the destruction-based platforming into a high-stakes strategy game. You have to decide which materials to break and which paths to take to maximize your multipliers. It’s also where you can unlock the "Chunky Kong" and "Lanky Kong" statues, which are a nightmare to get if you aren't perfect with your movement combos.
Actionable Tips for 100% Completion
If you're still working through the 17 Layers toward the Planet Core, keep these things in mind to save yourself a headache.
- Don't ignore the Skill Tree: You get a skill point for every five bananas. Focus on the "Chunk Jump" and the "Double Jump while holding a rock" early on. They break the game in the best way possible.
- Abuse the Ground Slap: It’s not just for combat. Slapping the ground reveals hidden collectibles and instantly sucks up nearby gold. It saves so much time in the denser layers like the Lagoon.
- Master the Roll-Jump: It’s almost exactly like Mario’s Cappy bounce. If you roll, jump, and then roll again in mid-air, you can clear gaps that the game thinks you need a transformation for.
- Wait to "Smelt" in Emerald Rush: If you’re playing the DLC, don't smelt your materials until the very end of a run. You want to keep your multipliers active as long as possible to maximize your "Banandium Chips."
Donkey Kong Bananza proved that DK doesn't need to be stuck in a 2D side-scroller to be relevant. By leaning into his strength and the sheer joy of breaking stuff, Nintendo EPD Tokyo created something that feels distinct from Mario while keeping that same level of polish. If you haven't touched it since the 2025 launch, the new 2026 event cycles are a great reason to jump back in.