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[Draugoth]

Game Title: Donkey Kong Bananza​

Platforms:

• Nintendo Switch (Jul 17, 2025)

Trailer:



Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 91 average - 100% recommended

Metacritic - 90/100 - Must Play

Critic Reviews​

Cerealkillerz - Steve Brieller - German - 9.1 / 10

Donkey Kong's triumphant return to 3D delivers an incredibly fun experience. Minor technical issues are easily outweighed by the creative gameplay, the strong presentation and the perfect dose of nostalgia. This is the system seller the Switch 2 needed.

Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - 10 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza is far deeper than I ever anticipated, and it's absolutely one of this year's best games. There has never been a better Donkey Kong adventure than Bananza.

Dexerto - Joe Pring - 4 / 5

From start to finish, Donkey Kong Bonanza is a riot. I wrapped up my journey to Bananza's credits in a little over 20 hours. Your mileage will vary wildly depending on how much optional content you decide to invest time in, but that's the beauty of it.

Digitec Magazine - Cassie Mammone - German - 5 / 5

With "Donkey Kong Bananza", the Switch 2 is getting its next must-play title after "Mario Kart World". One month after its release, the console already has its first in-house single-player hit.

Enternity.gr - Nikitas Kavouklis - Greek - 8.5 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza has all the makings of unlimited fun, but it's easy to miss the mark.

GRYOnline.pl - Adam Celarek - Polish - 8.5 / 10

Despite some of its flaws, Donkey Kong: Bananza perfectly fills a niche hungry for a colourful, joyful adventure, which provides a lot of unrestrained fun. The game draws extensively on the ideas from Super Mario Odyssey, with the addition of great mechanics of dynamic destruction. I have my fingers crossed that further games designed for Switch 2 will prove equally successful.

Gfinity - Alister Kennedy - 10 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza delivers a triumphant return for the ape, offering an open-world, destructive 3D platforming adventure on the Nintendo Switch 2. As a spiritual successor to DK64, it blends nostalgic collectathon mechanics with innovative terrain destruction and new animal transformations, making it a must-buy system seller for the new console.

Video Chums - A.J. Maciejewski - 9.1 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the most unique and immensely enjoyable games that I've ever played. Plus, behind its chaotic open-ended gameplay and incredibly imaginative worlds, you'll find a lot of heart.

XGN.nl - Luuc ten Velde - Dutch - 9 / 10

While Donkey Kong Bananza has a few frustrating moments, the new 3D adventure with DK and Pauline is a pleasure throughout thanks to fun visuals, colorful worlds and impressive gameplay that has you grinning from ear to ear (almost) every step of the way.

 

[DR3AM]

IGN 10/10

 

[AJUMP23]

Nintendo dropping a megaton.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Killer app Bananza

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Holy bananas! I didn't expect it to take off like this.

 

[Zathalus]

Down to 81 on Opencritic now, but that due to them marking the LevelUp review as a 0.9/10 instead of 9/10.

Edit: They fixed it already.

 

[Buggy Loop]

IGN 10/10

 

[SamuraiEdge]

Hell yeah!

 

[Bridges]

Let's fucking gooooo

 

[kruis]

 

[Robb]

What a return to form for 3D Donkey Kong! Can't wait to play it tomorrow!

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

I think it will settle on 89 but who cares, I'll buy Switch 2 for it (later)

 

[adamsapple]

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

It was obvious it would be fantastic, everyone enjoy, first on my buy list once I eventually pick up a Switch 2

 

[MiguelItUp]

I mean, you have to give Nintendo props. They know what they're doing with their IPs. Especially their platformers or anything adjacent.

I'll definitely get this (and a Switch 2) at some point.

 

[SamuraiEdge]

 

[damidu]

kk i'll buy it

 

[Thebonehead]

Saint Billy Mitchell redeemed.

Oh wait... That's the classic donkey Kong

 

[Buggy Loop]

So easy to beat the game if you rush to it but optional and post game very challenging

Perfect

I really love how DK moves around, this traversal is so fluid I feel it'll be hard as fuck to go back to Mario

 

[analog_future]

Fuck yeah! Great reviews.

 

[Punished Miku]

Can't wait. Switch 2 will finally get some use.

 

[ReBurn]

IGN 10/10

I didn't know they could count beyond 7

 

[amigastar]

This game makes me wanna get a Switch 2, i just don't have the fundings, sucks...

 

[MDSLKTR]

Lower than Astrobot?

 

[salva]

Fuck me sideways

 

[Fake]

Higher than expected. Kudos to Nintendo.

 

[DreamcastSkies]

I've been really excited for this game. I haven't loved the recent Zelda games (I see their appeal, I just think they abandoned too much of the classic 3D Zelda gameplay) and I didn't care that much for Mario Odssey. So it's been a while since I've really enjoyed a AAA Nintendo game. This game has reminded me of the old N64 platformers in some ways while going in new, bigger directions. I wish a Switch 2 wasn't so hard to find. Looks like it will be a minute before I get to this game but I'm glad it exists.

 

[Bojanglez]

Sounds great, can't wait to play it.

 

[phant0m]

Kind of a shame they couldn't get this ready for launch 5 weeks ago. Would've been a banger 1-2 punch of launch titles w/ MKW.

 

[damidu]

Kind of a shame they couldn't get this ready for launch 5 weeks ago. Would've been a banger 1-2 punch of launch titles w/ MKW.

this would have definitely cockblocked mkw bad, they done smart by making that one the only launch title.

 

[clarky]

Kind of a shame they couldn't get this ready for launch 5 weeks ago. Would've been a banger 1-2 punch of launch titles w/ MKW.

This was likely ready for launch but held back to spread out releases.

 

[applesaucejaxon]

Not going to lie, I was not expecting these scores. I have it preordered, but I was expecting a solid 75-80 game. Hopefully bullshit ass Target delivers on time.

 

[RoboFu]

Nintendo throwing out another AAAA title.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

I thought this would be great but I didn't think it would be a GOTY contender . . .

 

[kpopSuperstar]

This looks like so much fun.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Mario Odyssey Team, Nintendo! I knew this would be a classic. GOTY contender right here.

Now sort the Vsync issue out.

 

[coachmcguirk91]

Fair or unfair, Platform games metacritic scores are generally inflated. 90 was about what I was expecting.

This being the same team as Mario Oddeysey, which has a laughable 97 MC

 

[FingerBang]

I had no doubts this game would be the first real Switch 2 killer app that isn't called Mario Kart

 

[Fake]

Well, looks like will be Donkey Kong vs Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for the GOTY.

 

[analog_future]

IGN 10/10

Just reading the technical issues alone from Digital Foundry tells me that this is not a 10/10 game.


Still can't wait to play but I'm sick of review outlets not factoring in technical issues in some games but docking scores in other games for them.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

I guess there are doubters...but who would bet against Nintendo when it comes to making a fun game?

 

[Fake]

Just reading the technical issues alone from Digital Foundry tells me that this is not a 10/10 game.

Elden Ring disagree.

 

[LordOcidax]

 

[Hyperborean]

More great news from across the imperium.

 

[Arsic]

I'm bustin and can't stop peeling myself with all these high scores.

Can't wait to play!

 

[Certinty]

They've only gone and fucking done it again.

Saying that, it was never in doubt after what they showed a few weeks ago and knowing it's the Mario Odyssey team behind this.

 

[RoboFu]

I guess there are doubters...but who would bet against Nintendo when it comes to making a fun game?

who else...

 

[Zacfoldor]

Wow, this turned out really good.

 

[Sweden85]

Lol reading the reviews indicate an 8/10 at max..but somehow the Nintendo tax gets it over 9/10..
Its insane that what reviewers lower scores for other platforms for these kind of things but not for Nintendo

Still playing it though.

 

[Banjo64]

91 OC. shit hot