Donkey Kong Bananza Hands-On Preview: Nintendo's New 3D Platformer

Ahead of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, plenty of people - myself included - expected a new 3D Mario to feature among the announcements. That prediction did not come true, although Nintendo did unveil a fresh 3D platformer starring one of its mascots. Donkey Kong Bananza does not put Mario in the lead role, yet my time playing it instantly brought to mind one of his finest outings, Super Mario Odyssey.

Donkey Kong Bananza channels Super Mario Odyssey

Donkey Kong Bananza is an exploration-focused platformer in which your central task, in proper DK style, is gathering enormous banana gems. Across the two locations I played, the influence of Super Mario Odyssey was clear. Players guide the great ape through open environments, tackling objectives, working out puzzles, and finding collectibles including golden shards, fossils and, naturally, those huge banana gems.

My demo starts on Ingot Isle, a mining area that serves as the tutorial. It quickly establishes that almost every part of Bananza's landscape can be destroyed. By using the face buttons, DK can punch straight ahead, upwards or downwards, breaking through walls, ceilings and the ground as he explores. Demolishing the scenery feels satisfyingly cathartic, with debris and collectibles scattering everywhere while fresh routes reveal themselves.

Exploring Ingot Isle with DK and Odd Rock

Having picked up several bananas and investigated parts of Ingot Isle, I watch a cutscene in which DK and one banana are pulled up into the sky. Naturally, he will not release it, leaving him stranded on an unfamiliar island. DK is now joined by a purple companion known as Odd Rock. I explore the tropical setting, speaking with local residents about their troubles and resolving them by smashing objects.

Flying foes hurl rocks, while their propellers injure Donkey Kong's hand when he attempts to punch them. Instead, I tear a piece of terrain from beneath DK's feet and throw it at one of the enemies, sending it crashing out of the air.

Donkey Kong is also able to scale almost any surface, opening up countless possibilities for exploration. At one stage, I discover a challenge that asks me to defeat three armoured enemies in 30 seconds. I smash the first pair, then realise the third has a tough rocky shell, meaning I need to grab a section of ground and fling it at him. Even this early in the game, several enemy varieties demand that you use DK's distinctive moves to defeat them, so it is not simply a button masher.

Towards the end of the demo, I assist an NPC by clearing a blocked lake and unsealing a waterfall that has been closed for a long time, exposing another level layer. Sadly, I cannot investigate this section in the demo, but I enjoy just how much exploration Donkey Kong Bananza appears to offer.

It has been a very long time since Donkey Kong last headlined a 3D platformer, and Bananza feels like a game built specifically for him. Fortunately, the wait to smash through his latest adventure is nearly over: Donkey Kong Bananza launches exclusively for Switch 2 on 17 July.