The ‘Donkey Kong Bananza’ Direct Just Increased My Need for This Game

Today, Nintendo ran a Direct specific to Donkey Kong Bananza, which releases on July 17th for the Switch 2. Not only did we get a good look at the gameplay, but we also got a significant story reveal that shows the game is more than just “Donkey Kong Smashes Things.”

pauline aka “the rock”

Let’s just get the big news of the game out of the way now. The Odd Rock seen in the initial trailer has been revealed to be a younger version of Pauline. Her singing voice is going to be an integral gameplay element. She can sing to show you where to go or unlock those purple seals seen throughout the game.

Her biggest assist, though, is her ability to sing to make Donkey Kong transform into different characters based on the powers of the elders you encounter in the game. Donkey Kong can be transformed into a bigger, more powerful version of himself, which is called the “Kong Bananza.” He has an Ostrich Bananza form that allows him to fly, and a Zebra Bananza form that allows him to move at great speeds, even across water. The transformations don’t last long. But you can collect gold to build up your “Bananergy” to do them again.

Some would probably question why Nintendo would choose to “spoil” this a month away from release. And that’s a valid question. I would like to think that there is way more involved in the story than just that. I mean, this does show a younger Pauline. Maybe we get some type of lead-in to the OG Donkey Kong game. It would be pretty cool for this to be a prequel of sorts to the entire Mario canon.

‘Donkey kong bananza’ has a huge world

Once again, Nintendo seems to be showing off the power of their console as only they can. The environments in Donkey Kong Bananza look amazing. The lighting is incredible, and the water effects look even better than what you see in Mario Kart World. Looks like Nintendo is fully committing to taking their characters and tossing them into an open world. I’m not mad at it. I just hope that they can continue the quality they’ve become known for.

Looking at each of the environments — which, based on the trailer, appear to be stacked on top of each other — you can see some of those classic 3D platformer tropes expanded in the open world. Because what would a game like this be without a snow or fire level? I’m sure there will be more done to expand on those elements; it’s just funny to see how consistently they pop up.

Donkey Kong can also be outfitted in clothes you can obtain throughout the game. These outfits will provide benefits to movement and other aspects of the gameplay. I’m glad to see there’s something there incentivizing changing things up, though I’m sure now that people know they can go with OG naked Donkey Kong, we’ll see a lot of that.

I wish this was the launch game

I love Mario Kart World. But seeing this Direct has made it clear to me that Donkey Kong Bananza is the game Nintendo wants to use as the true showcase of the Switch 2. It feels expansive, and it also comes off as a centerpiece game. Something they’re using to clue us into what to expect with the console going forward. Mario Kart World was a great step, but Donkey Kong Bananza feels like the leap.