Donkey Kong Bananza: release date, trailers, gameplay, and more

By Jesse Lennox Published April 3, 2025

There were a lot of surprises during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, the most exciting being all the upcoming Switch 2 games. While the show opened with the highly anticipated Mario Kart World, there was one surprise reveal that took everyone off guard. Donkey Kong Bananza is the first 3D Donkey Kong game since the N64 and has a whole new style and gameplay than anything our great ape has had before. We’re ready to smash our way through all the information there is about Donkey Kong Bananza and are willing to share it all with you.

Because Donkey Kong Bananza is a Switch 2 exclusive game, it isn’t included as an upcoming Switch game.

You will be able to start playing Donkey Kong Bananza on July 17, 2025.

Unlike many games coming to Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza will not have a standard Switch version. If you want to see what DK’s next adventure for yourself, you will need to make the upgrade.

The reveal trailer for Donkey Kong Bananza is mainly here to reintroduce us to DK and show off the mechanics of the game. However, we do know a bit about what is going on.

Donkey Kong Bananza will be set on Ingot Isle, where DK and all the other miner monkeys have come to investigate the rumors of golden bananas buried in the earth. But, a group of villains known as VoidCo has stolen DK’s precious bananas. It is a familiar setup, but the three new villains appear interesting and unique for the franchise.

DK isn’t going on this quest alone, though. We haven’t seen any of the other members of the Kong family, but a new talking rock named Odd Rock is shown riding on his shoulder.

The gameplay for Donkey Kong Bananza is unlike any other DK game before it. While it is another 3D platformer, the main feature here is the almost completely destructable environments. DK can smash, punch, and pound his way through almost any surface in the game, or even rip up chunks of the environment to swing and throw. They can even be used to destroy obstacles and hazards like pointy vines.

This allows DK to carve his own path through levels, finding secrets buried in the walls, and even tunnel straight down. DK has the ability to climb almost any wall to make sure you can’t dig yourself into a situation you can’t get out of.

But Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t just about smashing things. There are still plenty of things to collect, from gold to bananas. One of DK’s moves, the Hand Slap, is an AOE move that also hits nearby collectibles and draws them to you so you don’t have to collect every gold nugget individually.

With such incredible freedom to terriform the levels, DK also has a handy whistle. By holding the L button down he will whistle a tune that creates a musical path leading you to your next objective so you don’t get lost.

Even with a release date, Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t available for preorder yet. We know it will cost $70, but for now, all you can do is check back on the game’s official page or this article until we learn more.