Donkey Kong Bananza is the next landmark 3D platformer from Nintendo -- the first on this scale since Super Mario Odyssey released in 2017 -- and it looks like the team has taken things to a whole new level, with a massive array of ideas and mechanics that look as fun to play as they are objectively weird.
As shown in the reveal trailer a few months ago, this game's main gimmick is its destructible terrain. DK can smash through just about anything, picking up chunks of the ground to use as a weapon, a tool to solve puzzles, a platforming aid, or even use it to construct new terrain -- All in service of completing challenges and solving puzzles to continue on his journey to the center of the planet.
He isn't alone, though, as the cute little rock friend the reveal trailer showed us is hiding a big secret: they're actually Pauline -- the damsel in distress from the original Donkey Kong arcade game -- as a child. In contrast to Donkey Kong's destructive powers, Pauline serves as DK's sidekick in this adventure, riding along on his back and using her singing voice to affect the world around them, adding yet another layer to the game's puzzle-platforming.
We still haven't gotten to the truly wild stuff, though, as through the power of Pauline's voice, DK has unlocked new transformations that make him bigger and stronger than ever before. The first one sees him grow to a much larger ape, but then things go off the rails, and we see him transform into a muscle-bound zebra and ostrich, each of which has unique platforming and combat abilities. Bananza also incorporates a skill tree and a story that looks to expand on the relationship between DK and Pauline.
Donkey Kong Bananza releases on July 17, 2025, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2.