The upcoming 3D platformerDonkey Kong Bananzarepresents the platforming return of one of Nintendo’s biggest mascots. Featuring exploration and destructible environments, the new game showcases Donkey Kong’s new character design. The title will be exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2.
The announcement trailer from Nintendo gave us a glimpse of gameplay anda release date of July 17. InDonkey Kong Bananza, players can “explore a vast, underground world” by smashing, punching, and kicking through it in typical Donkey Kong fashion. According to thegame’s official page,Donkey Kong Bananzawill cost $70. Watch the trailer below for more details.
What We Know About Donkey Kong Bananza’s Gameplay
Players Will Be Excited To See How The Switch 2 Will Enhance The Gaming Experience
The trailer showcases a variety of new locations with different climates, including a grassy valley, a snow-covered tundra, and a mining area called Ingot Isle. While exploring these destructible environments, Donkey Kong appears to collect sparkling ores and coins, punching through glimmering rocks and banana structures in pursuit of the almighty Golden Bananas.
But things on Ingot Isle aren’t all fun and games. A handful of new enemies working under the name VoidCo have gotten their hands on Donkey Kong’s Golden Banana collection, and they’re not going down without a fight. Players will have to defend Ingot Isle and recollect Donkey Kong’s beloved bananas from VoidCo by punching and smashing into hidden underground areas.
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Nintendo spent a lot of time discussing theSwitch 2’s new console featuresduring the Switch 2 Direct, but as of now, players are left in the dark as to how those console features will factor into the gameplay ofDonkey Kong Bananza, if at all.
Our Take: Now Is A Perfect Time For A New Donkey Kong Game
The Latest DK Installment Offers Features Unique For Nintendo
It’s been a long time since Nintendo last released a Donkey Kong platformer, withDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freezereleasing all the way back in 2014 for the Wii U. A remastered version ofDonkey Kong Country Returns, which originally came out on the Nintendo Wii in 2010,did come out in January to relatively positive reviews. As Nintendo enters the Switch 2 era, a return to some of its original properties is a fantastic way to unlock nostalgia and draw players back to their systems.
Theinclusion of destructible environments inDonkey Kong Bananzais also a big deal for Nintendo, as the scope and scale needed for such complex graphics is immense. This alone suggests that theSwitch 2 has the capability to support large gameswithout lagging or crashing, something that can’t be said for the original Switch console.Donkey Kong Bananzacould be the perfect game to revive a beloved franchise while also showing off Nintendo’s latest system, though the game’s success greatly depends on how players embrace the Nintendo Switch 2.
