Donkey Kong Bananza is a brand new 3D platformer for Switch 2

Nintendo just held a livestream to drop more details on the forthcoming Switch 2 console. At the very end, it revealed a brand-new 3D platformer starring Donkey Kong. This is the first game of its type since Donkey Kong 64 hit the Nintendo 64 all the way back in 1999. It’s called Donkey Kong Bananza and launches exclusively for the Switch 2 on July 17, which is just over a month after the console hits store shelves.

It looks cool! Much of the environment is destructible, so DK can get in there and break stuff. It also features sidescrolling segments, sort of like how modern Mario 3D platformers dip into their 2D roots every once in a while. 

The whole thing has a funky and cartoonish vibe one would expect from our favorite gorilla. However, I didn’t hear one lick of the ">famous Donkey Kong rap during the trailer but the equally iconic "ooh banana" sound effect from DK64 does make a brief cameo.

The trailer does show DK climbing up the sides of mountains (getting his BOTW-era Link on) and rollicking through several locations. These include a forest and an ice region, among others. The footage also shows the meanest looking Kong I’ve ever seen.

A mean Kong.
Nintendo

We don’t know too much about this game beyond what the trailer shows, but we don’t have that long to wait. Once again, Donkey Kong Bananza comes out on July 17.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/donkey-kong-bananza-is-a-brand-new-3d-platformer-for-switch-2-143108835.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/donkey-kong-bananza-is-a-brand-new-3d-platformer-for-switch-2-143108835.html?src=rss
Created 5mo | Apr 2, 2025, 4:20:23 PM


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