The Donkey Kong Bananza Direct just wrapped up, and if the 15 minutes of gameplay shown during it is any indication, it’s shaping up to be an exciting Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, and it launches in less than a month. During the showcase, we learned a lot about the game, including that the Odd Rock companion from previous trailers is none other than aspiring singer Pauline, alongside details about Donkey Kong’s various Bananza forms, the evil Void Company, and more.
Here’s Everything We Learned About Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong makes the discovery of the century on Ingot Isle in the form of special golden bananas, but just as he’s about to enjoy all that potassium, a sudden tempest over the island sends him deep into the underground. Here, through extraordinary circumstances, he teams up with Odd Rock, who we learn is actually Pauline, a character whose lineage goes way back to Donkey Kong’s beginnings. The duo learns that if they reach the planet’s core, they will be granted a wish: Pauline wants to become a singer, and Donkey Kong wants to enjoy the golden bananas. So the two set off into the underground core.
Nintendo says each layer of the underground presents a new biome and unique scenery to enjoy, and if today’s Direct is any indication, we can expect lava stages, ice ones, tropical levels, and more. As the two venture through layers of the planet, they discover Banandium Gems, which are golden bananas you’ll find throughout the game. Some are simply visible and easy to collect; others are buried in walls, the ground, and elsewhere, and Donkey Kong will have to use his various moves to collect them. You can even receive them as rewards for completing Ancient Ruin challenges, which include time-limited battles, obstacle courses, side-scrolling stages, and more.
And speaking of moves, Donkey Kong has all kinds of tools in his arsenal in Donkey Kong Bananza.
Donkey Kong and Pauline’s Moveset
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He can punch and smash through enemies, the ground, and most things he can get his hands on with incredible force. This destruction can lead to special discoveries or set off chain reactions that can drastically change the scenery around you.
Dive Punch lets Donkey Kong smash deep into the ground, while Roll Forward lets him roll at high speeds, which can be combined with jumps and punches, to extend traversal mechanics. With Hand Slap, Donkey Kong can collect nearby items and discover hidden ones using Sonar. Tear Off lets Donkey Kong grab a chunk of terrain and, well, tear it off. He can then throw this chunk at enemies or the environment to discover new pathways. Tearing turnips out of the ground will also lead to finding new items. Chunk Jump can be used to double jump and reach new heights. It’s clear there’s a lot of discoverability and exploration tied to chaining together Donkey Kong’s various moves, and I’m excited to see what kind of tech players make of this.
If you throw chunks of softer material, you can stick them to surfaces and pile them up, helping you reach new heights and secret areas. And finally, Donkey Kong’s Turf Surf lets you slide through levels on chunks of terrain, carving out new paths and taking out enemies along the way. Pauline has her own powers, too, including Make Music; with this, Pauline can show you the way forward and remove strange seals left behind by the evil Void Company.
Collectibles
As you work through the environment, you’ll discover not only Banandium Gems, which lead to Skill Points that you can use for different upgrades like better sonar and stronger punches, but Banandium Chips, too. These banana slices can be traded for Banandium Gems at the Chip Exchange. You can exchange the Gold you find in your adventures at the Stuff Shop for useful items, and you can trade Fossils at local style shops for additional outfits and more for Donkey Kong and Pauline. Both Donkey and Pauline can be customized with different outfits, and you can even change the color of Donkey Kong’s fur.
You can find additional Banandium Gems and Fossils by opening up Treasure Chests, which contain Treasure Maps that lead to these collectibles and more. Today’s Direct revealed that the game tracks which Fossils and Banandium Gems you’ve collected, too, making it easy to stay on top of what you need to do if you’re looking to find everything.
Bananza Forms and The Void Company
Donkey Kong will get help from the DK family, including Cranky Kong and his rhino companion, Rambi, and the Giant Elders that call the subterranean home. These Elders possess ancient powers that Pauline can help Donkey Kong utilize. If you collect enough gold, your Bananergy meter will fill up, and once it’s full, you can transform into different Bananza forms, including the massive gorilla Kong Bananza, the speedy Zebra Bananza, and the flying Ostrich Bananza form. There’s likely even more forms waiting in the full game. These forms have limited use, and you’ll need to fill up your Bananergy meter to use them again. However, you can swap forms on the fly.
These Bananza forms will be essential to taking down the Void Company, “the mightiest mining operation both above ground and below,” according to Nintendo. Grumpy Kong creates gigantic corporate soldiers, while Poppy Kong is responsible for subterranean information gathering. Void Kong is in charge of both of them and the entire company, and this company is behind the banana-stealing maelstrom threatening Ingot Isle. The company has blocked off routes to the lower layers to stop anyone wishing to thwart their plans to reach the core and receive a wish. Donkey Kong and his pals will face off against massive enemies guarding these sealed routes, and you’ll need to utilize Donkey Kong’s entire arsenal of moves to defeat them.
Getting Around
As you progress through Ingot Isle’s underground, you might want to double back for collectibles and more. Subterranean Eels (Eelevators) can be used to fast travel between different layers, and they can also “Teeleport” you to different areas within a single layer, too. When you need a break from the action, find a bed for a quick (and sleepy) getaway. Here, you can listen to new and classic tunes via the Music Player, and as you progress through the game and defeat enemies, you’ll earn more music discs for this player.
You can capture memories from your adventure with Donkey Kong Bananza’s robust Camera Mode, too, which includes different angles, filters, and more.
Co-Op and More
If you’re looking for some co-op fun, Donkey Kong Bananza includes plenty of ways to do that. You can share a second Joy-Con 2 controller, or a second set entirely, to let another person control Pauline separately from Donkey Kong. They can unleash Vocal Blasts using the Joy-Con 2 Mouse Controls. And with Game Share, you only need one copy of the game because you can share the game to another player on their Switch 2 to get them in on the action. This can be done locally, even to a Switch 1 player, or via an online connection using Game Share via Game Chat.
If you need extra help in the game, the Assist Mode will automatically guide you toward the objective and halve the damage you receive.
Outside the main game, there’s a mode called DK Artist, reminiscent of the Super Mario 64 title screen. Here, you can use Joy-Con 2 mouse control to rotate a sculpture of Donkey Kong, carve material out of him (or add some back on), paint it, and more. The Direct shows off unique Donkey Kong sculptures and others inspired by art in the real world. You can change the lighting, too, and add special effects for a quick photo op.
Amiibo
The Donkey Kong Bananza direct ended with the reveal that a special Donkey Kong and Pauline Amiibo figure will be released the day the game comes out on July 17. Scanning it into the game unlocks Pauline’s Diva Dress. Nintendo has also revealed that every other Amiibo released thus far, including Donkey Kong ones and the special bands from Universal’s Super Nintendo World theme parks, can be used to receive special giant spheres that do unique things in-game.
And that’s everything we learned about Donkey Kong Bananza during today’s special Direct.
Donkey Kong Bananza launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 next month on July 17.
While waiting for its release, read Game Informer’s hands-on Donkey Kong Bananza preview, and then watch the game’s reveal trailer. After that, read Game Informer’s Switch 2 review, and then check out our list of the Switch 2 games to play when you’re done with Mario Kart World.
Are you picking up Donkey Kong Bananza next month? Let us know in the comments below!
