The Donkey Kong Bananza direct revealed a ton of new details and information to fans, including some surprising new features like a dedicated skill tree. After announcing a special Donkey Kong Bananza direct earlier in the week, fan anticipation continued to grow as Nintendo prepared to fully pull the curtain back on this upcoming 3D action adventure game.
Although Donkey Kong Bananza had previously been featured during the Nintendo Treehouse presentation after the Switch 2 reveal, there was still a lot that hadn't been shown off. During this gameplay footage, fans finally got plenty of answers to many of their questions, including the reveal of Pauline as a major character as well as new enemies, abilities, and the overall story of how DK got into this situation. The segment also revealed some new features that give players more agency over their version of Donkey Kong.
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While the Direct featured a ton of new information about Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo also confirmed a skill tree. The footage confirmed that players can purchase upgrades using skill points acquired by playing. A few of the skills were revealed, including being able to increase DK's health, damage, and improving his abilities, like the sonar technique. There's definitely more to discover and Nintendo even revealed that the skill tree is how new moves like Surf Surf are unlocked.
Donkey Kong Banaza Players Need to Find Banandium Gems
Similar to the collectible Power Moons in Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bananza features Banandium Gems to collect and find. These gem-like oversized bananas are very important to find as they can be turned into skill points that allow players to obtain the previously mentioned upgrades. Essentially, 5 Banandium equals 1 skill point, and some abilities may require a few to unlock fully. Others have multiple tiers, such as upgrading DK's health, which looks to have 7 total upgrade levels.
During the direct, fans also learned how co-op works in Donkey Kong Bananza. While previously just a rumor, Nintendo revealed that a second player can use Pauline to essentially shout words that blast the environment and enemies. Pauline is also able to copy certain materials from the world, such as gold or stone, which boost her vocal blasts and can even cause certain effects. Better yet, the game supports GameShare to play with other Switch 2 players online or with someone controlling Pauline's cursor through a Switch 1 as well.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- July 17, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
WHERE TO PLAY
The big guy is back! Donkey Kong swings onto the Nintendo Switch 2 system with a brand-new action adventure.
Help Donkey Kong make his way through the depths of the Underground World. The deeper he goes, the more amazing places he finds! There's no shortage of things DK can pulverize with his powerful punches. Break on through this truly destructive adventure.
Behold the golden bananas! The mysterious group, known
as VoidCo, has its eyes on this
prized bunch. But no one messes with DK's favourite food!
Golden bananas? The whole island was buzzing about the discovery of this tasty treasure. But then, distaster struck! During the chaos, VoidCo stole every breathtaking bunch of bananas. Now Donkey Kong must venture deep underground to get them back!
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- July 17, 2025
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch 2
