While the Nintendo Switch 2 isn’t out yet in Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia yet -at least until on July onward- that isn’t hindering our excitement for new first-party Nintendo titles, especially ones that do not cost over US$80. One of them is focused on Donkey Kong, the Big N’s big ape who has starred in puzzle games and 2D platformers galore.

The next game our special simian will be in is Donkey Kong Bananza, with Nintendo revealing a lot in a recent Nintendo Direct livestream last night. Let’s break it down:

Overview

The Donkey Kong Bananza game kicks off in Ingot Isle, where the discovery of the century has just been made within its cavernous depths: golden bananas! This turns out to be excellent news for renowned banana fan Donkey Kong, who just happens to be there for this incredible find. However, just before DK can indulge in the gilded treats, a tempest sends him hurtling deeper into the depths of the planet.

There, he meets a mysterious new ally in Odd Rock, who turns out to be a talented young singer named Pauline! Together, the pair explore the vast Underground World by smashing, crashing, jumping and singing their way through it. A rollicking adventure you can play solo or in cooperative play with a friend, Donkey Kong Bananza gives you new ways to cut loose and unleash your inner Kong!

Features List

New Ways to Smash and Bash

As Donkey Kong, you will be able to utilize powerful abilities to smash your way through obstacles and enemies and even unearth discoveries! Use Dive Punch to drill deep into the earth, roll yourself over obstacles, and perform a Hand Slap to help locate hidden items. You can also tear off chunks of ground to either throw at enemies or ride on top of by Turf Surfing and more. These abilities can even be combined for maximum mayhem!

Bananza Transformations

While this unlikely duo explores the Underground World, Pauline can enhance Donkey Kong’s destructive ability and even make him temporarily transform through the power of her singing! Collecting gold builds up their Bananergy, which allows Pauline’s singing to activate the transformations, each with its own specialties. Like Kong Bananza, that makes Donkey Kong super strong, Zebra Bananza which makes him faster and lets him dash for short distances and Ostrich Bananza that allows DK to fly and drop Egg Bombs on enemies!

Cooperative Play

By sharing a Joy-Con 2 controller, you and a friend can control Donkey Kong and Pauline separately in local cooperative play. Unleash Pauline’s vocal blasts using the Joy-Con 2 controller’s mouse functionality! You can also use GameShare1 to share the game and play in cooperative play with another player locally even if they don’t have the game themselves and use GameChat to invite friends online to join you via voice or video chat.

Race to the Planet Core

Legend has it, the Planet Core has the ability to grant your heart’s desire, so Donkey Kong and Pauline set off on a quest to reach it. Pauline hopes it will be able to return her to the surface, while Donkey Kong plans to ask it for more (what else?) bananas! Unfortunately, they aren’t the only ones seeking the Planet Core: The Void Company is also racing there for their own nefarious purposes! A villainous mining operation whose reach extends through every layer of the Planet, VoidCo is not only responsible for the banana-stealing maelstrom that sent Donkey Kong hurtling underground in the first place, but they are also responsible for turning Pauline into Odd Rock. As they all dig deeper towards the Planet Core, Donkey Kong and Pauline must do whatever they can to get there first!

Collectibles

While you dig your way through the Underground World, you’ll discover useful items to help you along your journey. Uncover golden bananas called Banandium Gems buried behind walls, under the ground, and sometimes right out in the open. Collecting these Banandium Gems earn you Skill Points that increase DK’s power and even allows you to learn new Skills to add to your repertoire. You can also earn Banandium Gems through challenges like timed battles, side-scrolling stages, obstacle courses and more. You will also uncover banana slice-shaped items called Banandium Chips and gold nuggets called Banandium Gold.

You can trade Banandium Chips for Banandium Gems at the Chip Exchange and Banandium Gold for useful items at the Stuff Shop. As you dig for these banana-shaped goodies, you may also discover Fossils. If you happen to find one during your excavations, take them to the Style Shops and trade them for different fashions for Donkey Kong and Pauline, almost all of which come with useful extra benefits, as well as fur colors for DK.

Other New and Familiar Faces

While uncovering more about the villainous activities of the Void Company, Donkey Kong and Pauline encounter many inhabitants across the Underground World. In addition to the giant Elders, familiar faces like Cranky Kong and his companion Rambi show up as well. You’ll also come face to face with Grumpy Kong, Poppy Kong and others who work for VoidCo leader, Void Kong.

Getaways and Eelevators/Teeleports

Need a break? Treat yourself to a Getaway while in the Underground World and sleep in a comfy bed to help restore your energy. You can even choose some music to enjoy while you rest. And if you want to explore areas you’ve already been to with ease, use the Eelevators—subterranean eels that can carry you quickly from layer to layer.

Creative Game Modes

Get ready to explore new game modes and ways to play Donkey Kong Bananza. This includes Photo Mode, where you can change the in-game camera angle and adjust other settings to snap your ideal pic. And in DK Artist, you can use the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls to take a break from the action and carve designs into stone. You can even change the lighting and add banana effects to give your masterpiece its finishing touches.

amiibo Features

Donkey Kong Bananza also supports amiibo! A Donkey Kong and Pauline amiibo figure will be available on July 17, and it allows you to unlock Pauline’s in-game Diva Dress early and receive KONG tiles with explosive power. Scan other Donkey Kong character amiibo figures and you will also earn gold KONG tiles. What’s more, if you scan any other available amiibo, you’ll receive a giant sphere of terrain material to aid you on your adventure!

Donkey Kong Bananza will be out on 17 July for Nintendo Switch 2. By then, the console will be out in most parts of Southeast Asia, so this is one exclusive you don’t want to miss! I also dig the bits where Nintendo remixed music from Donkey Kong Country, and even add lyrics to the original Donkey Kong arcade theme with Pauline as vocals. Nostalgia sure is a great lure for classic platformer enthusiasts like yours truly!