Donkey Kong Bananza’s visuals are impressive. Each Layer, from the snow covered fields of the Freezer Layer to the nice beaches of the Resort Layer, has a unique look and feel to it. I really looked forward to seeing what each new Layer had in store because of how visually appealing they were. The characters look great too, especially the more important characters like the Elders, the VoidCo. Members, and of course our heroes DK and Pauline. The Elders are these massive animals that bestow the Bananza powers upon DK and Pauline. Those Elders are definitely impressive, they barely reacted when I tried punching them with DK! VoidCo. has three members: Void Kong, Poppy Kong, and Grumpy Kong. Grumpy looks like, well, a grumpy blue collar worker Kong. Void is this angry little Kong that likes to boss people around. Poppy is the mature, office worker type, and her mannerisms and attire really get that vibe across. All three of them were designed very well and their looks matched their personalities. Pauline is the only human of the bunch, she looked like an average young girl, and I liked how you could see her become more confident with her movements and facial expressions as the story progressed. I also liked how you could purchase new outfits for her in most of the Layers. Each outfit matched the environment of the new Layer and looked stylish, but they also gave benefits to DK (such as an increased Bananza time limit). DK is what you’d expect a strong Kong to look like, big with massive arms. I liked how expressive he was during cutscenes, both with his face and his body movements. Though he doesn’t have voiced lines like VoidCo. and Pauline, you understand what message he’s getting across from his movements and the sound effects he makes. It’s all very well done. His Bananza forms are all equally impressive in appearance, and I also like how all of them don’t neglect his muscular upper frame. And, like his partner Pauline, DK is also able to change his appearance throughout the game. You can change the color of his fur, get different types of ties, and even give him pants. While the fur color is just for show, changing his tie and equipping pants can give him in-game benefits, like reducing damage from certain environmental hazards. I also appreciated how he and Pauline would react to the environments they’re in. For example, you’d see them shiver in the Freezer Layer, complete with teeth chattering. The only issue I had with the visuals was the Fractones. They’re the main inhabitants of the underground world, but they all looked so plain, they just looked like some blue crystals. I did have fun punching them, though. Don’t worry, they regenerate! Overall, the game was a visual spectacle.
The sound design is equally as impressive as the visuals. I loved the varying sound effects when DK punched his way through different materials. You could hear the difference between the different materials, which made it much more satisfying when DK busted through them or tore a chunk off. The music is great too. Each Layer had a different BGM accompanying it, and the track coordinated very well with the environment DK and Pauline found themselves in. But of all the tracks (other than the ending song), I enjoyed the Bananza themes the most. They each showcased a different style of music and had vocals from Pauline accompanying them. They were all so darn catchy, I was ecstatic when I unlocked the record for the Kong Bananza theme. That’s right, you can unlock records and play them using the record player at Getaways. Sometimes, I stayed at the Getaway for a few minutes just so I could listen to the song over and over. Music is also important to the game’s story, and I appreciate how it was incorporated. It’s also used to help DK and Pauline find their way to the game’s current main objective. By holding the L button, DK and Pauline whistle and hum a nice little tune, which makes a musical trail towards the objective. Moving on from music, we get to the voice acting. The majority of characters speak a language unique to the game’s universe, and the voice actors did a great job making whatever sounds needed to make that language work. Pauline is the only one who spoke a human language. I played the entirety of the game with her voice set to English, and she sounded good. She has multiple voice language options, so choose whichever language fits your fancy. The sound design — from the sound effects to the music to the voices — were all impeccably done. I really had no complaints here.
When it comes to its performance, Donkey Kong Bananza ran pretty smoothly both docked and in handheld mode. I played the majority of the game docked, but I didn’t run into any huge issues playing handheld. But, the battery did drain pretty fast, it dropped 20% in a little over 30 minutes of play. In docked mode, the framerate was usually consistent, and the visuals looked great on my 1440p monitor. I did, however, run into some slowdowns during my playthrough. These slowdowns usually happened when opening the map and when there was too much action happening on screen. This was especially apparent during their final boss fight, where they’re unleashing a myriad of moves. My Nintendo Switch 2 was struggling to keep up with everything happening, and there were notable slowdowns during that fight. If it’s a momentary hiccup, I don’t really pay it any mind, like the map being a bit sluggish. But when the slowdown goes on for an extended period, like during a boss fight, then it gets to me. Honestly that disappointed me, mainly because this is a first-party console exclusive. It’s not being made for other consoles, it’s being made exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. Of all places, having slowdowns like that occur during the FINAL boss is disappointing. This isn’t a third-party game on multiple platforms; if it was, I’d actually forgive it a bit more. Overall, the game ran well, just be prepared for that eventual slowdown if the screen gets too busy.
It took me over 25 hours to complete the main story for Donkey Kong Bananza. After completing the main story, there are additional missions unlocked as well as new skills for DK’s Bananza transformations. You can also go back and find any bananas you didn’t get, beat up enemies to find more records, unlock more outfits, etc. If you’re a completionist, there’s a ton left for you to do after finishing the main story.
Donkey Kong Bananza is an excellent game. I had a ton of fun bulldozing my way through enemies and the underground world with DK and Pauline. It is visually impressive, the music is a bop, and the sound design is impeccable. Despite my gripes with its performance in some spots, it doesn’t take away from how much fun I had with this game. I feel players, both young and old, will definitely enjoy their time with this one. If you have a Nintendo Switch 2, I highly recommend you grab a copy of this one, it’s definitely a must-have title on this console.
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Review copy provided by the publisher. A copy of the game costs $69.99.
