The last 3D Donkey Kong platformer was released last century. Let that sink in. It’s been an incredibly long time between drinks for everybody’s favourite ape. Of course, that doesn’t mean he’s been out of the spotlight. Starring in some incredibly strong side-scrolling platformers, continuing to feature in ensemble Mario games, and a stand-out appearance in the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie have ensured he remains popular. Well, his star is about to skyrocket, because Donkey Kong Bananza is a fun-packed thrill ride that quite easily slots in as the first truly must-have title for the Nintendo Switch 2.

A colourfully vibrant, incredibly moreish platformer packed with a bunch – well, many bunches – of secrets, all just a wall-smash or a deep-dig away, Donkey Kong Bananza delivers strongly on its premise of bashing through everything in sight on his seemingly never-ending quest to eat all the bananas he possibly can. It’s a simple motivation, sure, but our boy is nothing if not heavily inspired to track down every last one of them, with the cute and plucky Pauline piggybacking the whole way.

Layers like an onion

Where his plumber pal is more interested in exploring the vastness of the galaxy, Donkey Kong’s adventure has you drilling down deep, deep through many layers, all in order to reach the planet’s core. That’s where a wish can be granted; for Donkey Kong, that’s… literally, bananas. The collection of Banandium Gems he hunts also provides him with skill points. For co-pilot Pauline, however, her goal is to get home, back to the surface. A far cry from her damsel-in-distress days back in 1981, and not quite the full diva we saw as the mayor of New Donk City in 2017, this Pauline is 13 years old, and still trying to find her voice. She likes to sing, but is nervous to do so in front of other people. That is, until she is nudged by D.K. and the thumping of his chest to get her grooving for the power of good.

Of course, it’s the lovable big guy we’re all here for, and Donkey Kong Bananza is a fantastic showcase for D.K. that is long overdue. His new-ish cartoon-like design means he’s more expressive and goofy than ever, giving him a silly edge to his personality, and a lot more life behind his eyes (especially when he spots a banana). I can’t imagine going back to the old design now; this is by far the best he’s ever looked.

In fact, the entire world is gorgeous. The game may well have begun development on the OG Switch before the team realised it wouldn’t be possible to pack all of the destruction into that hardware and shifted focus to the new console. Even if true, it really is a visual showcase for the newly minted Switch 2. Different layers (worlds) are incredibly bright and packed with a lot of detail; the Lagoon Layer is an early example of this. Water glistening in the sun, sandy shores and leaves blowing in the wind, contrasting with the Ingot Isle Cave-In that kicks off the adventure; a neon purple city with flashing lights now nestled into a cave system. The classic settings you’d expect are there too; a Freezer Layer (ice-focused) and other platforming tropes make an appearance, but it’s all so pretty, I didn’t mind the obvious references so much. Adding to the vibe are The Fractones – friendly creatures that you can smash to pieces but then materialise back together – crystal beings that make up various coloured shapes, and are your main connecting thread, offering advice, banter and shops to purchase helpful items.

A smash hit

Where Donkey Kong Bananza truly thrives is in its continuity of destruction; using voxel technology, an incredibly large amount of the environment can be punched through, dug into or simply smashed to smithereens. D.K. moves in a very agile way for a big guy, which means he’s able to quickly destroy everything in his path with reckless abandon, and it’s incredibly satisfying to do so. The core idea of ‘smashing stuff’ is a strong one, and it carries the majority of the experience through.

Adding to this is the utterly compelling nature of this platformer that’s full to the brim with collectibles. The Banandium Gems are the main drawcard here, as they’re hidden everywhere. By hitting ZR, you’ll quickly slap your big hands on the ground, picking up any nearby bits of gold that are flying about, but also briefly revealing the location of nearby secret stuff, like a Banandium Gem just out of reach. Knowing that it’s in the dirt and quickly figuring out how to dig or smash your way to it is always enjoyable; you can also find fossils nestled into walls, which can be used to trade for outfits for D.K. and Pauline to give buffs (or just switch up your style).

Within each layer (and, usually, sub-layers of those layers), there are hidden challenges to take on as well. There are a ton of these; I found myself practically tripping over them in every area. They start off relatively simple, but some in particular make use of your abilities in clever ways. For example, one challenge has you smashing an entire three-story building to pieces in a time limit, with Banandium Gems rewarded based on speed. Another challenge has you moving through an obstacle course, avoiding lasers. Ripping up the ground you’re standing on and using it as a surfboard, called Turf Surfing, is handy when navigating difficult-to-walk-on terrain, but in one challenge has you racing to the finish line. It’s a blast.

These mini-stages offer a lot of variety, except for some of the combat-focused challenges, which do wear out their welcome. They often just require destroying a few enemies quickly, and while it’s still entertaining (again, smashing stuff), they lack some imagination. The same can’t be said for the old-school Donkey Kong levels; here, side-scrolling action makes a comeback, jumping from barrel to barrel, reminiscent of the previous titles in the series. These diversions are fabulous; each offers up to three Banandium Gems to find, so each short stage offers secrets of its own, too. When I had finished Donkey Kong Bananza, being what I thought was relatively thorough, I’d found less than 300 Banandium Gems out of a possible 777. Completionists are in for a stellar time with this one.

The ultimate Bananza

When progressing, you’ll uncover Bananzas, ancient powers passed down in the Underground World. Pauline’s singing (which also nudges you in the right direction when lost) has you transforming into new animal forms. They’re temporary, but they provide a massive boost as long as your Bananergy is topped up. Kong Bananza has you smashing through stronger terrain with ease, Ostrich Bananza allows you to temporarily soar through the sky and drop egg bombs, Zebra Bananza means you can move so speedily you can run on water, and so on. These transformations are crucial in navigating the trickier later layers; one late stage in particular has you utilising all of your Bananza transformations with an ultimate goal in mind, a very nice way of tying together the various abilities you’ve collected on the journey. Each one is unlocked with a special concert and a unique song, performed by Pauline, which is quite endearing, and plays during the transformation itself.

There are also a lot of granular details; statistic lovers will be chuffed to see just how much of each material you’ve smashed through, and this comes with rewards, too. Each layer feels connected, as you quite literally dive down a giant hole, collecting gold along the way; descending to the next level and seeing what the environment looks like when you land is always a thrill. If you try and punch a friendly character, you’ll interact with them instead, such as giving a fellow monkey a cheeky high-five.

And through it all, the ability to destroy everything just adds another nice wrinkle to everything you do. Lasers in the way? Dig under them. Enemy out of reach? Rip up the ground beneath you and throw it at them. Teaching yourself that you can tackle challenges in inventive ways like this makes for a gratifying platformer, where not everything has to be discovered or solved just one way, but potentially multiple ways (and don’t worry, you can reset the terrain of a whole level with the touch of a button, if you really dig a hole you can’t find your way out of). The framerate does stutter ever so occasionally from the weight of destruction, but it’s a small price to pay for such a shatteringly good time.

All of that said, Donkey Kong Bananza, coming from the same developers that made Super Mario Odyssey, is bound to draw some comparisons to that incredible game, and perhaps it’s that reason why I find myself slightly less enamoured here. It’s amazing, for sure, and they’ve done a brilliant job of bringing Donkey Kong to the modern era, utilising his brute strength as a catalyst for smashing his way through the many layers. But the hidden collectables, the mini challenge diversions, the throwbacks to the history of the IP with cheeky references and character cameos… we’ve seen this before! That doesn’t make the game any less good  – these are all wonderful ingredients that mix to make a tasty (bannoffee pie?) dish. But at the same time, it feels by-the-book. It’s a wonderful, magical, and overall fun Nintendo platformer that showcases what they do best, without pushing the boundaries beyond that.