The July 17, 2025 release of Donkey Kong Bananza for the Nintendo Switch 2 marks more than just the return of a classic character—it signals a meaningful evolution in how Nintendo approaches game design. This new 3D Donkey Kong adventure, crafted by the same creative minds behind Super Mario Odyssey, leans heavily into open-world exploration and sandbox-style mechanics. And really, it doesn’t take long to see how much inspiration was drawn from the landmark successes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) and its sequel Tears of the Kingdom (2023).
Key Takeaways:
- Donkey Kong Bananza is a 3D open-world game on the Nintendo Switch 2.
- It was developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team, with work beginning after 2017.
- The game emphasizes environmental interaction and player freedom, taking cues from the latest Zelda games.
- Nintendo views this as the start of a new “3D branch” for the Donkey Kong franchise.
- Advanced destruction mechanics are made possible by the Switch 2’s upgraded hardware.
Gone are the days of strictly linear platforming for Donkey Kong. Instead, Bananza offers a sprawling world that encourages players to carve their own path. With mechanics like “Tear Off,” “Swing,” and “Chunk Jump,” players are invited to bend the environment to their will. It’s a design philosophy that feels very much in line with what made Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom so compelling: freedom to experiment, to solve puzzles creatively, and to stumble upon secrets not because they were signposted, but because curiosity led you there.
Producer Kenta Motokura confirmed that development kicked off shortly after Super Mario Odyssey launched in October 2017. That gives Bananza an eight-year runway, which is not just a testament to its scope, but also to Nintendo’s growing willingness to invest heavily in ambitious projects. Originally planned for the first Switch, the game’s destructive elements proved too demanding for the older hardware. So around 2021, the decision was made to move it to the more capable Switch 2—a move reminiscent of the similarly lengthy development cycle seen with Tears of the Kingdom.
Nintendo has made it clear: Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t just another entry in the series. It’s the foundation of a new 3D lineage, akin to how Super Mario now spans both 2D and 3D formats. This idea reportedly came from Yoshiaki Koizumi, a senior figure at Nintendo, and was guided by Donkey Kong’s original creator, Shigeru Miyamoto. The choice to focus on DK’s physicality—his ability to smash, throw, and dig—feels deliberate, tying the character’s identity directly into the open-ended gameplay structure.
Anecdotally, Miyamoto himself spent much of his playtest time “smashing and digging” in just one section of the world, rather than progressing through the game. It’s oddly charming—and familiar. Back when Breath of the Wild was in testing, he reportedly spent an hour climbing trees. These moments, while small, reinforce Nintendo’s commitment to letting players explore and interact on their own terms.
Technically, Bananza achieves this interactivity using voxel-based destruction. It’s not a fully dynamic physics simulation, but it’s flexible enough to let players break apart the world, tear up terrain, and build new paths—all within the capabilities of the Switch 2. It’s a smart balance between ambition and practicality.
Perhaps most importantly, the influence of the Zelda franchise on Bananza goes beyond the surface. It speaks to a broader internal shift at Nintendo—towards more player-driven systems, more organic exploration, and more trust in the player to create their own stories. Donkey Kong Bananza feels like a milestone in that journey, not just for Donkey Kong fans, but for the future of Nintendo’s flagship titles.
FAQ Section:
Q1: What is Donkey Kong Bananza?
A1: Donkey Kong Bananza is a new 3D action-adventure game developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch 2, featuring Donkey Kong in an open-world setting with environmental destruction.
Q2: When was Donkey Kong Bananza released?
A2: Donkey Kong Bananza was released on July 17, 2025.
Q3: Which Nintendo team developed Donkey Kong Bananza?
A3: The game was developed by the same team responsible for Super Mario Odyssey.
Q4: How do The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom influence Donkey Kong Bananza?
A4: The recent Zelda titles influenced Donkey Kong Bananza by promoting an open-world design, emphasizing player freedom, and incorporating highly interactive environments and physics-based gameplay.
Q5: Is Donkey Kong Bananza a 2D or 3D game?
A5: It is a 3D open-world game, intended to kickstart a new “3D branch” for the Donkey Kong series, distinct from its traditional 2D platformers.
