Latest news with #DonkeyKong
Tom's Guide
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Buying a Switch 2? Here's the game we recommend you buy next
Now that the Nintendo Switch 2 is getting easier to track, chances are you probably have a console at home or have one coming your way. If that's the case, you'll want to pick up Donkey Kong Bananza as your next game. Right now, Best Buy has Donkey Kong Bananza available for $69. You can also pick up the Donkey Kong & Pauline amiibo for $29. (Still shopping for a console? Make sure to follow our Switch 2 restocks live blog for everything Switch 2 related). Donkey Kong Bananza allows DK to smash his way through (and down into) the surrounding terrain. He can punch his way through mountains or head underground in search of collectibles. It's hands-down one of the Switch 2's biggest and most fun titles. In our Donkey Kong Bananza review, we called it the Donkey Kong game fans have always wanted and then some, thanks to its fully destructible environments, incredibly fun and engaging gameplay, and beautifully unique visuals. We're also big fans of its wonderfully catchy soundtrack. Yes, Mario Kart World might have been the Nintendo Switch 2's main launch title, but Donkey Kong Bananza really feels like the first must-have game for the new console. So make sure to add this Editor's Choice game to your Switch 2 library now.
Metro
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Two new racers coming to Mario Kart World hints Donkey Kong credits
Fans have noticed the credits for Mario Kart World feature two Donkey Kong actors that aren't in the game yet, as hopes raise for a Nintendo Direct annoucement. Now that Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are out it's not entirely clear where the Switch 2 goes from here. Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4 are major new releases but they're both cross-gen Switch 1 games. Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment and Kirby Air Riders have been announced but they're clearly both lower tier releases. Not only is it unclear what the next big Switch 2 game will be but it's also a mystery as to how Nintendo will treat Mario Kart World going forward. Clearly it will get DLC at some point, but will it work the same as Mario Kart 8 or, as new rumours suggest, will it be treated more like a live service game, with regular updates used to promote other Nintendo games. Nintendo, as ever, has said nothing, with no hint at any DLC at all. However, right from day one, players noticed that although even the most obscure character in the game has at least three costumes, Donkey Kong and Pauline only have two – their default and one other. This seems very peculiar given how prominent Bananza has made the pair, but it's so suspicious that many believe it's an indication that more will be released in order to promote Bananza. But if that's the case, why hasn't it happened yet? *** WARNING: Massive Donkey Kong Bananza spoilers beyond this point. Do not read on unless you've already beaten the game *** Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. There is no current answer as to why Nintendo hasn't announced new costumes for Donkey Kong and Pauline, but if they are going to do it then perhaps it will happen during the rumoured Nintendo Direct this month. But while the costume situation remains a mystery, fans have discovered something in the credits of the game which seem to point at a different Bananza-related addition. Eagle-eyed fans on Reddit noticed that the voice actors for main villain Void Kong and (this is the big spoiler!) King K. Rool are also credited in Mario Kart World. None of the Mario Kart World credits indicate what roles any of the actors play but all of the existing characters in the game already seem to be accounted for, so it's a mystery as to who Yuu Hayashi and Tsuguo Mogami are, or will be, voicing. More Trending That doesn't guarantee it'll be Void Kong and King K. Rool but it is hard to imagine this is all a coincidence and they're voicing two other completely different characters, that just don't happen to have been announced yet. What's much harder to guess at is whether there might be other characters from Bananza coming to Mario Kart World and whether other characters will be added as they get new games. Diddy Kong (who was already in Mario Kart 8), Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong are also in Bananza but they're all nominally part of the Super Mario universe. So what happens when Metroid Prime 4 comes out? Will Nintendo add Samus Aran to Mario Kart World at that point? It's impossible to say, but if there's not some kind of annoucement at the next Nintendo Direct, whenever that might be, it would now be more surprising than if there is. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: PS6 handheld is real suggests new PS5 power saver mode MORE: Wheel World review – cycle of pain MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 beats PS4 and PS5 as fastest-selling console ever
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Donkey Kong Bananza' Review: Have A Banana
This is easily one of the best platformers of recent years. The latest entry in the Donkey Kong series is a banana-fuelled blast, and may be one of the best platforming games in recent years. The main setup of the game has you control the titular Donkey Kong as he tackles the evil Void Company while venturing to the core of the planet to make things right. Developed by the team behind Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bananza has a lot of functional and structural carry-overs from that game. Each new level, as you venture deeper into the planet, has distinct biomes and is effectively a mini-open-world layout. Now, in Super Mario Odyssey, you collected coins and moons to progress, whereas in Donkey Kong Bananza, it's more open-ended with additional currencies to choose from. The skill upgrades are as numerous as they are helpful. The currencies are also more functional here and are spread out over different areas of gameplay. The gold you mine goes into buying items, whereas fossils give you different clothes (which also afford differing attributes). The 'moons' in this instance are massive Banandium Gems, and these are used to upgrade a large and varied skill tree. This is because this game is as much about exploration as it is about destruction. The last game that nailed this kind of setup was the original Dragon Quest Builders, which still holds a fond place in my heart to this day. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Anyway, destroying an area in a fit of monkey rage is deeply satisfying and also gives you the currency for all the aforementioned upgrades. You also have fun challenges dotted around each area and tasks you have to complete in order to thwart the evil Void Company. Even as you tunnel underground, the camera keeps up fine. Boss fights are also ingenious and again help you satiate your banana-induced monkey rage. The game is also entirely massive and has a huge amount of replay value, as you go back and search for items and more Banandium Gems, so you definitely get your money's worth on this one. There's also a great musical component to the game, as Donkey Kong and Pauline sing songs, which makes for a lovely and characterful experience. As this is a new Switch 2 game, it does look lovely and runs very smoothly considering all the deformable terrain at work here. Controls are also very fluid, and the camera handles all the crazy bespoke tunnelling you do pretty well. Overall, Donkey Kong Bananza does what Super Mario Odyssey did before it: offer one of the best platforming games available on a new system. The fact that the bulk of the game is about wanton joyous destruction is also another big bonus. So, if you want to tunnel to the center of the planet and destroy most of it along the way, Donkey Kong Bananza is your kind of platformer. Donkey Kong Bananza Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 Developer: Nintendo EPD Publisher: Nintendo Released: 17th July 2025 Price: $69.99 Score: 9/10 Disclosure: Nintendo sent me a copy of this game for the purposes of this review. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
The Star
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
There's a lot to dig in Donkey Kong Bananza
A gorilla surfs on a slick disc of ice. A purple talking rock transforms into a 13-year-old girl. A giant blue eel reveals he's a music aficionado. There's a lot going on in Donkey Kong Bananza . In the 44 years since Nintendo introduced Donkey Kong to arcades as a barrel-rolling character with resting ape face, the wild beast has gone through quite the metamorphosis. In this lavishly animated extravaganza, he displays some human attributes and a penchant for mining gold. He listens. His eyes grow big and, sometimes, he appears to empathise. But mostly, he's the muscle that pounds, digs and slaps like the Incredible Hulk in fur, oversized necktie and ragged britches. Here, the battle is against three cliche corporate ape villains who want to get to the Earth's core, where a special wish will be granted. Donkey Kong wants to get there, too, if only for the bananas. Down, down, down he dives through miles-long pipes in an ominous Dante-like descent. Yet it's joyful, too, because he is accompanied by Pauline, a freckle-faced dreamer who wants to return to the world above. She's the constant optimist, urging Donkey Kong on when sharp thorns, burning lava or icy water sap his energy. Pauline, played by Kate Higgins, should be given her own abilities and agency. What she does have is the power of song, which helps Donkey Kong briefly transform into a brute with super strength. Her Broadway-style belting begins the process of vanquishing bosses like Abracajabya, a monstrous plant with thorn-tentacles that seek the simian like a homing missile. (The unusual enemy names seem like nods to T.S. Eliot.) Before they depart a level, Donkey Kong proudly pounds his chest like a drum, and Pauline sings, enthralling the area's denizens. A standout was Zebra Bananza , a conga-inspired tune by Pauline that sounded like a mix of Idina Menzel and Gloria Estefan. There are more than 100 songs to collect and play back. In the shop, clothes you can purchase for Pauline give the beast – not her – even more power. Playing co-op with another person allows Pauline to throw large stone exclamations like 'Wow!' They're quite destructive. But solo players who want more from Pauline are out of luck. It's easy (and generally a delight) to get lost in these worlds, especially in the Forest Layer, which houses a hotel in a tree, the trunk holding a garden and pool. In another area, exploration is rewarded with a dusty Donkey Kong arcade machine. Although the levels are limited in scope, Bananza has open-world-style terrain. You can dig almost wherever you want for fossils, which can be exchanged for upgrades or gold to be used as exploding bombs. All the burrowing, however, can lead to terrible disorientation. The camera becomes wonky, and it's difficult to find a way out of the mazelike hole you've dug. Because of this, I often avoided tunneling for items, sticking with those visible aboveground. In each town's centre, I met giant, wise beings on thrones who are also sometimes DJs. A pink headphone-wearing ostrich elder with a mane of bananas asks for help finding two halves of a vinyl album. Place them both on a massive turntable, and the ostrich offers you the power of flight. Yes, in this fantasy, flightless birds can fly. Aloft, Donkey Kong looked somewhat like the winged monkeys from The Wizard of Oz . He's more tentative, but the wings still get the pair over pink lava and closer to the planet's core. For me, the most exciting method of travel was a simple mine cart on a rail that puffed rainbow-colored smoke. As it cranked along, I could grab and pitch golden nuggets at a huge Tyrannosaurus rex head. I didn't want to stop because the game's inventiveness rarely did. While Bananza 's plot was awfully thin, Donkey Kong and Pauline always beckoned me back to this amusement park of earthly delights. – ©2025 The New York Times Company (Donkey Kong Bananza is available on the Nintendo Switch 2.) This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
The Verge
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Nintendo adds new 8-bit bops.
Posted Jul 22, 2025 at 8:53 AM UTC Nintendo adds new 8-bit bops. Switch Online subscribers can now access more than 200 new tracks from NES and Famicom games via the Nintendo Music app, including Mario Bros ., Duck Hunt , Wrecking Crew , and a handful of Donkey Kong titles. That gives you some retro tunes to listen to while playing Donkey Kong Bananza .
