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Yes—as a successor in creative ambition and exploratory 3D-platforming, not as a sequel or a claim that it is simply better than Super Mario Odyssey. Donkey Kong Bananza takes the pleasure of probing a richly interactive world and builds its own identity around smashing, reshaping and tunnelling through the terrain.
What connects Bananza to Odyssey?
The connection is a genuine design lineage. In Nintendo’s Ask the Developer interview, the team says: “Shortly after Super Mario Odyssey was released, we started running technical experiments with the idea of, ‘What kind of game do you get if everything in the environment is destructible?’” That experiment became the foundation for Bananza’s central idea.
That history makes “successor” a fair description of creative inheritance, but not of a direct sequel. Nintendo has not presented Bananza as a continuation of Odyssey; the relationship is that developers carried an interest in open-ended 3D play into a new game built around a different character and a different way of interacting with the world.
How Bananza makes exploration its own
In Odyssey, Mario’s signature ability helps define how players move through and interact with each setting. In Bananza, Donkey Kong’s strength is the defining tool: he can crash through walls, punch into the ground, carve tunnels, and tear off terrain to swing or throw. Nintendo’s game listing and UK game page describe destruction as a way to open routes and uncover new areas, not merely a visual flourish.
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#1 Best Overall
- Explore a vast underground world—by smashing your way through it!
- A brand-new 3D platforming action adventure starring Donkey Kong and Pauline
- Bash through just about anything in groundbreaking exploration! Crash through walls and carve tunnels—the more you smash, the more areas open up to you
- Pair up with Pauline to use Bananza Transformations: smash through obstacles with the raw strength of Kong form, gallop with incredible speed as a Zebra, and more
- Team up with a friend in two-player co-op as Donkey Kong and Pauline! Blast foes and terrain alike with Pauline’s voice as you explore together
That changes the questions exploration asks. Instead of only looking for the intended path through a space, players can test whether a wall, floor or chunk of terrain can be broken to create another way forward. The environment becomes part of the puzzle and, at times, something to reshape to suit your route.
Destruction is the movement mechanic
Breaking the surroundings links traversal with discovery: a punch might open a passage, while tearing terrain away can create something to swing from or throw. The appeal is not just the spectacle of debris flying; it is the possibility that changing the space will reveal a route or secret. That emphasis gives Bananza a distinct mechanical identity rather than asking Donkey Kong to borrow Mario’s playbook.
Rank #2
- Embark on a brand-new Donkey Kong adventure exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2.
- Explore the Underground World with dynamic environments and hidden secrets.
- Battle VoidCo and its minions using DK’s signature strength and powerful punches.
- Team up with a mysterious new companion with unique gameplay abilities.
- Recover the Golden Bananas across thrilling, action-packed levels.
Pauline adds another layer
Nintendo’s announcement also highlights Pauline’s singing-powered transformations. Paired with Donkey Kong’s strength, that gives the game another expressive toolset and further separates it from a straightforward repeat of Odyssey.
Does Bananza capture Odyssey’s sense of discovery?
The strongest comparison is not that both games play alike, but that both invite players to explore and experiment with the abilities they provide. Bananza carries that exploratory ambition into a more physical sandbox: curiosity can lead not only to a hidden find, but to a newly made route through the space.
Rank #3
![Donkey Kong Bananza Standard - Nintendo Switch 2 [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Xv8olm5RL._SL160_.jpg)
- Uncover a wide variety of environments, like forest, canyon, and lagoon, as you delve underground
- Reshape the world as you tear through it, with the help of…an Odd Rock?
Nintendo Life’s review praises the freedom to head in different directions, make or break routes, and return to terrain that retains damage. It also points to a tension in the design: destruction can lose its impact if breaking things becomes the reward in itself. Discovery matters most when the altered environment leads somewhere interesting or reveals something worth finding.
The Guardian’s launch review also frames Bananza as a destructive adventure that naturally invites comparison with the team’s earlier 3D Mario work. That is useful critical context, not proof of a measured consensus or a universal ranking.
Rank #4
![Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush Standard - Nintendo Switch 2 [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qtRWiIToL._SL160_.jpg)
- Full version of game required to use DLC. Sold separately.
Is Donkey Kong Bananza better than Super Mario Odyssey?
There is no supported objective verdict that Bananza is better. The more useful question is what you value in an exploratory platformer. If Odyssey’s appeal for you lies in the freedom to investigate spaces and find your own way through them, Bananza offers a related pleasure through destruction and terrain manipulation. If you want the same abilities or the same kind of interaction, its distinct approach may not feel like a replacement.
So Bananza is worthy of Odyssey’s legacy in the sense that it develops a similarly ambitious interest in playful exploration while taking a sharply different mechanical route. It is a creative successor, not a sequel—and whether that makes it your preferred game depends on which style of discovery you enjoy.
Best Value
- The next evolution of Nintendo Switch
- One system, three play modes: TV, Tabletop, and Handheld
- Larger, vivid, 7.9” LCD touch screen with support for HDR and up to 120 fps
- Explore a vast underground world—by smashing your way through it!
- A brand-new 3D platforming action adventure starring Donkey Kong and Pauline
Where to play
Donkey Kong Bananza is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. Nintendo UK lists its release date as 17 July 2025, and Nintendo’s US store lists a physical edition. The official Nintendo listing is the place to check the edition details; availability and listings can vary by region.
Quick Recap
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