Switch 2's Donkey Kong to Rival Mario Odyssey

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During my preview session with Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo confirmed what many had suspected since the game's reveal: it's being developed by the same team behind Super Mario Odyssey. This connection becomes immediately apparent when playing - Bananza follows Odyssey's blueprint to perfection. The expansive environments filled with hidden bananas (replacing Odyssey's moons), NPCs offering collecting hints, environmental puzzles rewarding exploration, and the deep movement system all bear Odyssey's unmistakable influence.

Fresh Take on a Familiar Formula

Despite these similarities, Bananza never feels derivative. Swapping Mario for Donkey Kong proves transformative - the ape's sheer physicality and destructive power create an entirely different gameplay experience. His surprising agility combined with devastating strength makes every action feel impactful.

My demo featured multiple save files, beginning with the tutorial on Ingot Isle. Here I learned DK's intuitive combat system: while A handles jumping, the other face buttons control directional punches (X=up, Y=forward, B=down). This lets players carve paths through terrain, with different materials requiring varying effort to break - dirt and crystal shatter easily, while tougher rocks need DK to fashion crude pickaxes from fallen debris.

The physics are incredibly satisfying - watching DK demolish walls, send enemies flying, or crater the ground with earth-shaking impacts never gets old. His agility complements this brute strength perfectly, featuring a quick roll and the ability to surf on debris. It's a wonderfully balanced moveset merging classic DK with Hulk-like destruction.

Layered Level Design

The Lagoon Layer demonstrated Bananza's innovative level structure. Each zone features vertically stacked sub-layers, each comparable to a Super Mario Sunshine area in size. Completing a sub-layer's main objective unlocks the next level down. Some collectibles even require returning to previous layers to access new paths.

Collectibles include multiple banana types and fossils (used for cosmetic upgrades). The bananas often involve clever environmental puzzles - one required ground-pounding water to reach a submerged prize. Others involve elaborate obstacle courses or combat challenges.

Special Abilities and Multiplayer

Later sections introduced Bananza transformations. Collecting gold fills a meter that temporarily powers up DK when activated. The Kong transformation boosts all stats, while the Ostrich form adds aerial mobility. A skill tree (unlocked via banana collection) gradually enhances abilities.

The two-player mode features Pauline as support, similar to Mario Galaxy's co-op. Player two fires vocal projectiles using motion controls, making it ideal for casual co-op though limited for experienced gamers.

After two satisfying hours, I was left craving more. As a longtime DK fan, Bananza appears to be the definitive 3D Donkey Kong experience we've awaited. For Mario fans in withdrawal, this promises to be an excellent stopgap until Nintendo's next 3D Mario installment.