Is Donkey Kong Bananza a Game Key Card & Download Size, Explained

17 July 2025

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is-donkey-kong-bananza-a-game-key-card-&-download-size,-explained — Is Donkey Kong Bananza a Game Key Card & Download Size, Explained

Donkey Kong Bananza puts the big, lovable gorilla back in the spotlight for the first time in almost 11 years (excluding remasters and remakes). Tasked with recovering Banandium Gems and reaching the planet’s core before a band of villainous apes, Donkey Kong must smash and grab his way through various worlds and sublayers with the help of a young Pauline. The game marks the first major first-party single-player experience exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2.

With some confusion around the system’s Game Key Card situation, some players may be wondering if Donkey Kong Bananza’s physical version is actually a game key card, and also what the download size is if you do buy digital.

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DK Bananza players will need to climb over the wall at the finish line to get their hands on the Thorny-Hill Hideaway Banandium Gem.

Is Donkey Kong Bananza’s Physical Version a Game Key Card?

True Physical Fans Can Rest Easy

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No, Donkey Kong Bananza’s physical version is not a Game Key Card, meaning that you can put the cartridge into your Nintendo Switch 2 and begin playing the game right away. This was something that Nintendo confirmed would be the case around the system’s launch, when it announced that any first-party games for the Nintendo Switch 2 would be true physical copies and would not use the Game Key Card platform.

For those unaware, a Game Key Card is a cartridge that players put in their Nintendo Switch 2 like any other game cartridge. However, the cartridge simply acts as a key to download the game via an internet connection. It makes buying a Game Key Card pointless for those trying to avoid needing to download large games due to a slow internet connection, for example.

What Is Donkey Kong Bananza’s Download Size?

A Bite-Sized File

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While Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t a Game Key Card, meaning those who buy physically won’t need to download the entire game onto their Switch 2, those who choose to purchase the game via the Nintendo eShop will only have a relatively small file to download, too. I digitally downloaded the game onto my system and can confirm that Donkey Kong Bananza only takes up 8.7 GB of storage space.

This will be welcome news to those who have yet to purchase a MicroSD Express card to increase their Switch 2’s storage, as that leaves plenty of room left on the system’s 256 GB of internal storage. This equates to 230 GB of usable space after the system files, such as the operating system, have been accounted for.