Those big, 3D Mario games are a whole event when it comes to video game releases. Super Mario 64 set a revolutionary standard for 3D gaming as a whole, while games like Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy, and 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey each took steps towards making strides in 3D platforming.
However, since 2017, fans have been eagerly waiting for the next 3D Super Mario game, especially after PlayStation’s Astro Bot pushed the genre further and won Game of the Year in 2024. Now, with the Nintendo Switch 2, people were begging Nintendo to give us Super Mario Odyssey 2, but instead, we got Donkey Kong Bananza.
But maybe that’s exactly what we needed.
Donkey Kong Bananza Is The Switch 2’s Super Mario Odyssey
While many people do love Donkey Kong, it’s safe to say that most were disappointed we weren’t getting a follow-up to Odyssey for the Switch 2’s launch window. But when we look closer, we can see that Bananza actually is the follow-up to Odyssey.
Donkey Kong has been iconic for years, existing in arcades back when Mario was Jump Man, but since Super Mario Bros. dominated Nintendo’s platforms, the ape has always taken a bit of a back seat. Kirby, Metroid, and Donkey Kong are all big names, but your grandma has more chance of recognising Mario, whether that be from Mario Kart, Mario Party, or one of the many other spin-offs we’ve had over the decades.
Who knows, your grandma could really throw a curveball and answer ‘Chris Pratt’ when asked who the red and blue plumber is.
The point is, it’s generally recognised that each of those series that aren’t Mario are going to have a quieter release. Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Metroid Dread were both fantastic games, but paled in comparison to Odyssey during the Switch’s lifetime. You’d be excused for expecting the same thing from a Donkey Kong game decorating the Switch 2’s lineup in place of Odyssey 2. Only now, we’ve all been proven wrong.
There’s Room For More Than Just Mario
I’ve finished Super Mario Odyssey a few times, so I know it’s a game I love and enjoy. That said, after spending some time with Donkey Kong Bananza, it didn’t take long for me to realise that I’m probably a lot happier with this than I would have been with Odyssey 2.
While I would have been happy enough with another Mario, I feel like I could at least have some expectations in mind as to what the game would be. Donkey Kong, however, was a bit of an outlier, and Bananza is a game that could fully push the boundaries of destruction physics that wouldn’t have been possible to this extent on the first Switch. It feels like so much more than what a Mario title would do when it comes to surprising us.
To add to this, it’s also the first Donkey Kong game I’ve ever played, and while it’s inherently distinct compared to the prior titles in the series, it also proves that Mario isn’t the key to Nintendo’s widespread success with these sorts of games. While many were gearing up for a Mario game, Donkey Kong is the one that showed up, and it’s the one that actually delivered.
Maybe it’s a turning point for the many IPs that Nintendo has, or maybe it’s just the Odyssey team proving they can make brilliant games once again. Either way, it would be great to see more titles take this approach and push the boundaries of what we get excited about from Nintendo. With Kirby and the Forgotten Land soon getting a Switch 2 upgrade and expansion, and Metroid Prime 4 due out later this year, I’m hoping it’ll be sooner than later.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be equally excited when the next 3D Mario game does come around, but I also wouldn’t complain if my boy Kirby could get the Donkey Kong treatment in his next game, you know?
Donkey Kong Bananza
Systems
4.0/5
- Released
- July 17, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
