Donkey Kong Bananza is a worthy successor to Super Mario Odyssey’s legacy
1 min read
Summary
Nintendo’s Switch 2 console was fully unveiled in April 2025, with one of the platform’s best-selling games, Super Mario Odyssey, expected to receive a sequel.
However, the company unveiled Donkey Kong Bananza, a new title in the Donkey Kong franchise, marking the ape’s first fully 3D adventure since 1999’s Donkey Kong 64.
While it didn’t feature the beloved mascot Mario, the game captures the sense of joyful movement and exploration of the Mario games, whilst also introducing an innovative terrain destruction system.
Players can punch chunks out of the scenery in three directions, which has been likened to a combination of Mario and the Traveller’s Tales Lego games for its brutal but cathartic destruction.
After playing the game, the reviewer believes it is a deep and worthy spiritual successor to Super Mario Odyssey, and highlights the new gameplay mechanics that show off the Switch 2’s capabilities.
With the same development staff working on both games, it is possible that future Mario titles may adopt a similar terrain destruction system.
