![\"Donkey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_305539368-9adc.jpg\")
\n\t\tWhat did you think of Donkey Kong Bananza? (Nintendo)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tWhat did you think of Donkey Kong Bananza? (Nintendo)<\/p>\n
As Donkey Kong Bananza turns one year old, GameCentral looks back at its launch, its longevity, and what Nintendo<\/a> could have in store for the franchise going forward.<\/p>\n Donkey Kong Bananza<\/a>, one of the first Nintendo exclusives for the Switch 2, has now celebrated its first anniversary. While it was surprising to see Nintendo give DK the spotlight rather than Mario, the game has undoubtedly been a success.<\/p>\n It was amongst the Game of the Year nominees at last year\u2019s The Game Awards (losing to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33<\/a>) and as of March, it\u2019s sold 4.52 million copies, making it the Switch 2\u2019s second best selling exclusive right behind Mario Kart World<\/a>.<\/p>\n And yet we can\u2019t help but get the sense that Donkey Kong Bananza is somewhat underappreciated, as if it could\u2019ve been so much bigger but didn\u2019t quite get the chance it deserved.<\/p>\n The Switch 2\u2019s first year on the market<\/a> was perplexing on its own, with Nintendo having very different priorities than most of its audience had expected.<\/p>\n So, for Donkey Kong Bananza\u2019s anniversary, we want to look back at the game\u2019s launch, Nintendo\u2019s post-launch handling of it, and what it all means for Donkey Kong\u2019s future.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tExpert, exclusive gaming analysis\t\t\t<\/p>\n Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter<\/a> for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.<\/p>\n Was Donkey Kong Bananza successful?<\/p>\n Donkey Kong Bananza has been successful for Nintendo but the more you think about it, the more you realise what an odd risk it was.<\/p>\n Donkey Kong may be a very recognisable character, but for years he\u2019s mostly been delegated to Mario spin-offs, having not helmed his own game since 2014\u2019s Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze<\/a>. Combined with his appearance in the 2023 Super Mario Bros. movie<\/a>, DK has been seen by a lot of people, especially younger fans, as just another Mario character.<\/p>\n While a new 3D Donkey Kong had been rumoured for years<\/a>, it was no less surprising to see it not just be one of the first games announced for Switch 2, but one of its first exclusives; one Nintendo deemed important enough to serve as the closing reveal of the Switch 2\u2019s first showcase<\/a>, instead of something much safer like a new 3D Mario.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n It\u2019s very obvious that Nintendo\u2019s goal was to revitalise the Donkey Kong brand; to elevate him to a level of superstardom alongside mainstream franchises like Super Mario and The Legend Of Zelda. It\u2019s why he got a redesign, a sizable role in the movie, and a dedicated section of the Super Nintendo World theme park.<\/p>\n On one hand, we\u2019d say it worked. Donkey Kong Bananza may share a lot of Super Mario Odyssey<\/a>\u2019s DNA (what with it being made by the same team and all), but it feels distinctly Donkey Kong thanks to its emphasis on destruction and exploration. It breaks new ground for the franchise, literally, while remaining reverential to what came before, striking the right balance between fresh new ideas and revelling in nostalgia.<\/p>\n Also, DK himself is the most endearing he\u2019s ever been, thanks to his friendlier-looking appearance (which is closer to the pre-Donkey Kong Country games) and single-minded obsession with bananas, while still developing a sweet friendship with the young Pauline \u2013 even if it did drive some fans nuts by breaking the timeline<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t However, at 4.52 million copies, Bananza isn\u2019t breaking any records. After all, those aren\u2019t Super Mario numbers, with the game reportedly selling only half<\/a> that of Super Mario Odyssey in the UK; a game that\u2019s since sold over 30 million copies worldwide.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not an entirely fair comparison, as Super Mario Odyssey had some advantages. Mario\u2019s a far more famous star, 3D Mario games always do well, and it launched much closer to Christmas and after the host console had been out for longer.<\/p>\n Although we have to wonder why Nintendo didn\u2019t just make Bananza its big Christmas 2025 game, instead of relying on Metroid Prime 4<\/a>, of all things. The template of Super Mario Odyssey\u2019s success was right there to copy but Nintendo ignored its lessons.<\/p>\n Launching in such close proximity to Mario Kart World contributed to theories that there\u2019d be some cross-promotion<\/a>, which seemed likely but still hasn\u2019t happened. Surely if Nintendo wants to boost the Donkey Kong franchise\u2019s profile, it would have added characters like Diddy Kong, Void Kong, and King K. Rool to the one game that almost 75% of Switch 2 players own. Or at least give DK and Pauline more than one costume each, since everyone else has multiple outfits.<\/p>\n Nintendo\u2019s inscrutability makes it difficult to predict what it has planned (especially nowadays), but even if Donkey Kong isn\u2019t pulling in Super Mario level sales figures, we\u2019d wager the company is simply playing the long game.<\/p>\n \t\t It\u2019s obviously far too soon to expect a Bananza sequel, especially when the team is presumed to be working on the next 3D Mario. In fact, that game is rumoured to be arriving next year<\/a> and details about it could already have been hinted at in Bananza<\/a>.<\/p>\n The next Mario game may re-use some of Bananza\u2019s destructible environments, but this element is likely to be downplayed to ensure Mario and DK\u2019s adventures don\u2019t feel too similar.<\/p>\n Perhaps there\u2019ll be an alternative method of altering the environment around you to progress. Bananza\u2019s environments had different properties and could be used to construct bridges and the like, but this felt very underutilised, so it\u2019s ripe for expanding on in a new Mario game.<\/p>\n Outside of the games, it is assumed that there\u2019ll be a dedicated Donkey Kong movie as well (an \u2018untitled Donkey Kong project\u2019 was even trademarked last year<\/a>). Nintendo\u2019s found great success with its two animated Mario films and though DK was a popular inclusion in the first one, outside of a brief cameo he was notably absent in the sequel<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although Nintendo doesn\u2019t do movie tie-in games, it so far has attempted some synergy with the films. The first Mario movie was followed by Super Mario Bros. Wonder<\/a> the same year (which Nintendo said<\/a> saw a sales boost because of the movie), while The Super Mario Galaxy Movie was preceded by re-releases of the two Galaxy games<\/a>. So, Nintendo may be saving a Donkey Kong blowout to capitalise on an associated film.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n This could mean DK will be returned to the backburner for a while, as it\u2019s unlikely his movie will be out until at least 2028. Next year marks the release of the live action Legend Of Zelda movie, which is no doubt why Nintendo\u2019s planning a remake of Ocarina Of Time<\/a> for this year.<\/p>\n And even if there is no 3D Mario next year, there will be a new mainline Pok\u00e9mon<\/a>, which is already garnering more positive hype than the last few entries.<\/p>\n It would be a shame, though, for DK to take a long backseat until Bananza 2; something that could be mitigated if Nintendo emphasises the series in future Mario spin-offs by integrating more characters and\/or iconography from Bananza.<\/p>\n Maybe Nintendo doesn\u2019t want the Donkey Kong branding to encroach too much into Super Mario games, but if the company wants DK to gain more recognition, those are the best places to do it. Or if not release some smaller DK games in the interim. Diddy Kong Racing 2? Donkey Kong Party? Or even a 2D game reminiscent of the older platformers.<\/p>\n Whatever the plan is, Donkey Kong Bananza did a fantastic job bringing DK back into the spotlight but Nintendo has got to keep up the effort, if it wants to avoid him being shunted to the sidelines again.<\/p>\n \t\t Email\u00a0gamecentral@metro.co.uk<\/a>, leave a comment below,\u00a0follow us on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n To submit Inbox letters and Reader\u2019s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our\u00a0Submit Stuff page here<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more stories like this,\u00a0check our Gaming page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Donkey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_305539377-404b.jpg\")
\n\t\tDK and Pauline have a lot of adorable interactions throughout the adventure (Nintendo)<\/p>\n![\"Donkey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_305539375-8a8a.jpg\")
\n\t\tDK and Pauline only having one costume each in Mario Kart World reeks of Nintendo saving them for DLC (Nintendo)
\nWhat\u2019s next for Donkey Kong?<\/p>\n![\"Donkey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_305539667-d837.jpg\")
\n\t\tDonkey Kong Bananza\u2019s 2D challenge levels were a nice throwback (Nintendo)<\/p>\n
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