Donkey Kong Bananza

This article is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.

"DKB" redirects here. For the Flash game based on Donkey Konga, see Donkey Konga Beat.

Not to be confused with Kong Bananza.

Donkey Kong Bananza
American box art For alternate box art, see the related gallery.
Developers	Nintendo EPD Tokyo 1-UP Studio tri-Crescendo
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform	Nintendo Switch 2
Release dates	July 17, 2025 September 17, 2025
Languages	English Japanese Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Dutch French (Canada) French (France) German Italian Korean Portuguese (Brazil) Russian Spanish (Latin America) Spanish (Spain)
Genres	Platformer, action-adventure
Ratings	ESRB: - Everyone 10+ CERO: - All ages PEGI: - Seven years and older USK: - Six years and older ClassInd: - General audience SMECCV: - Twelve years and older Gmedia: - Seven years and older GRAC: - All ages GSRR: - Six years and older MRO: - Seven years and older ACB: - Parental guidance FPB: - Seven to nine years
Modes	Single player Multiplayer (2 players) Local GameShare (2 players) Online GameShare (2 players)
Format	Nintendo Switch 2: Game Card Digital download
Input	Nintendo Switch 2: Joy-Con 2 Joy-Con Joy-Con 2 (horizontal) Joy-Con (horizontal) Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

Donkey Kong Bananza is a 3D action-adventure platformer released worldwide for the Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17, 2025. First announced during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct presentation, it is the second 3D platformer in the Donkey Kong franchise following Donkey Kong 64 and the first original game in the franchise since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, originally released 11 years prior. In this game, Donkey Kong explores and traverses increasingly deeper layers of the Underground World in pursuit of Void Company, a villainous group of primates who have stolen the Banandium Gems. The game places much emphasis on Donkey Kong's raw strength, enabling him to perform a variety of moves to smash through obstacles, tear off hard objects, and even excavate the level terrain itself. The game centers thematically on rocks, minerals, and the concept of mining, introducing a host of sentient stony creatures. While some act as enemies, one such creature is friendly and assists Donkey Kong throughout his journey. Despite the game taking place underground, many places seem to have an open sky, adding to the setting's fantastical nature. The game takes structural inspiration from Super Mario Odyssey; like this game, it was developed by Nintendo EPD Tokyo, which previously developed Donkey Kong Jungle Beat when it was under the "EAD" name. Kenta Motokura, director of Super Mario Odyssey, also returns as a producer.

As with other games following the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, Donkey Kong uses his new design resembling the 2D illustrations drawn by Shigehisa Nakaue. The game also features full voice acting, specifically for the Odd Rock / Pauline.

Donkey Kong Bananza was covered during the Nintendo Treehouse: Live events on April 3 and 4, 2025. A dedicated Nintendo Direct for the game titled the "Donkey Kong Bananza Direct" broadcast on June 18, 2025 at 6:00 am PT / 9:00 am ET.

A paid DLC expansion titled Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush was released on September 12, 2025 with additional content. A limited soundtrack release, Special Release: Donkey Kong Bananza, was released on Nintendo Music on September 18, 2025, featuring nine tracks from the game (including one from the DLC).

Story

Ingot Isle as seen during the game's intro

The following text is taken directly from the official European website.

Ingot Isle was buzzing with excitement over the discovery of the century: golden bananas...

...until Void Company swooped in and swiped the whole bunch!

Caught amid the chaos of this banana banditry, Donkey Kong is swept up by a vortex that sends him deep underground.

As his adventure begins, DK encounters a girl called Pauline. Together, they set a course for the Planet Core, which legends say will grant them their greatest wishes.

Prologue

After a rumor spreads about a material known as Banandium appearing on Ingot Isle, an island far off the shores of DK Island, Donkey Kong and a crew of Prospector Monkeys explore the island's mines to search for it. During their expedition, a group of primates known as Void Company arrives on a giant, planet-like boulder machine known as the Pay-Dirt Piledriver and steals the Golden Bananas known as Banandium Gems. The boulder then pushes Ingot Isle further into the ground, with the resulting storm sending Donkey Kong and the Prospector Monkeys into the depths along with it. After regaining consciousness, Donkey Kong surveys the scene of Ingot Isle's cave-in, when a purple rock entity falls from the sky. Upon investigating, Donkey Kong discovers that the entity is called the Odd Rock, who decides to join him. Together, Donkey Kong and Odd Rock make their way up to the summit of Ingot Isle, where they find a mysterious stake plugging a hole. They are then ambushed by a rock monster, who drops a key after being defeated. The key then opens up a sinkhole leading deeper underground, of which Donkey Kong and the Odd Rock dive in to purse VoidCo and recover the Banandium Gems.

Main story

Donkey Kong and Odd Rock fall into the Lagoon Layer, sublayer 100, where they learn from the resident fisher monkeys that VoidCo has blocked the region's water reservoir. After destroying the stake causing the block, they come across the following sublayer's residents, who tell the heroes about the water shortage in the region. While unblocking the water flow, they are able to meet the Kong Elder, and are tasked by him with retrieving the Ancient Record.

With that done, the Elder manifests a concert stage with the residents as an audience. The Elder's power alongside Donkey Kong's chest-pounding beat is able to break the Odd Rock free, revealing it to be a young girl named Pauline. Although experiencing stage fright, Pauline sings, granting Donkey Kong his Kong Bananza form. Pauline thanks Donkey Kong for his help and suggests that both of them look for the surface together. As Pauline wishes to return home, and Donkey Kong wishes for bananas, the Kong Elder suggests they descend to the planet's core, since they hold it that achieving that grants them any wish, a quest they accept. While this happens, they are observed by Poppy Kong. She sets off to tell her boss about the duo's goal.

Donkey Kong and Pauline eventually reach the sinkhole leading deeper into the planet, but find VoidCo, who Pauline recognizes as those who transformed her into Odd Rock. Their president, Void Kong, demands Pauline to return to him, but she refuses. The heroes learn from them at this point that they too plan to reach the planet's core. VoidCo leaves for the next layer, leaving Peekabruiser behind to fight Donkey Kong and Pauline. Peekabruiser is defeated, and the heroes proceed.

In the Hilltop Layer, sublayer 200, Donkey Kong and Pauline meet the Fractones, a civilization of crystalline creatures found throughout the Underground World. With their help, yet another sinkhole is opened, leading to the Canyon Layer, sublayer 300. There, the resident Fractones express their worry regarding VoidCo's presence and Banandium Gem theft, and mention they are headed to the Banandium Refinery. Along the way, Donkey Kong and Pauline fight Grumpy Kong and win, being then given the key to the Refinery sublayer by him as an acknowledgement of defeat. At the Refinery itself, they defeat the Mad Mixer, and reach Mechaneck Isle. A Fractone inform them a "monster" left by VoidCo stole their bananas and headed to Click-Clack Smokestack. Upon getting there, that monster is revealed as a Stompenclomper and is defeated as well. Another sinkhole is then reached, and Donkey Kong and Pauline descend to the next layer. Pauline mentions that a Fractone told her VoidCo is using bananas to generate energy for their terrain-piercing machine.

The heroes reach the Divide, sublayer 400. From this point, they can reach both the Freezer and Forest Layer.

In the Freezer Layer, the resident zebras, who work in ice cream production, face problems due to the excessively cold weather. Donkey Kong and Pauline soon meet the Zebra Elder. He tells them Poppy Kong stole their bananas, and task them with retrieving another Ancient Record, enabling them to use Donkey Kong's Zebra Bananza transformation. They are able to reach the Cooling Tower and defeat Poppy, who gives them the key to the next sublayer. In Hot-Hoof Heater, sublayer 502, they solve the location's excessive heat by defeating the Inflammonite in the Compressor. A sinkhole is opened.

In the Forest Layer, the resident ostriches, who work in the lodging business, are concerned with Void's arrival, which was followed by the location's healthy, safe forest being affected with poison floods and thorny bushes. They are directed to seek the Ostrich Elder's help in the Eggshell Hotel. The Elder worries the problems brought by VoidCo will affect the quality of their services, and helps the heroes by directing them to retrieve an Ancient Record, enabling Pauline to trigger Donkey Kong's Ostrich Bananza transformation. In the next sublayer, 602, Donkey Kong and Pauline destroy the poisonous plants affecting the location. They eventually get to a much larger mass of thorns, and find out it is Abracajabya, a giant, magic plant grown by Grumpy. A sinkhole is opened after it is defeated.

Upon leaving the Freezer Layer or the Forest Layer, Donkey Kong and Pauline reach The Junction, sublayer 700, a location highly affected by VoidCo's metal, and find out they must clear the metal coming from both sides of the split path. They are able to return to the Divide with the Eelevator's help and reach the other side of the Junction, clearing both sides from the metal. They cross paths with VoidCo working on their machine, with Void Kong leaving for the upper layers in order to gather more Banandium Gems to fuel the machine. Donkey Kong and Pauline go after him and find him aggressively demanding Banandium Gems from the residents of Hilltop Layer. The heroes fight the VoidCo leader in the Hilltop Layer, the Lagoon Layer and finally defeat him in the Junction. With enough fuel, Void Kong and his employees descend further into the terrain, not before Void once again expressing his wish for Pauline to return to their side, mentioning her special powers and that she will not get her wish granted even if they reach the core, causing Pauline to wonder what he is planning to do.

The heroes reach the Resort Layer, sublayer 800, and from there they get to the Tempest Layer, sublayer 900, a stormy location home to elephants keen on meteorology. Their elder, the Elephant Elder, tasks them with retrieving an Ancient Record. While doing so, they meet the Sinister Blusterwing, who broke the record in half. Upon retrieving the pieces, Pauline is taught to enable Donkey Kong's Elephant Bananza transformation. The Elder then tells them about the Banandium Root, the powerful entity residing in the planet's core able to grant wishes, and "forecasts" their success in finding it. Donkey Kong and Pauline progress deeper into the layer, eventually finding and defeating the Sinister Blusterwing in the Stormy Station, revealing it to be a crystal bird affected by a VoidCo-developed mask, and opening another sinkhole.

Donkey Kong and Pauline arrive in the Landfill Layer, sublayer 1000, where they fight Grumpy Kong's Re-Peekabruiser, followed by the Racing Layer, sublayer 1100, where they compete in Rambi Rumble, a Rambi race against Diddy and Dixie Kong. They then reach the Radiance Layer, sublayer 1200, home to snakes with an inclination to art. They learn from a resident Void Kong stole their light source. After meeting the Snake Elder in sublayer 1201 and retrieving the Ancient Record pieces from the surrounding art exhibits, Pauline learns to transform Donkey Kong into his Snake Bananza form. The Snake Elder further tells them the gold roots they have seen throughout the Underground World are derived from the Banandium Root, and that he has noticed no new roots have appeared for some time. In sublayer 1202, they reactivate the Synthetic Sun in the Solar Control Tower and fight Poppy Kong once more. Upon being defeated again, Poppy resigns from her position, deeming the operation to be worthless. Finally, in sublayer 1203, Donkey Kong and Pauline fight Grumpy Kong defeat him as well. Pauline is then suddenly kidnapped by the Great Harmoneel, and Donkey Kong is left distraught, and falls unconscious.

Donkey Kong wakes up alone in a prison cell, guarded by Fractones who tell him he was arrested on the grounds of destroying their disco. He breaks out of the cell by digging out of it from below. Exploring the prison, he finds a jailed Poppy Kong as well, and helps her break out. It is revealed they are in the Groove Layer, sublayer 1300. A music hall, it had its three sound sources blocked by Terravoiders. Donkey Kong proceeds to fix the issue, destroying the obstructing equipment and digging tunnels for the sound to reach the Disco Hall—the main room, home to a giant speaker. While Donkey Kong works on that task, Poppy mentions the Great Harmoneel was wearing a Mind-Bender Mask, developed by VoidCo for brainwashing, a similar device to the one worn by Sinister Blusterwing earlier. She also mentions Grumpy Kong lost his motivation after his last defeat and has resigned as well.

As the music returns, the Great Harmoneel breaks free from his brainwashing, eager to sing. Donkey Kong is able to jump into his mouth and rescue Pauline, who is back into Odd Rock form and stuck to VoidCo pieces. Upon rescue, Pauline returns to her normal form and tells Donkey Kong about her dream of becoming a singer.

Donkey Kong and Pauline reach the Feast Layer, sublayer 1400, a food processing plant and fast-food and lion-themed amusement park that is infected with muck. There, they help build the giant Banana Burger, while Void Kong learns of the failure of his employees. Donkey Kong and Pauline descend to sublayer 1401, where the Cat-Scratch Kitchen is highly muck-infected. They find and defeat Muckety-Muck, the source of the muck, and open another sinkhole.

Through the sinkhole, the heroes reach the Forbidden Layer, sublayer 1500, where the Banandium Root supposedly resides. They eventually reach a golden dome, which Void Kong presents as the Banandium Root. He tells them the Root is dormant, and Pauline's singing has the power to awaken it. Pauline refuses to sing, and Donkey Kong fights Void, this time unable to use any Bananza powers. Void Kong, then defeated, uses his All-Mine Remote to turn Donkey Kong to an Odd Rock form, rendering him immobile in order to force Pauline to sing to save him. Donkey Kong is regardless able to generate a beat through the rock, and Pauline sings, freeing Donkey Kong and also stimulating the golden dome. As Void Kong reaches for the dome, it is revealed to be King K. Rool, who knocks Void Kong out. K. Rool explains he got trapped down there while looking for the Banandium Root with the Kremling Krew, and jumps into the sinkhole he was stuck to, going after the real Root.

Donkey Kong and Pauline chase K. Rool, and reach the Planet Core. They eventually reach the Golden Core and fight King K. Rool, now powered up by the real Banandium Root. K. Rool is defeated, and Donkey Kong and Pauline make their wishes to the Root. It manifests a giant pillar made of bananas that proceeds to push the heroes out of the planet core. As they celebrate their victory while returning to the surface, King K. Rool regains consciousness and attacks them on the way up. They eventually resurface in New Donk City, Pauline's home. King K. Rool, still in possession of the Banandium Root, decides to transform all of it into rotten banana mush and feed on it. He causes the city to be taken by his minions and lethal banandium mush. Donkey Kong and Pauline climb the city and eventually reach K. Rool on a floating ring arena in front of the city hall, where the Kremling leader finally becomes K. Rool, King of Rot for a last battle, but is defeated.

The banandium mush and gold covering the city disappears. Pauline reiterates her wish to become a singer and to sing for all the townsfolk, but understands Donkey Kong must follow his dream as well. They part ways, with Donkey Kong returning through the shaft created by the Banandium Root. After the credits, Pauline is shown to have become a street performer.

Postgame

If the player has not learned all Bananzas during the game's main story, they are automatically unlocked after the game is beaten. Special dialogue explains that one month later, Donkey Kong and Pauline traveled through the Underground World again and learned all of the missing Bananzas.

Three months later, Donkey Kong returns to Ingot Isle. There, he finds the now friendly Grumpy and Poppy Kong. Grumpy directs Donkey Kong to try a Warp Gong he has built in the area, and doing so reveals the Eelevator has brought Pauline, who tells Donkey Kong she must create a new song for a live show at city hall. She asks for Donkey Kong's help in meeting the music expert elders again. After rehearsing and completing the elders' challenges, Pauline has come up with a new song, and the two of them head back to the surface, where Donkey Kong watches Pauline successfully perform for a large audience.

Gameplay

This section is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.

Overview

Sped up gameplay footage of Donkey Kong gradually destroying a portion of the environment in the Lagoon Layer. Video has no sound.

In Donkey Kong Bananza, players control Donkey Kong as they navigate expansive three-dimensional enviornments filled with collectibles, enemies, and non-playable characters. The stages in the game are highly destructible, with Donkey Kong being able to use his sheer strength in a variety of moves, such as punching and throwing, to practically reshape the stage. In effect, a large number of collectables in the game are etched or buried in terrain, and can only be revealed by foraging through it. This destruction-based mechanic also encourages the player to experiment with different strategies for navigating or escaping certain areas, adding layers of discovery that set it apart from other platform games.

The general objective the game is to find and collect as many Banandium Gems as the player can. Similarly to the Power Moons of Super Mario Odyssey, these are plot-relevant items scattered across the map in varying locations, often obtainable by completing puzzles, quests, and challenges. The game also provides missions which the player must complete in order to advance through the game, with Bandandium Gems further acting as the end goal of these missions. For every five Banandium Gems collected, the player earns a Skill Point, employed in a skill tree system which allows the player to unlock new moves and enhance those already in their repertoire. For example, the player may use Skill Points to increase the damage dealt with punches, the range of their Hand Slap sonar, or their health meter.

The world in the game is also profuse with gold, a basic collectible item similar to coins from the Super Mario franchise that occurs in all destructible structures. It is a versatile item that acts as currency, as well as energy for the player's special powers. Gold, alongside other currencies such as Banandium Chips and fossils, can be exchanged with certain NPCs to acquire new power-enhancing clothing and additional Banandium Gems, as well as building resting spots and shortcuts. Fossils, in particular, are analogous to Super Mario Odyssey's regional coins in that they can only be exchanged in the layer they are found in and contribute to full completion when collected.

Donkey Kong's abilities

Much like Mario in Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong is highly mobile and nimble. His basic moveset includes running, jumping, and rolling, the last two of which can be joined together to perform the Roll Jump previously seen in the Donkey Kong Country games. Adding to his versatility, DK can also quickly climb most vertical surfaces. Donkey Kong's signature Hand Slap returns from previous Donkey Kong platform games, being retooled and improved in several ways: in this game, DK can perform it to pick up surrounding collectibles (much like the clap in Donkey Kong Jungle Beat) and emit a wave that makes objects such as Banandium Gems detectable through walls in a sonar-like fashion.

Punching is DK's primary form of attack, allowing him to gradually smash through walls, dig through the ground, and defeat enemies. A particular move that involves his fist is the Dive Punch, an attack wherein he comes crashing down from mid-air. As the terrain breaks apart, large chunks often come off, which DK can pick up, swing, or throw to inflict further damage. He can likewise directly dislodge chunks himself. Chunks may vary in size, giving DK a potentially broader range of destruction when wielded; they can additionally be used as part of the "chunk jump", where DK vigorously tosses one downward while in mid-air to gain a bit more height, and the "Turf Surf", where he mounts a chunk and rides it along the ground while it spins. Enemies, even those within a particular type or species, are built from various materials found in the environment, potentially demanding different approaches to attack. For instance, Donkey Kong cannot fight enemies with a sturdy or prickly coating at close quarters and may need to damage them from a distance using a chunk. Against larger enemies, such as Crockoids, he may cling on to them and tear chunks off their bodies where possible.

Donkey Kong can make use of devices scattered on the overworld. Two such devices are Barrel Cannons, which launch him to distant areas, and metallic arrow-shaped switches, which are activated with a Dive Punch to obliterate a portion of the environment.

The player can freely rotate the in-game camera around DK, which generally follows him at ground level. When Donkey Kong is in a tightly-enclosed underground space, the camera may render the surrounding expanses of rock or dirt transparent to make that space discernible to the player.

Terrain properties

The terrain in a stage has different levels of durability, which dictates how effective it can be when extracted and employed as a weapon. Soft terrain, such as mud and dirt, is easily excavated and manipulated, but quickly breaks apart when used as a weapon and is completely ineffective when thrown into harder surfaces; conversely, they stick to surfaces when thrown, allowing DK to stack them consecutively and form a projecting platform. Hard terrain, such as stone, can be used to inflict a lot of damage, but is more difficult to pull out or break and is not malleable. Certain materials, such as metal, are indestructible and cannot be manipulated. While Donkey Kong holds a chunk of terrain and enters his throwing stance, a reticle appears on-screen, which provides a brief descriptor on the durability of the material that he is aiming at in order to help the player assess the environment; for instance, "Soft" for mud and dirt, and "Sturdy" for stone.

Pauline and Bananza powers

Donkey Kong teams up with aspiring singer Pauline, initially encountered as the Odd Rock, whose musical powers have a tangible impact on gameplay. DK is able to make music by whistling, which Pauline magically enhances to create a musical path that guides them to their next objective in a stage. Her voice can also break seals left by Void Company, which block entryways into bonus stages and cover important objects. The Underground World is home to the elders, who possess "ancient Bananza powers" that amplify Pauline's singing prowess, making her capable of temporarily shape-shifting DK into stronger, beastly forms. Each form has its own advantages: for instance, Donkey Kong can take on a zebra-like form that increases his speed and lightness, allowing him to run on water or feeble platforms; another ostrich-like form can fly and drop large eggs on enemies.

The game also supports two-player co-op, with the second player controlling Pauline, allowing her to fire explosive projectiles of any material, depending on the material that is picked from the terrain.

Smashin' Stats

Smashin' Stats are a record of how much terrain Donkey Kong has destroyed throughout the course of the game. By reaching certain milestones, Donkey Kong can earn rewards such as gold and Banandium Gems. The player can view their Smashin' Stats from the Collection screen or by talking to Smashintone. Only major types of terrain such as wood and stone are tracked.

DK Artist

Main article: DK Artist

Separate from the main story mode is a side mode called DK Artist. Using the Joy-Con 2's mouse controls, players can paint, carve, and add materials to create their own sculptures.

Controls

Single horizontal Joy-Con can only be used during Co-op Play by sharing controllers. The actions for and can be switched in settings; same goes to assigning what and do.

Action	Input
	/
Basic controls
Move
Look around			Hold then use	Hold then use
Reset camera	/ (disabled by default)
Jump Talk Advance text	(or )		(or )
Punch	or Shake horizontally
Punch upward
Punch downward	(or )		(or )
Dive Punch	Hold (or ) then release in midair		Hold (or ) then release in midair
Hand Slap
Roll forward
Pick up
Tear off	Hold		Hold
Jump backward	Tilt and press while moving		Tilt and press while moving
Make music	Hold		Hold then hold	Hold then hold
Drumbeat	Hold + or Shake vertically or in a chest-beating motion	Hold + or Shake	Shake
Switch Bananza	/ /		Hold then press	Hold then press
Skills Menu			Hold then press	Hold then press
Photo Mode	(disabled during Co-op Play)
Map				Hold then press
Pause Menu			Hold then press
Holding chunk
Swing
Throw	Hold to aim, then release		Hold to aim, then release
Turf Surf
Chunk Jump	(or ) in midair		(or ) in midair
While climbing
Drop	(or )		(or )
Turf surfing
Stop
Speed up
Barrel Cannon
Exit
Fire	/		/
Kong Bananza
Charge Punch	Hold then release		Hold then release
Zebra Bananza
Charge Dash	Hold then release		Hold then release
Brake Blast	Tilt in opposite direction while running		Tilt in opposite direction while running
Ostrich Bananza
Flutter	Hold in midair		Hold in midair
Glide	Continue holding after Flutter		Continue holding after Flutter
Egg Bomb	Press in midair		Press in midair
Elephant Bananza
Inhale	Hold		Hold
Trunk Chunk
Snake Bananza
Double jump	Press (or ) twice		Press (or ) twice
Charge Jump	Hold (or ) then release		Hold (or ) then release
Glare	Hold then release		Hold then release
Map
Move camera
Change camera angle			Hold then use	Hold then use
Places			Hold then press	Hold then press
Zoom	/		/
Place pin
Your location
Reset terrain			Hold then press
Back	Press or		Press or	Press , or Hold then press
Bananas & Fossils	/		Hold then press or	Hold then press or
Change sublayer			Hold then press	Hold then press
Photo Mode
Take photo
Display on/off
Zoom	/
Tilt	/
Logo on/off
Player on/off
Quit
Emerald Rush
Quick travel using a Warp Barrel	+

Pauline (Co-op Play)

Single vertical Joy-Con can only be used during Co-op Play by sharing controllers.

Action	Input
	/
Aim	/ (motion controls) or	(mouse controls) or (motion controls) or	(motion controls)	(mouse or motion controls)	(motion controls)	(mouse or motion controls)
Shout
Copy material	Hold		Hold		Hold
Reset cursor
Make music	Hold		Hold		Hold
Look around
Switch Bananza
Map					Hold then press
Pause menu			Hold then press

Skills

The "Skills" screen

When Donkey Kong collects enough Banandium Gems, he earns Skill Points, which are spent towards upgrading various attributes, such as his maximum health and punching strength, on the "Skills" menu. Many skills have multiple strength levels, with higher levels requiring more Skill Points to unlock. More skills become available as Donkey Kong gains Bananza forms; each Bananza has a secret "golden" skill that is only available after completing their respective Bananza Rehearsal during post-game and requires mastering all preceding skills involving that Bananza to learn. A total of 200 Skill Points are required to fully master every skill, which equates to 1,000 Banandium Gems.

Skill	Level	Description	Skill Points required
Health	1	Increases your maximum health to four hearts.	1
	2	Increases your maximum health to five hearts.	2
	3	Increases your maximum health to six hearts.	3
	4	Increases your maximum health to seven hearts.	4
	5	Increases your maximum health to eight hearts.	4
	6	Increases your maximum health to nine hearts.	5
	7	Increases your maximum health to ten hearts.	5
Apple Juice	1	Increases the maximum number of Apple Juice cans you can carry to two.	3
	2	Increases the maximum number of Apple Juice cans you can carry to three.	4
	3	Increases the maximum number of Apple Juice cans you can carry to four.	5
	4	Increases the maximum number of Apple Juice cans you can carry to five.	5
Melon Juice	1	Increases the maximum number of Melon Juice cans you can carry to two.	2
	2	Increases the maximum number of Melon Juice cans you can carry to three.	3
	3	Increases the maximum number of Melon Juice cans you can carry to four.	3
	4	Increases the maximum number of Melon Juice cans you can carry to five.	4
Bananergy	1	Bananzas will last 30 percent longer.	1
	2	Bananzas will last 70 percent longer.	2
	3	Bananzas will last twice as long.	3
	4	Bananzas will last 130 percent longer.	4
Drumbeat	1	Reduces the amount of time you must hold + to activate a Bananza with your drumbeat.	1
	2	Further reduces the amount of time you must hold + to activate a Bananza with your drumbeat.	2
	3	Greatly reduces the amount of time you must hold + to activate a Bananza with your drumbeat.	3
Punch Power	1	Reduces the number of punches needed to smash through terrain with a strength rating of ★★.	2
	2	Reduces the number of punches needed to smash through terrain with a strength rating of ★★★.	3
	3	Reduces the number of punches needed to smash through terrain with a strength rating of ★★★★.	4
	4	Reduces the number of punches needed to smash through terrain with a strength rating of ★★★★★.	5
Better Collecting	1	Increases your Hand Slap's range by 50 percent, allowing you to collect gold by pressing from farther away.	1
	2	Increases your Hand Slap's range by 80 percent, allowing you to collect gold by pressing from farther away.	2
	3	Increases your Hand Slap's range by 100 percent, allowing you to collect gold by pressing from farther away.	3
Better Sonar	1	Increases your Hand Slap's sonar range by 60 percent, allowing you to detect hidden items with from farther away.	2
	2	Increases your Hand Slap's sonar range by 120 percent, allowing you to detect hidden items with from farther away.	3
	3	Increases your Hand Slap's sonar range by 160 percent, allowing you to detect hidden items with from farther away.	4
Charge Slap	N/A	Clear away stray chunks of terrain by holding before releasing it.	2
Spin Jump	N/A	Rotate , then press to perform a spinning attack as you jump.	2
Jump Shot	N/A	Using a held chunk to do a double jump by pressing then again will fire the chunk below you and impact the ground.	1
Better Turf Surfing	N/A	While Turf Surfing with , the chunks of terrain you ride on will dissolve at a slower rate.	3
Surf Surf	N/A	Embrace your Turf Surfing skills so you can skim over bodies of water by pressing while holding a chunk.	4
Kong Bananza
Charge Punch	1	Boosts the range of destruction when you do a Charge Punch by holding during Kong Bananza transformations.	1
	2	Further boosts the range of destruction when you do a Charge Punch by holding during Kong Bananza transformations.	3
Fast Charge	1	Reduces the amount of time you must hold to perform a Charge Punch during Kong Bananza transformations.	1
	2	Further reduces the amount of time you must hold to perform a Charge Punch during Kong Bananza transformations.	2
	3	Greatly reduces the amount of time you must hold to perform a Charge Punch during Kong Bananza transformations.	3
Kong Armor	N/A	Prevents flinching when attacked while holding for a Charge Punch.	3
Golden Punch	N/A	Fully charged punches will change the surrounding terrain into pure gold.	5
Zebra Bananza
Brake Blast	1	Sends out a destructive shock wave when you brake by suddenly tilting in the opposite direction of your movement.	1
	2	Sends out a more powerful shock wave when you brake by suddenly tilting in the opposite direction of your movement.	3
Charge Dash	1	Holding and releasing will keep you Charge Dashing for a bit longer.	1
	2	Holding and releasing will keep you Charge Dashing for much longer.	3
Spin Slam	N/A	Perform a destructive spinning attack with a held chunk by holding while rotating .	2
Spin Shot	N/A	Rotate and press to hurl a held chunk that can smash through most terrain.	3
Golden Dash	N/A	Brake Blasts and Charge Dashes will change the surrounding terrain into pure gold.	5
Ostrich Bananza
Glide	1	Glide through the air by continuing to hold after fluttering.	1
	2	Glide for a longer time by continuing to hold after fluttering.	3
Better Flutter	N/A	Fly faster and farther holding to Flutter.	2
Egg Bomb	1	Drop an Egg Bomb below you by pressing in midair. You can stock only one egg behind you at a time.	1
	2	Drop an Egg Bomb below you by pressing in midair. You can stock two eggs behind you at a time.	2
	3	Drop an Egg Bomb below you by pressing in midair. You can stock three eggs behind you at a time.	4
Golden Egg Bomb	N/A	Egg Bombs will change the surrounding terrain into pure gold on impact.	5
Elephant Bananza
Trunk Room	N/A	Allows you to store up to 10 chunks of terrain when inhaling by holding .	2
Better Inhaling	1	Increases the range and distance of terrain that you can inhale by holding .	2
	2	Further increases the range and distance of terrain that you can inhale by holding .	3
Stronger Lungs	1	Increases the amount of time that you can continuously inhale by holding .	1
	2	Greatly increases the amount of time that you can continuously inhale by holding .	3
Quick Storage	N/A	Allows you to store chunks more quickly while you inhale by holding .	2
Golden Vacuum	N/A	Inhale for extended periods to change the surrounding terrain into pure gold.	5
Snake Bananza
Jump Burst	N/A	Doing a Charge Jump by holding will cause damage as you launch.	1
Better Glare	1	The slow motion caused by holding to Glare will last 60 percent longer.	1
	2	The slow motion caused by holding to Glare will last 100 percent longer.	2
	3	The slow motion caused by holding to Glare will last 140 percent longer.	3
Better Charge Jump	N/A	Perform a Charge Jump by holding on the ground or in mid air.	3
Meteor Punch	N/A	After holding to do a Charge Jump, hold to do a Dive Punch and create an impact crater on the ground.	3
Golden Jump	N/A	Jump Bursts and Meteor Punches will change the surrounding terrain into pure gold.	5

Characters

Playable

Image	Name	Description
	Donkey Kong	The game's protagonist, Donkey Kong sets out to recover the Banandium Gems from Void Company.
	Pauline / Odd Rock	A 13-year-old girl with a talent for singing. At the start of the game, Pauline takes the form of Odd Rock and joins Donkey Kong on his journey. Unlike most characters in the game, she has fully voiced dialogue.

Bananza forms

Image	Name	Description
	Kong Bananza	Makes DK stronger and allows him to break through hard objects. He can wind up to throw a punch that sends a shockwave forward.
	Zebra Bananza	Makes DK faster and allows him to run on water. He can dash for short periods to run even faster, and defeat enemies while doing so.
	Ostrich Bananza	Allows DK to glide and drop Egg Bombs over the area.
	Elephant Bananza	Allows DK to vacuum up terrain with his trunk and transform materials into throwable Trunk Chunks.
	Snake Bananza	Allows DK to double jump and spring even higher with a Charge Jump. DK can also slow down time with a Glare, assisting in combat and traversing moving objects.

Supporting characters

Image	Name	Description
	Cranky Kong	The patriarch of the Kong Family. Cranky rides Rambi to the Underground World to chase after an unknown banana thief. He gives Banandium Gems to DK for talking to him.
	Diddy Kong	The best friend of Donkey Kong. He hosts a racing event called Rambi Rumble in the Racing Layer alongside his girlfriend, Dixie Kong.
	Dixie Kong	A close friend of Donkey Kong. She hosts Rambi Rumble alongside her boyfriend, Diddy Kong.
	Rambi	Rambi comes to the Underground World alongside Cranky Kong. Multiple appear, with Dixie Kong mentioning the monkeys "rode a bunch of Rambis" to reach the Racing Layer, where they are used for the Rambi Rumble minigame.
	Squawks*	A friend of Donkey Kong. He has a hut on DK Island where Banandium Chips can be exchanged for statues or gold. Like Rambis, multiple Squawks appear on the island.
	Fractones	Eyed, shapeshifting gem-like creatures that come in multiple colors. They can regenerate their bodies if they are destroyed.
	Architectone	A blue and yellow, house-shaped Fractone who handles construction of Getaways, places where Donkey Kong and Pauline can rest, change clothing, and listen to music.
	Bloomintone	A yellow Fractone shaped like a flower pot, whose blue flower will only bloom in the light. They reward the player with a Banandium Gem for clearing the terrain to allow sunlight to reach them.
	Chiptone	A yellow, hexagonal Fractone who runs a Chip Exchange, where Banandium Chips can be exchanged for Banandium Gems.
	Collectone	A Fractone shaped roughly like the Donkey Kong and Pauline amiibo, who allows the player to scan amiibo, appearing in several layers. They also appear in the Groove Layer as the proprietor of the Fossil Museum, though initially with a standard Fractone shape.
	Constructone	A blue Fractone who handles construction of objects, such as Barrel Cannons to reach a distant location, in exchange for gold.
	Exploritone	A blue Fractone whose past journey through the various layers of the Underground World is chronicled on stone tablets scattered across the layers.
	Fragmentone	A blue Fractone shaped like a puzzle piece. They task the player with gathering three pieces of their body in exchange for Banandium Gems.
	Glamtone	A blue Fractone in the shape of a t-shirt that tasks the player to equip Donkey Kong and/or Pauline with wearing a specific outfit, then rewarding them with a Banandium Gem.
	Groovetones	A group of four shiny, spherical Fractones that form a band in the Groove Layer.
	Growtone	A tree-like Fractone who grows the more gold Donkey Kong feeds it. It awards the player with up to three Banandium Gems, depending on the amount of gold eaten.
	Hiddentones	A type of Fractone that hides in the environment and is sought by a Seekertone. The player must find four of them to be awarded a Banandium Gem.
	Iron Jailer	A guard Fractone from the Groove Layer.
	Quiztone	A Fractone wearing a bowtie and bowler hat who quizzes the player on various topics throughout the game, each time awarding them a Banandium Gem for three correct answers.
	Securitone	A giant, indigo-colored Fractone who acts as a guard in the Forbidden Layer. For a price, they can activate throw zones in which chunks of terrain create pathways.
	Seekertone	A Fractone who asks the player to find four of friends hidden in the nearby terrain, named Hiddentone.
	Smashintone	A blue Fractone who keeps track of Donkey Kong's Smashin' Stats, the amount of terrain he has destroyed for each material.
	Stufftone	A green Fractone who runs a Stuff Shop, where gold can be exchanged for various items.
	Styletone	A magenta, T-shirt-shaped Fractone who runs a Style Shop, where fossils can be exchanged for clothing and fur colors.
	Trustytone	An indigo-colored Fractone that stays by the player's Getaway. Acting as a butler or assistant, they can turn into various shopkeepers to sell items.
	Banandiumtone*	A yellow, banana-shaped Fractone on DK Island who lets the player solve a puzzle.
	Prospector Monkeys	A group of spider monkey miners from Ingot Isle. They are sent to the Underground World alongside Donkey Kong by Void Company.
	Elders	A group of giant elders that resides in the Underground World, consisting of a Kong, zebra, ostrich, elephant, and snake. They possess ancient "Bananza" powers and grant Pauline the ability to transform DK into their corresponding forms.
	Salvager Monkeys	A blue type of monkey hailing from the Lagoon Layer, where they form a small fisher community.
	Zebras	Zebras wearing snow clothing hailing from the Freezer Layer, where they run a dessert business, making ice cream and chocolate.
	Ostriches	Ostriches with hair and clothing who hail from the Forest Layer. They run a large hotel, known as the Eggshell Hotel.
	Elephants	Large elephants from the Tempest Layer wearing raincoats. They have a particular interest in weather forecasting.
	Snakes	Snakes from the Radiance Layer with an artistic taste. They refine Glow Stone into various light-based goods.
	New Donkers	Human residents of Pauline's home, New Donk City.
	Li'l Eelevators	Children of the Eelevator that can eat Donkey Kong to "Teeleport" him between sublayers within the same Layer.
	Eelevator	The mother of Li'l Eelevators. She is a larger version of them with an anglerfish-like lure resembling traffic lights. She can be called by Warp Gongs and allow the player to quickly travel between layers.
	Great Harmoneel	The father of Li'l Eelevators. Even larger than the Eelevator, he is mind-controlled by Void Kong to capture Pauline.
	Eelings	Small relatives of the Eelevator family that flee upon spotting the player, carving out paths in the terrain.
	Singing Blusterwing	A bird-like creature from the Tempest Layer whose mood is said to dictate the weather. It is corrupted by Void Company into the Sinister Blusterwing.

Enemies

It has been requested that more images be uploaded for this article. Remove this notice only after the additional images have been added. Specifics: Include images of Kremling Krew enemies in their terrain shells and VoidCo enemies without their terrain shells

Collectively, the enemies in Donkey Kong Bananza are all creations made by Void Company, and thus have names that end in the suffix "-oid" derived from "Void" or "android." Their designs are inspired by fossils and artifacts, often including golden skeletons and carved patterns. For enemies that have terrain incorporated in their designs, the type of terrain can vary depending on the location the enemy is encountered. For example, Crockoids can appear covered in concrete, stone or sand, among other types of terrain.

In the Planet Core and New Donk City, the regular enemies are replaced by the Kremling Krew — i.e. Buzzoids and Zingers — though they retain all mechanics from their equivalent Void Company enemies.

Image/Name	First layer appearance	Description
Antickoid	Ingot Isle Cave-In	An ant-like creature that carries Banandium or rocks in its crystal-like abdomen.
Molevoloid	Ingot Isle Cave-In	A short cyllindrical mole-like enemy that burrows into the ground before producing a tall pillar of material.
Crockoid	Ingot Isle Cave-In	A golden crocodile-like skeleton enemy covered in terrain and wielding bones with terrain as clubs.
Buzzoid	Lagoon Layer	A flying wasp-like enemy that throws chunks of terrain, such as stone or Boom Rock.
Peekaboopoid	Lagoon Layer	A small colorful octopus-like enemy that hides in groups as chunks of terrain, appearing to swarm Donkey Kong.
Glitzoid	Hilltop Layer	A lizard-like enemy (resembling a gecko) with a tail made of gold and Banandium Chips that sprints around muddy terrain haphazardly.
VoidCo Spike-Ball Spitter	Hilltop Layer	An upward cannon resembling a monkey which expels indestructible spiked balls from its mouth.
Squeeloid	Canyon Layer	A boar-like enemy with a fuse that uses its two feet to propel itself along the ground towards Donkey Kong. They explode on impact.
Stompoid	Canyon Layer	A golden monkey skull enemy covered in a large monkey-like head made out of terrain. It can jump high by using its large foot.
Rolluskoid	Freezer Layer	An ammonite- or nautilus-like enemy encased in a spherical shell of terrain. It rolls at Donkey Kong to attack, afterwards it enters a dazed state, rendering it vulnerable.
Munchoid	Forest Layer	A mechanical enemy with drills on its face that pursues Donkey Kong while gnawing through terrain.
VoidCo Bongo Blaster	The Junction	A turret enemy with a primate-like design that tracks Donkey Kong and fires small Boom Rocks.
Trailfinoid	Resort Layer	A purple shark-like enemy that attacks by dashing. It creates a path made of colorful terrain when it attacks and when defeated.
Batteroid	Tempest Layer	A masked, golden, bat-like skeleton enemy covered in a glue-like goop that hangs from the ceiling and attempts to dive into Donkey Kong.
Gloominoid	Radiance Layer	A scorpion-like enemy that attacks with its moon-shaped stinger. It is petrified when exposed to light.
Illuminoid	Radiance Layer	An enemy that resembles the Gloominoid that attacks with its sun-shaped stinger. It prefers light and is petrified when deprived from it.
Trapantuloid	Radiance Layer	A tarantula-like enemy that carries gold and other collectibles in its cage-like body. It attacks by swinging two long beams of material.
Wallopoid	Groove Layer	A large wall of terrain with Void Kong's face and hands carved on it. it disguises itself as a regular wall before falling forward in an attempt to smash Donkey Kong. In New Donk City, they bear King K. Rool's face.
Muckoid	Feast Layer	A goopy enemy that hides in muck and launches projectiles at Donkey Kong.
Kremling Krew
Kritter	Planet Core	A green crocodile enemy that replaces Crockoids in the Planet Core and New Donk City, still covered in terrain.
Necky	Planet Core	A vulture enemy that replaces Batteroids in the Planet Core and New Donk City, still covered in the same goop, with a more bird-like mask.
Klaptrap	Planet Core	A small blue crocodile enemy that hides inside a crocodile-shaped machine which replaces Munchoids in the Planet Core and New Donk City.
Zinger	Planet Core	A wasp enemy that replaces Buzzoids in the Planet Core and New Donk City.
Kaboom	Planet Core	A red crocodile enemy hiding inside a spiky TNT barrel, which replaces Squeeloids in the Planet Core.
Army	Planet Core	An armadillo enemy which replaces Rolluskoids in the Planet Core, still covered in a now armadillo-shaped shell of terrain.
	New Donk City	A snake-like enemy made of Banandium Mush that resembles King K. Rool. It leaves behind a trail of Banandium Mush that can harm Donkey Kong.
K. Wallopoid	New Donk City	A variant of the Wallopoid enemy that bears King K. Rool's face.
	New Donk City	A cannon-like enemy resembling King K. Rool. Often placed diagonally, it occasionally rises from a pool of molten Banandium Mush to shoot an iron ball in a straight line that can only be punched away using Kong Bananza.

Bosses

Image	Layer	Description
Peekabruiser / Re-Peekabruiser	Lagoon Layer Landfill Layer	A large enemy made up of various Peekaboopoids covered in terrain. In its rematch, it is made of stronger materials.
Grumpy Kong	Canyon Layer Radiance Layer	A member of Void Company who manufactures the company's soldiers and weapons. He operates the King Crockoid, a giant Crockoid made up of various skeletons. During his rematch, the King Crockoid is covered in harder terrain and its club is now made out of Boom Rock.
Mad Mixer / Mad Mixer Remix	Canyon Layer Feast Layer	A sentient contraption that operates the Banandium Refinery Mixer. Its core is guarded by pillars made of a glittery stone material.
Stompenclomper / K. Stompenclomper	Canyon Layer Planet Core	A larger version of the Stompoid enemy that stomps around on two feet.
Poppy Kong	Freezer Layer Radiance Layer	The Director of Intelligence for Void Company. She uses a stealth perfume to turn invisible during her battle. During her rematch, she dashes around the arena faster.
Inflammonite	Freezer Layer	A larger version of the Rolluskoid enemy that is covered in lava.
Abracajabya	Forest Layer	A giant plant witch monster that attacks by creating thorny vines.
Void Kong	Hilltop Layer Lagoon Layer The Junction Forbidden Layer	The President of Void Company. He battles on top of his flying machine, summoning terrain to hinder and attack Donkey Kong.
Sinister Blusterwing	Tempest Layer	The normally friendly Blusterwing, after being seized by a type of Mind-Bender Mask, turning it into a large version of the Batteroid. It is fought thrice, each time spewing Gloo Gum terrain, lava and electricity, as well as tornadoes, to attack Donkey Kong.
Muckety-Muck	Feast Layer	A larger version of the Muckoid that attacks by spitting and creating pools of muck, as well as making boxes fall from the sky.
King K. Rool / K. Rool, King of Rot	Planet Core New Donk City	The leader of the Kremling Krew and the surprise final antagonist of the game, empowered by the Banandium Root.

Items

Image	Name	Description
	Apple	A fruit that restores one heart of Donkey Kong's health. Apples can be found from glowing red spots in terrain or randomly while breaking terrain.
	Apple Juice	An inventory item that automatically fully restores Donkey Kong's health after it is depleted.
	Banandium Gem	The main collectible of the game. Some are found in bunches, and every five Donkey Kong collects grants him a Skill Point that can be used towards unlocking skills.
	Banandium Gem Map	A map that pinpoints the location of a Banandium Gem. It can be purchased at Stuff Shops or rarely found inside a treasure chest.
	Banandium Chip	Banandium Chips can be traded at a Chip Exchange for Banandium Gems and, in the post-game, discs.
	Disc	A vinyl record randomly dropped from defeating an enemy that unlocks a track in the Music Player.
	Fossil	A secondary collectible that appears in one of three levels of rarity: common, rare, and extra-rare. Fossils have different designs depending on the layer and are traded at Style Shops for clothing.
	Fossil Map	A map that pinpoints the location of a common fossil in the current layer. It can be purchased at Stuff Shops or randomly found inside a treasure chest.
	Rare Fossil Map	A map that pinpoints the location of a rare fossil in the current layer. It can be purchased at Stuff Shops or rarely found inside a treasure chest.
	Extra-Rare Fossil Map	A map that pinpoints the location of the extra-rare fossil in the current layer. It is only purchased at Stuff Shops.
	Gold	Gold serves as the game's currency and is the most common collectible in the game. It can be spent at Stuff Shops and Chip Exchanges and also restores Donkey Kong's Bananergy when collected.
	Key	A Void Company-themed key is used to open a shield protecting a Void Stake, and is usually dropped after defeating an enemy.
	Melon Juice	An inventory item that allows Donkey Kong to use a Bananza while his Bananergy is not full.
	Red Balloon	A Red Balloon allows Donkey Kong to float back to safety after falling into an abyss. It can be purchased at Stuff Shops, where bundles of 10 are also available, or randomly found inside a treasure chest.

Objects

Image	Name	Description
	All-Mine Remote	A device used by Void Kong to create enemies. After he is defeated by Donkey Kong, it is taken by King K. Rool.
	Ancient Record	A giant vinyl record that Donkey Kong must locate and place in an elder's Eternatable to learn a new Bananza. It can also be used as an indestructible chunk.
	Balloon	Balloons appear in sets of five. Popping all balloons in a set unlocks a reward: yellow balloons reveal a Banandium Gem, while blue balloons found in Bananza Rehearsals unlock a disc.
	Banana Burger	A giant burger created in the Feast Layer that grants Donkey Kong access to the next sublayer. All five Burger Switches must be activated to fully assemble it.
	Banandium Melon	A large fruit that restores Donkey Kong's Bananergy. It automatically regenerates after use.
	Barrel	A cylindrical container that releases items when broken.
	Barrel Cannon	A barrel that, after pressing the jump button while Donkey Kong is inside it, launches him to a distant location in the direction its arrow is pointing. The player can press to exit a Barrel Cannon.
	Barrel Cannon switch	A switch in the ground that activates a Barrel Cannon leading to an upper sublayer when Donkey Kong uses a Dive Punch on it.
	Bed	Commonly found in Getaways, Donkey Kong can sleep in one to restore his health and may gain extra hearts.
	Blast Barrel	A type of Barrel Cannon that automatically launches Donkey Kong in the direction it is pointing when he enters it.
	Boom Bomb	A chunk of Boom Rock that can be used to defeat enemies and destroy a large portion of terrain. Boom Bombs are also found on mine cart tracks, where up to 10 can be held in the mine cart at a time and they can be thrown at a distance.
	Bopper Switch:11:05	A speed bag-like switch that causes a part of terrain to move the more Donkey Kong punches it.
	Boulder	A giant rock found in sinkholes that Donkey Kong can punch to break concrete holding gold.
	Bridge Seed	When thrown at wooden terrain, a seed creates a vine path leading back to Donkey Kong. Only one path can be created at a time per seed.
	Burger Switch	A switch activated with a Dive Punch that adds ingredients to the Banana Burger, found in the Feast Layer. Five are located throughout the top sublayer.
	Closet	Found in Getaways and near Style Shops, Donkey Kong can use a closet to change his and Pauline's attire.
	Crate	A cubed container that releases items when broken.
	Chunk	Any piece of terrain torn or broken off from the world. A chunk can be used to perform actions such as defeating enemies, destroying other terrain, and Turf Surfing.
	Dive Punch detonator	A switch that, when activated with a Dive Punch, creates an explosion that destroys large portions of terrain in the direction it is pointing.
	Freezing water	Water commonly found in the Freezer Layer that drains Donkey Kong's health if he swims in it.
	Geyser:6:20	A spot in terrain that emits sparks and releases a large amount of gold when destroyed.
	Giant Apple	A large fruit that restores Donkey Kong's health. Unlike a Banandium Melon, it does not regenerate.
	Giant Vegetable	A turnip that takes more effort for Donkey Kong to pull out of the ground.
	Glow Stone lamp	A device that contains Glow Stone from which Donkey Kong can tear an unlimited number of chunks of the material. Some lamps are empty and require Donkey Kong to hold a chunk of Glow Stone from another source near them to activate them.
	Golden root	A root in terrain that can be broken to produce gold.
	Hand Slap symbol	A symbol on a square or circular area of terrain that erects a tower made of that terrain from underneath when Donkey Kong uses a Hand Slap on or near it.
	Ice maker	A device activated with a lever that generates colored ice cubes, which melt lava and create snow cones.
	Icicle	A stalactite made of ice that automatically falls when Donkey Kong walks underneath it and pierces into the terrain below, where it can then be used as a platform.
	Land mine	An explosive that sets off a short period of time after it is touched, destroying surrounding terrain and potentially setting off a chain reaction with other, nearby land mines.
	Lift platform	A platform on a track with Gloo Gum underneath it. Throwing a chunk at its underside causes it to fall to its lowest level, and using a Hand Slap on top of it in this state causes it to go back up.
	Mind-Bender Mask	A mask created by Void Company and used to brainwash the Great Harmoneel. It is destroyed in the Groove Layer after Donkey Kong restores its music. A different-looking Mind-Bender Mask was also used to brainwash the Singing Blusterwing.
	Mine cart	A vehicle that transports Donkey Kong along a mine cart track, often to another location.
	Poison	Hazardous liquid commonly found in the Forest Layer that drains Donkey Kong's health if he swims in it.
	Rope	A rope is deployed from a box and can be used to quickly return to higher locations if Donkey Kong falls.
	Shifty Stone crystal	A triangular crystal that activates a Shifty Smash challenge, where Donkey Kong must destroy 100% of Shifty Stone to complete it and earn a Banandium Gem.
	Sign	A slab with inscribed text. Slabs are made of different materials, with one series made of stone containing verses of the Saga of the Exploritone.
	Sinkhole	A large hole in the earth that takes Donkey Kong to the next layer.
	Snake switch	A switch in the Radiance Layer that deactivates one Synthetic Sun and activates the other, changing the direction of the shadows cast by terrain.
	Sun door	A gate in the Radiance Layer that can only be opened after the Synthetic Sun is activated.
	Swap Harp	An instrument that swaps two types of terrain with each other.
	Synthetic Sun	The main source of light in the Radiance Layer. It is turned off when Donkey Kong first arrives at the layer and activated at the Solar Control Tower.
	Track	A set path along which platforms move.
	Treasure chest	A treasure chest may spawn while Donkey Kong destroys terrain. It may contain gold, a consumable item, or a map.
	Terravoider	A contraption planted by Void Company that turns its surrounding area into Voided Terrain. A Terravoider's seal can only be broken with Pauline's singing, after which Donkey Kong can destroy it to restore the terrain to normal.
	Throw zone	A large space created by a Securitone that causes a chunk to leave a path of Passage Stone behind when thrown inside it.
	Tuning fork	A checkpoint marking a major location in a layer. With the help of Li'l Eelevators, Donkey Kong can Teeleport to activated tuning forks within the current layer via the map screen.
	Turnip	A vegetable planted in the ground that Donkey Kong can pull out to release items.
	Void Stake	A large stake planted by Void Company that creates Voided Terrain and blocks an entrance to the next sublayer. Donkey Kong can destroy it by punching it a number of times, opening up the entrance.
	Warp Gong	An instrument that summons the Eelevator to transport Donkey Kong to another layer.
	Zip line	A form of transportation that allows Donkey Kong to descend to a distant location. A sturdy chunk of terrain is required to travel down a zip line.
		A path of a specific terrain that slowly forms as Donkey Kong walks along it, similar to a Flower Road in Super Mario Odyssey.
		A propeller-powered floating platform with Gloo Gum underneath it, resembling a lift platform. Throwing a chunk at its underside causes it to fall to the ground and break.

Terrain

Extra Soft

Extra Soft terrain is easily breakable by merely running into it. Due to this, it cannot be grabbed or torn off by normal means, as it will disintegrate when doing so, and when Inhaled during Elephant Bananza, Trunk Chunks of this type of terrain will not have any impact when thrown.

• Fresh Snow
• Shade Cloud
• Water

Soft

Soft terrain is easily breakable with a single Punch, but is sturdy enough to be grabbed and thrown elsewhere. Most terrain of this type can be stuck onto surfaces of equal or sturdier terrain types, and will disintegrate when a sturdier terrain type is thrown onto it.

• Bread
• Bright Ore (when exposed to darkness)
• Crumbly Crust
• Crystal
• Dirt
• Fiber
• Fractonium
• Fragile Rubber
• Gloo Gum
• Glow Stone
• Gold / Pure Gold
• Grass
• Grated Cheese
• Ice
• Lettuce
• Liftoff Ore
• Meat
• Melon
• Melty Cheese
• Mud
• Orange
• Passage Stone
• Pear
• Potato
• Salt
• Sand
• Shade Ore (when exposed to light)
• Shifty Stone
• Snow
• Strawberry
• Switcheroo Goo
• Tomato
• Thorns
• White Melon Rind

Sturdy

Sturdy terrain does not break as easily, requiring a certain amount of Punches depending on a Layer's Terrain strength and Donkey Kong's Punch Power level. Sturdy terrain also has the tendency to leave broken off debris behind when punched or thrown into with sturdier terrain.

• Bacon
• Banandium
• Boom Rock
• Cheese
• Eggshell
• Glow Stone
• Green Melon Rind
• Ice
• Lava
• Obsidian
• Stone
• Wood

Extra Sturdy

Extra Sturdy terrain is nigh unbreakable by normal means, requiring either punches from Kong Bananza, throwing a chunk of explosive terrain such as Gold or Boom Rock at it, or throwing chunks of any other type of Sturdy terrain at it several times.

• Concrete
• Spiky Concrete

No type

Most terrain without a type is entirely unbreakable; although some of them, such as Voided Terrain or Muck, require specific actions to get rid of it.

• Bright Ore
• Metal
• Mine-Cart Rail
• Muck
• Neptunite
• Oil
• Rubber
• Seed
• Shade Cloud (when exposed to darkness)
• Shade Ore
• Slippery Iron
• Slippery Neptunite
• Slippery Strong Glass
• Spikes
• Voided Terrain
• ????

Layers

There are 17 layers (18 layers with the DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC) containing 777 missions which reward Banandium Gems. Of those, 34 are bunches of three bananas, and 21 are bunches of five; therefore, the game's counter for how many bananas DK has eaten will reach 929 after completing all the missions. The counter can be further increased to its maximum value of 1000 by spending Banandium Chips at the Chip Exchange for 71 additional Banandium Gems.

Name	Terrain strength	Banandium Gems	Fossils
DK Island*	★☆☆☆☆	N/A	N/A
Ingot Isle Cave-In (SL10)	★☆☆☆☆	36	N/A
Lagoon Layer (SL100)	★★☆☆☆	56	72
Hilltop Layer (SL200)	★★☆☆☆	38	30
Canyon Layer (SL300)	★★☆☆☆	80	72
The Divide (SL400)	★★★☆☆	10	N/A
Freezer Layer (SL500)	★★★☆☆	87	72
Forest Layer (SL600)	★★★☆☆	83	72
The Junction (SL700)	★★★☆☆	15	N/A
Resort Layer (SL800)	★★★★☆	42	30
Tempest Layer (SL900)	★★★★☆	70	72
Landfill Layer (SL1000)	★★★★☆	27	30
Racing Layer (SL1100)	★★★★☆	10	N/A
Radiance Layer (SL1200)	★★★★☆	76	72
Groove Layer (SL1300)	★★★★☆	30	30
Feast Layer (SL1400)	★★★★★	69	72
Forbidden Layer (SL1500)	★★★★★	25	30
Planet Core (SL1600)	★★★★★	23	42

Clothing

Main article: Style Shop § List of items

As in Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong and Pauline can equip different clothes (specifically ties and britches in Donkey Kong's case) after purchasing them from the Style Shop by accessing the closet, located near one of the shops or Getaways. Both characters' clothes grant status boosts when worn, such as increased movement in certain terrain, higher defense, and extended Bananza time. Donkey Kong can also change his fur color, though this is only aesthetic and grants no status effects.

Brands

Main article: List of brands debuting in Donkey Kong Bananza

New

• 94.0 KNDC Radio
• Arcade 81
• Baboomtown
• Banana Bandits
• Bed & Banana
• Candy Music
• Canopy Capital International
• City Litigator Public Law
• Cranky Records
• D&K
• Diddy & Dixie Double Trouble
• Drink
• Dynasty Parking
• Enguarde Eatery
• Express-os
• Funky's Flights
• Gold
• Gold Rush
• Ice Age Alley
• Ingot Isle
• Jungle Beat Cafe
• Jungle Japes
• K. Rool
• King K. Rool
• King K. Rool Is Back!
• K’mon
• Lady & The Kong
• Lanky!
• Live at City Hall!
• Money
• NDC Construction
• NDT: The New Donk Times
• New Donk Mining Corporation
• New K. Rool City
• Poker Chimps
• Prime Eats
• Rambi
• Rambi Rumble
• Simple Tools
• Tiny Bank
• Tree House Bagels
• Tropic TV+
• VoidCo
• Welcome to NDC
• WE❤︎NDC

Returning

• NDC Festival
• New Donk City

Music

Main article: Donkey Kong Bananza sound test

Donkey Kong can interact with the gramophone at a Getaway to access the Music Player, where the player can listen to music from the game. There are 110 tracks in the Music Player, which are unlocked by collecting discs. In the post-game, Donkey Kong can speak to Grumpy Kong in the Groove Layer to have him repair the Massive Speaker for 20,000 gold, after which the player can listen to music there at a higher quality.

Seven additional discs were added in the Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC. The first is unlocked upon arriving at DK Island, while the rest are unlocked by playing Emerald Rush.

Demo

The title screen for the demo version

A demo for the game was available at the Nintendo Switch 2 Experience on April 4, 2025. It consisted of the introductory part of Ingot Isle immediately followed by the start of the Lagoon Layer. The demo lasted for 20 minutes.

Nintendo later released a demo on the Nintendo eShop on September 12, 2025, following the Nintendo Direct and coinciding with the release of the DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC. This demo is different in that, at the start of the Lagoon Layer, the Odd Rock is replaced by Pauline herself and he can use the Kong Bananza. The demo lasts for 30 minutes or ends if the player reaches sublayer 101.

Update history

Ver. 1.0.1

An update was released on July 16, 2025. The following changes were made:

• “GameShare (Local User)” and “GameShare (GameChat)” options added for “Co-op Play” in the Pause menu.
• Various adjustments have been made to create a more comfortable gameplay experience.

Ver. 2.0.0

An update was released on September 12, 2025. The following changes were made:

• Added support for the paid DLC DK Island & Emerald Rush.
  • If you have not cleared the main game yet, you can go to DK Island by talking to Squawks at the Racing Layer.
  • If you have cleared the main game, you can go to DK Island by striking the Warp Gong after hearing about the “Bananza Rehearsal” from the Elder.
  • After reaching DK Island, you can play Emerald Rush by talking to Void Kong.
• The number of Banandium Chips that can be stored has been increased from 9,999 to 99,999.
• Several other changes have been made and issues addressed to improve the gameplay experience.

Ver. 2.0.1

An update was released on September 23, 2025. The following changes were made:

• Fixed issue where the player could not get a disc as a reward for collecting all the balloons in Bananza Rehearsal.
  • If the above issue is occurring in the game in Ver. 2.0.0 or earlier, the player will be able to get the disc right after the stage starts by entering Bananza Rehearsal after downloading this update data.
• Fixed issue where some of Pauline’s shout voices would not play when language setting of the Nintendo Switch 2 system is “English (UK/Australia)” and travel buddy’s voice (Pauline’s voice) in “Options” has its “voice language” set to “Same as system.”
• Several other changes have been made and issues addressed to improve the gameplay experience.

Development

Images comparing the graphics of the early Nintendo Switch version of the game with the final Nintendo Switch 2 product

After the completion of Super Mario Odyssey, development of a new game began following a suggestion from Yoshiaki Koizumi, the director of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and later producer of Super Mario Odyssey, to create a 3D Donkey Kong game. The development team consulted Shigeru Miyamoto to gather his insights on the character. Miyamoto emphasized that Donkey Kong has "unique actions" like the hand slap or blowing his breath, with Koizumi highlighting Donkey Kong's distinctive traits, being strong and having large, long arms that set him apart from Mario.

The team experimented with the voxel technology utilized in Super Mario Odyssey and worked on developing gameplay mechanics. They decided that destruction would be the central theme of the game. While implementing gameplay elements was relatively straightforward, level design presented some significant challenges.

They discussed what kind of character would best accompany Donkey Kong on his adventures. Early on, they created concept art and prototyped a zebra transformation, including music composed by their composer. They decided to develop it into a full song, and then realized Pauline would be a good choice to sing it. As a result, they asked the composer for more songs for each of the transformations, featuring Pauline's vocals, which led to the decision to make her the accompanying character.

Like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza was originally developed for Nintendo Switch, but development moved to Nintendo Switch 2 due to the hardware capabilities of the latter console. The development team believed that the move would provide the best platform for realizing their ideas and technology.

Staff

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Bananza staff

Donkey Kong Bananza is developed by Nintendo EPD Tokyo, the developers of the 3D Super Mario series, which previously developed Donkey Kong Jungle Beat when the studio was under the "EAD" name.

Kenta Motokura served as producer and senior director, while Kazuya Takahashi, an ex-Sega and Square Enix employee, served as one of the directors and the planning director, making this his first Nintendo game he worked on. Wataru Tanaka, the lead programer for Super Mario Odyssey, served as the other director and the programming director, while Naoto Kubo, the lead composer for Super Mario Odyssey, served as the sound director.

Not counting ports, this is the first overall Mario game developed by Nintendo EPD Tokyo where Yoshiaki Koizumi was not directly involved in the game's development.

Pre-release and unused content

Early boxart for the game, featuring Odd Rock instead of Pauline

• Because Pauline was not revealed to be in the game until the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct, she was omitted from cutscenes and gameplay footage in the initial reveal trailer and gameplay to avoid revealing her too soon. Additionally, the key art and boxart originally featured Odd Rock instead of her.
• As shown in the comparison screenshots between the Switch and Switch 2 builds in the "Ask the Developer" interview, the HUD looked noticeably different and was angled, the Bananza forms and Pauline ability elements were at different positions, and the prompts for the map and Photo Mode were visible, showing that the Map was originally accessible using , whereas in the final game, it accesses the Skills Menu instead. Additionally, the counters for consumable items such as Red Balloons were absent.
  • In the same Switch build screenshot, Donkey Kong's Standard Britches lacked the suspenders it has in the final version and the hair tie and bracelet in Pauline's in-game model were blue instead of purple.

Themes

Concept artwork highlighting neon lights as a visual element.

Donkey Kong Bananza combines the overall themes of mining (and general underground exploration) and music, blending elements regarding geology, paleontology, archaeology and dance clubs.

One of the game's main visual motifs is the juxtaposition of cyan and magenta coloring. Some clear examples of this motif in use are the light emmited by objects related to the Fractone civilization, the environments of tutorial courses for the Bananzas, the signs of New Donk City and the game's user interface. Disregarding in-universe usage of these colors, many in-game objects (as well as all promotional artwork) are nevertheless rendered as though they are affected by cyan and magenta neon lighting. This stylistic detail is derived from the visuals of the original Donkey Kong arcade game's hot pink girders and cyan ladders, which were in turn inspired by the neon lights of New York City.

References to other media

Donkey Kong

• A sign with "Arcade 81" appears, referencing this game's release in 1981.
• Cranky Kong indirectly refers to Jumpman when remarking that rivals in his day had charisma, even when wearing overalls.
• The Challenge Course "Arcade Country" resembles 25m. For the background music in that course, it features a medley consisting of "Round Start BGM," "Round 1 BGM," "Hammer BGM," and the first ending theme from the arcade version.
• "Breaking Through (Heart of Gold)" incorporates the melody of "Title BGM" from the NES version of this game as well as "Round 1 BGM" as a countermelody during Pauline's Kong Bananza vocals section near the end.
• The melody Pauline comes up with after completing all of the Bananza Rehearsals is "Round 1 BGM."
• The tune that plays when resting at a Getaway is an arrangement of the first bar of "Title BGM."
• The warning that plays when reaching low health uses the first few notes of "Title BGM."
• The chime that plays after destroying a Terravoider is a rendition of the points sound effect from this game.
• When Donkey Kong learns a new Bananza, Pauline performs a dance similar to her animation in this game.
• Pauline's Lady's Dress resembles her appearance in official artwork for this game, while her Arcade Dress resembles her in-game sprite.
• The Forbidden Layer's fossils resemble some of the game's sprites, namely a barrel, Pauline's lost items, and Donkey Kong.
• The checkpoints of NDC partially follow the name format for levels in this game, that being "NDC X m", where X is a number.
• When Pauline yells, "I can't do it!" before Donkey Kong transforms into his Kong Bananza form, Donkey Kong stamps in place in an animation similar to his chest-beating animation in this game.

Donkey Kong Jr.

• Some of Donkey Kong's shocked facial expressions resemble Donkey Kong Jr.'s facial expressions when taken out by an enemy.

Donkey Kong (Game Boy)

• Pauline's shirt resembles her dress from this game, with both being ripped on the bottom.

Donkey Kong Country

• There are fossils of Gnawties, Zingers, Winky, Enguarde, Armies, and tires.
• The Challenge Course "Nostalgia Country" is a homage to Jungle Hijinxs.
• The Challenge Course "Mine-Cart Country" is a homage to Mine Cart Carnage.
• Red Balloons return.
• The shoes worn by the Ostrich Elder resemble the ones worn by Expresso.
• The Ostrich Bananza's gliding ability is based upon Expresso's own.
• Kritters make the same grunting sound as certain Kremlings in this game (including Krushas and King K. Rool) when they are defeated.
• Arrangements of "DK Island Swing", "Mine Cart Madness", "Simian Segue", "Bonus Room Blitz", and "Gang-Plank Galleon" can be heard in the game. Additionally, the music for New Donk City incorporates the melody of "Aquatic Ambiance".
• Much like in this game, fake "KREDITS" begin rolling after K. Rool's initial defeat, with his henchmen listed as staff members.
  • Klump is listed under "Game Koding".
• The description of the Frog (alt color) fossil mentions that its preferred the "dank dangers of a life in the mines," a reference to the theme "Life in the Mines".
• An advertisement for a business named "Ice Age Alley" can be seen in New Donk City.
• An advertisement for Funky's Flights can be seen in New Donk City, using the Jumbo Barrel as its logo.
• Giant Star Barrels make up part of the trophy found in the Racing Layer.
• The advertisement for "Candy Music" in New Donk City features the pink polka dot bow Candy Kong wears in this game.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

• There are fossils of Squitter and Glimmer.
• When introducing herself to Pauline, Dixie Kong directly mentions the events of this game.
• The Challenge Course "Bramble Country" is a homage to Bramble Blast.
• The game features arrangements of "Stickerbush Symphony", "Token Tango" and "Crocodile Cacophony".
• The Rambi Rumble event is named after the level from this game.
• Diddy Kong can be seen juggling during his idle animation.
• Dixie Kong's bubblegum and drink idle animations return.
• Rattly's spring jump mechanics are the basis of the Snake Bananza's abilities.
• Kabooms return, using their original design from this game.
• The fake credits name Kackle, Kaboing, Kannon, King Zing, Klampon, Klank, Kleever, Klinger, Kloak, Klobber, Klomp, and Klubba as staff members.
• The first phase of the fight against King K. Rool has him using an attack resembling his blunderbuss attack from this game, and is also dispatched in a similar manner.
• An advertisement for a band named "Stickerbush Symphony" can be seen in New Donk City.
• In Quiztone's quiz at the Planet Core, when they ask what their name is, one of the incorrect answers is "Swankytone", referencing Swanky Kong (who hosts a similar quiz in this game).
• Glimmer and Clapper are drawn on the beach's sands near the ruins area of DK Island.

Super Mario 64

• The DK Artist mode features a repeating pattern of the game's logo in deep blue tones in its backdrop, much like the backdrop of the title screen in this game featuring Mario's face. The mode similarly allows players to manipulate 3D models of Donkey Kong and Void Kong's disembodied heads.

Donkey Kong Country (television series)

• In the DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC, one of the Perks is titled "Banana Slamma," DK's catchphrase from this show.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

• There are fossils of Banana Bird, Lurchin, and KAOS.
• The background of maps depicts the Northern Kremisphere, specifically the area around Funky's Rentals, Mekanos, Krematoa, and Blunder's Booth.
• On the Rambi Rumble race course, the text "Double Trouble" appears on one of the walls.
• The Elephant Bananza's abilities to inhale and store projectiles with his trunk are based on Ellie's abilities.
• The second phase of King K. Rool's fight has him using the Propellerpack, redesigned to look similar to KAOS.
• The fake credits have Klasp listed under "3D Model Kreation", Knocka under "Network Koding", and Kobble under "System Funktions".
• Parts of "Big Boss Blues" are incorporated into the themes "Banandium Root Tower" and "K. Rool, King of Rot". The introduction of the latter theme also bears similarities to "Hot Pursuit".
• Quiztone's attire is based on Swanky Kong's outfit in this game.

Donkey Kong 64

• When Donkey Kong collects a Banandium Gem, a voice clip saying "Ooh, banana!" plays, much like in this entry. The line is also said by a Fractone in the Planet Core.
• Cranky Kong calls Donkey Kong the "leader of the bunch", a line from the DK Rap.
• The game includes a rearrangement of Rambi's theme.
• The "Getaway" music track samples the chorus of the DK Rap.
• K. Rool's theme is played when he is first shown and in the music for New Donk City.
• There are billboards in New Donk City showing Lanky Kong with the text "No style. No grace. Funny face," referencing the DK Rap.
• Tiny Kong's name appears on one of the billboards in New Donk City, which reads "Tiny Bank".
• The King of Rot phase of the final boss fight is set within a platform resembling a boxing ring, referencing the final fight against K. Rool in Donkey Kong 64. There is text in the octagonal design on the floor of the ring reading "K. Rool's the king!", the same message printed on the outside of the boxing ring in this game.
• The beginning of the second phase of the final battle with King K. Rool has a closeup of K. Rool's unconscious body only for him to suddenly open up his eye, alluding to his attempted ambush of Chunky Kong after the latter beat him in the final battle of this game.
• The animation used when feeding the Growtone is very similar to the one used when feeding Scoff, with DK using alternating hands to "throw" the gold into it.
• In the Resort Layer, Quiztone asks if DK misses "those sparkling coconuts" and mentions that the "oranges don't explode this time", in reference to Crystal Coconuts and oranges from this game.
• In the Boss Rush lobby, Dixie and Diddy shout, "D! K!" and "Donkey! Kong!" respectively, derived from the chorus of the DK Rap.
• The Armadillo fossil mentions that "[s]ome of them with military training simply carried cannons instead," which is a reference to Army Dillo.
• In Ingot Isle, there is a Banandium Gem called "Shifty Smash: Quick & Nimble," which is a reference to Tiny Kong's section of the DK Rap.
• DK Island's theme is an arrangement of "DK Isle".
• In Emerald Rush mode, using a Warp Barrel plays the same transition sound as in this game.

Super Smash Bros.

• The Spinning Kong attack is incorporated into Donkey Kong's moveset.

Mario Artist series

• The album art for the "DK Artist" theme in the Music Player resembles the boxart for these games.

Nintendo GameCube

• One of the islands surrounding DK Island is a replica of the DK Bongos controller.

Super Mario Sunshine

• Banandium Chips function similarly to the Blue Coins in this game.
• Donkey Kong can learn a Spin Jump that functions the same as in this game.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

• An advertisement for "Jungle Beat Cafe" can be seen in New Donk City.

Super Mario Galaxy

• The Growtone functions similarly to the Hungry Lumas in this game.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

• The pig fossil in the game bears a resemblance to Professor Chops.
• A few Mole Miner hats lie on the ground inside the mine area of DK Island.
• One of the Bonus Stages on DK Island is placed on a cliff on the back side of the island in a pool of water, which calls back to the location of the Golden Temple in this game and how it was situated above a waterfall.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

• The red and white surfboard on DK Island references the design of Funky's surfboard in this game.

Super Mario Odyssey

• The game runs on a similar, albeit more detailed, graphical engine to the game.
• Crates with "NDC" and "New Donk City" written on them appear in the opening area. New Donk City itself is visited at the end of the game.
• Pauline being a singer originates from this game.
• The shops' UI and layout greatly resembles the one from this game.
• Donkey Kong and Pauline can change into different costumes from the shop's closet similarly to this game.
• Shifty Smash challenges work similar to those of Scarecrows from this game.
• Banandium Gems and Banandium Gem bunches work similar to Power Moons and Multi Moons from this game, respectively.
• Many of the sound effects from this game were reused, including the one that plays after collecting a Banandium Gem being the same as the one played after collecting a Power Moon without full health, and the one that plays after activating a Shifty Smash challenge.
• Cranky Kong serves a similar role to that of Captain Toad from this game.
• Tuning forks function similarly to the Checkpoint Flags in this game.
• Fossils function similarly to the regional coins in this game.
• The Diva Dress resembles the dress and hat Pauline wears during the New Donk City Festival.
• Some dance moves that Pauline performs in cutscenes originate from this game.
• The game features an Assist Mode first introduced in this game.
• This game features a Photo Mode similar to this game.
• New Donk City appears along with its city hall.
• The ending of the cutscene where K. Rool takes over New Donk City incorporates the whistling sound from "Fossil Falls" and "Setting the Scene 1" in this game.
• The Invisibility Tie functions the same as the Invisibility Cap from this game; both are also one of the final pieces of clothing to be unlocked and can only be done so in the post-game.
• Part of "Jump Up, Super Star!" can be heard in the theme that plays in New Donk City.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

• The TV seen inside DK's Tree House in King K. Rool's "The Rivals" trailer can be seen in the Nostalgia Country Challenge Course.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

• Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong retain the pins on their hats from the film.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Donkey Kong Bananza.

• 

  Donkey Kong holding a large rock

• 

  Pauline singing

• 

  Donkey Kong using Kong Bananza with Pauline

• 

  Void Company

• 

  Barrel Cannon

• 

  Banandium Gems

Naming

"Bananza" is a portmanteau of "banana" and "bonanza," referring to the game's gold rush theming.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ドンキーコング バナンザ Donkī Kongu Bananza	Donkey Kong Bananza
Chinese (simplified)	咚奇刚 蕉力全开 Dōngqí Gāng Jiāolìquánkāi (Mandarin) Dūngkèih Gōng Jīulihkchyùhnhōi (Cantonese)	Donkey Kong Bananza
Chinese (traditional)	咚奇剛 蕉力全開 Dōngqí Gāng Jiāolìquánkāi (Mandarin) Dūngkèih Gōng Jīulihkchyùhnhōi (Cantonese)	Donkey Kong Bananza
Korean	동키콩 바난자 Dongki Kong Bananja	Donkey Kong Bananza

Footnotes and references

Footnotes

^* - Exclusive to DK Island & Emerald Rush

External links

• North American website
• Japanese website
• Korean website
• Hong Kong website
• European website (English)