Latest news with #NintendoDirect
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Switch 2 release date: New gameplay features, powers, and more revealed
Donkey Kong Bananza release date: Nintendo revealed many details about Donkey Kong Bananza during the latest Nintendo Direct, and the game looks much more than just the Donkey Kong version of Mario Odyssey and Zelda. From smashing terrain to singing-based powers, Bananza feels like a wild, creative and chaotic leap for the franchise. The game launches on July 17, 2025, only on Nintendo Switch 2, and it's shaping up to be a must-play. Multiplayer with a twist We knew there was something odd about that rock…The talented young singer Pauline will team up with Donkey Kong on his subterranean adventure in #DonkeyKongBananza. Unlike Mario Odyssey's limited second-player mode, Bananza gives real power to player two. You can control a younger Pauline, not just for the ride but for real action. She fires musical blasts that copy nearby terrain materials and actually help in boss fights. And thanks to GameShare, you only need one copy of the game to enjoy local co-op. Music powers and transformations Music drives both the world and the action in Bananza. Pauline's voice isn't just for singing this time. As you explore, you'll meet Giant Elders who grant music-based powers. These unlock wild animal transformations for Donkey Kong. MY GAWD Donkey Kong Bananza looks absolutely incredible!The Visuals, The Gameplay, The MUSIC, The Story, The EVERYTHING!THIS might very well Of The Year! 🔥 #NintendoSwitch2 So far, we've seen him become a zebra to dash over water and an ostrich to fly across tropical skies. These forms come with unique combat and platforming skills, opening up new ways to solve puzzles and take down enemies. A soundtrack full of nostalgia and new hits Bananza features an upbeat and funky soundtrack. Classic tunes like 'Jungle Hijinks' and the unforgettable 'DK Rap' return. Pauline even belts out new songs, including one inspired by Bob Seger, giving a retro pop-rock feel to the game's boss battles and cutscenes. Side-scrolling levels return Old-school fans will love this. Bananza includes dedicated side-scrolling levels packed with tricky challenges. Completing these gives you Banandium Gems, which you can use to level up Donkey Kong's abilities. #DonkeyKongBananza Same energy 😭 In the Nintendo Direct, we saw Pauline and DK getting launched from barrels, swinging through vines and diving into 2.5D action sequences that nod to the series' roots. DK Artist Mode: A fun break from the chaos There's DK Artist mode for players looking to relax between the platforming madness. Using Joy-Con 2's mouse controls, you can sculpt, paint and stretch art into rocks and walls, kind of like Mario Paint meets Donkey Kong. It's a charming and peaceful distraction from the main game. A deeper story and more destruction Bananza's big gimmick is its destructible terrain. Donkey Kong can smash almost everything, from rocks to structures, and use those pieces to fight, build, or create paths. It adds a fresh dynamic to how you explore the world. There's also a surprising story twist. The mysterious rock companion from the trailer? That's actually a young Pauline. She's no longer just a damsel. She's a sidekick with her story arc, musical powers and vital role in DK's journey underground.
Mint
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Donkey Kong Bananza: Super Mario Odyssey's Pauline will be new sidekick, says Nintendo
Nintendo on Wednesday, June 18, unveiled new gameplay features for Donkey Kong Bananza during its Nintendo Direct presentation. The first-party game will be launched on Nintendo Switch 2 next month. The video game company confirmed that Pauline from Super Mario Odyssey will serve as the sidekick character in the new game, Game Rant reported. Through her singing talents, Pauline will be able to transform DK into multiple forms, such as a charging zebra or a flying ostrich, which can drop egg bombs. A second player can control this character, which turns Bananza into a co-op experience, IGN reported. As Pauline's vocals become explosive blasts, it can be aimed using the mouse controls to help DK. With the GameShare option, this can be played on multiple consoles, including the original Nintendo Switch. The best part here is that your partner does not require a copy of the game. Gamers will be able to skate around on pieces of the environment, which have been torn out of the ground by DK. They can further stick them together to come up with new structures. The DK Artist mode will allow gamers to showcase their creativity with the Bananza's destruction effects. Players now get to carve out their own statues out of stone. Another major highlight is the return of classic characters like Cranky Kong and Rambi the Rhino as well as Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong. As of now, their roles in the gameplay remain uncertain. The new game will also include a fresh version of the iconic DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64. Besides the game, Nintendo informed about the Donkey Kong Bananza amiibo figure that features DK and Pauline. It will be made available alongside the game. Players get early access to the costume for Pauline. Much like 2017's Super Mario Odyssey, the new offering from Nintendo will be an open-world game, where the barrel-throwing gorilla tries to retrieve his precious Golden Bananas from the evil VoidCo. The new game comes out exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17. The game was revealed during the Nintendo Switch 2 event in April. It marks the return of the 3D action-adventure platformer genre for the Donkey Kong series.
Engadget
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Nintendo just revealed Pauline as a surprise character in Donkey Kong Bananza
Nintendo just dropped a ton of details about the next major Switch 2 first-party game. Donkey Kong Bananza was the star of a Nintendo Direct livestream this morning and it was filled to the brim with nifty tidbits to get fans excited about the 3D platformer. The biggest news is the addition of Pauline as DK's sidekick. She goes all the way back to the original Donkey Kong arcade game. Nintendo really pulled a fast one here, as the first trailer showed the sidekick as an anthropomorphic rock of some kind. This would be in line with Mario's various partners in his 3D platformers, as he's teamed up with hats, stars and other inanimate objects. Your Yahoo privacy setting is blocking social media and third-party content You can Allow your personal information to be shared and sold. Something went wrong. Try again. You can update your choice anytime by going to your privacy controls, which are linked to throughout our sites and apps. This page will now refresh. However, it was all a ruse. Pauline is the sidekick, as she was trapped inside of that rock. Nintendo really went all in with this prank. Even the original box art showed the little rock character, which has now been replaced by Pauline. There's even a two-player co-op mode in which one person controls Pauline. This will work on GameShare, so it only requires one copy of the game. Your Yahoo privacy setting is blocking social media and third-party content You can Allow your personal information to be shared and sold. Something went wrong. Try again. You can update your choice anytime by going to your privacy controls, which are linked to throughout our sites and apps. This page will now refresh. There are some major lore implications here. Donkey Kong Bananza features Pauline as a kid and the Donkey Kong arcade cabinet starred her as an adult. This throws everything we know about the arcade game into question. Was Donkey Kong just protecting his surrogate daughter from the evil mustached plumber? Remember, Donkey Kong Jr. featured Mario as the antagonist. It's also worth noting that Pauline last appeared in Super Mario Odyssey , as the mayor of New Donk City. Did she create the city to honor her childhood hero? I have so many questions. Your Yahoo privacy setting is blocking social media and third-party content You can Allow your personal information to be shared and sold. Something went wrong. Try again. You can update your choice anytime by going to your privacy controls, which are linked to throughout our sites and apps. This page will now refresh. Pauline wasn't the only cool thing that Nintendo revealed today. Donkey Kong Bananza has some light RPG mechanics, in the form of a skill tree. There are outfits to purchase for both DK and Pauline, which is always fun. DK can also turn into other creatures, offering the ape new abilities. Transforming into an ostrich inexplicably grants flight and turning into a zebra lets players run on water. The trailer also placed a heavy emphasis on the destructive nature of the gameplay. We already knew that DK could destroy just about anything , leading to novel exploration methods, but that looks to be an even bigger part of the game than we thought. Remember how much climbing up anything changed the Zelda formula with Breath of the Wild ? This is Donkey Kong's take on that. Your Yahoo privacy setting is blocking social media and third-party content You can Allow your personal information to be shared and sold. Something went wrong. Try again. You can update your choice anytime by going to your privacy controls, which are linked to throughout our sites and apps. This page will now refresh. Finally, the game will make use of the Joy-Con's mouse functionality . There's a bonus mode where players can sculpt rocks via mouse controls. Donkey Kong Bananza is a Switch 2 exclusive that will be available on July 17. Nintendo is also prepping an Amiibo figure that stars both Donkey Kong and Pauline. This grants a new outfit for Pauline.
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Donkey Kong Bananza has a secret co-star Nintendo was hiding all along
The latest Nintendo Direct has made a very convincing pitch for Switch 2 game Donkey Kong Bananza, with a host of unexpected and previously unmentioned features. We were perfectly excited about Switch almost-launch title Donkey Kong Bananza when it was first announced and, while it was clearly an unfinished version, we enjoyed what we played of it at Nintendo's preview event in April. However, it's only with Wednesday's dedicated Nintendo Direct that it's become one of our most anticipated games of the year. The 15 minute Direct was filled with new information, that made the game look highly impressive on both a technical and design level. Although the first revelation was that the Odd Rock character DK is carrying around on his back is actually Pauline as a child. Despite what you might assume, Princess Peach is not the damsel in distress from the original Donkey Kong arcade game (Peach debuted in Super Mario Bros.) but a character named Pauline that was seemingly retired from canon until she turned up in Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2 in 2006 and got a major role in 2017's Super Mario Odyssey. In Odyssey she was portrayed as the mayor of New Donk City and part-time lounge singer, which is the inspiration for young Pauline's singing abilities in this new game. A talent which can be weaponised in co-op, by another player firing projectiles at enemies. We strongly advise watching the Direct as it's only 15 minutes long, but it shows all of DK's main moves in action, including the previously un-hinted at ability to transform into a giant gorilla, zebra, and ostrich – with the latter able to fly and drop egg bombs. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. The main gimmick of the game is that DK can smash and punch his way through the scenery, levelling it if he so chooses and digging into the earth for treasure. There also seems to be an emphasis on creatively redesigning levels, sticking some materials together to make new landmarks and, in one sequence, using a rainbow-coloured substance to create a ramp, which DK runs up in zebra form before jumping off to turn into an ostrich and fly off. It looks great and a very welcome change in direction from the overly difficult 2D platformers of recent years. There are still lots of nods to the Rare era though, including the presence of Cranky Kong and Rambi, and many classic tunes. More Trending There's also some new 2D courses to play through as separate challenges, but not apparently as part of the main story. Other unexpected features include a skill tree with new unlockable moves, the fact that the game can use the Switch 1 for GameShare co-op (no explanation was given for this, so we're not sure what's going on there) and a 3D paint package called DK Artist. There also seems to be some 3D racing going on, in the last few gameplay shots of the trailer, so the only disappointment of the Direct is that we still don't know who's making the game. Presumably it's one of Nintendo's internal studios but their recent habit of refusing to name developers, and in some cases not crediting them properly, continues to be very disrespectful. Apart from that though we don't have a bad word to say about Donkey Kong Bananza and very much look forward to its release in September 17. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Borderlands 4 hands-on preview and interview – 'some people have a negative reaction to the tone' MORE: The Witcher 3: Complete Edition is less than £7 in new PlayStation sale MORE: Stellar Blade dev gifts Switch 2 to staff as Nintendo port rumoured
The Verge
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Nintendo shows off Donkey Kong Bananza's destructive gameplay
Switch 2 owners will soon have another big Nintendo game to play. During its latest Direct presentation, the company showed off plenty more of Donkey Kong Bananza, a 3D platformer that launches as a Switch 2 exclusive on July 17th — and it's looking like a surprisingly robust experience. In the new game DK teams up with a younger version of the singer Pauline — who apparently has been hidden inside of a rock for some time — and travels to an underground realm that seems kind of like Nintendo's take on Hollow Earth. Despite being below ground, the game takes place in a varied and diverse world, with beaches, mountains, and icy locales. There are even giant elder characters and Breath of the Wild -style ancient ruins with unique challenges. The Direct was primarily focused on gameplay, which in Bananza is built around destruction. DK can smash up the environment, tear of chunks of terrain to use as a weapon, and also, uh, turn into a number of different animals. The game's 'banana transformations' let DK transform into creatures like an ostrich (so he can fly) or a zebra (so he can run so fast he can even sprint on water). These powers utilize a substance called 'bananergy.' There are also other abilities that can be unlocked through a skill tree. Maybe the most important: you can purchase new outfits for both DK and Pauline. So even though it mostly plays like a platformer, it appears that Bananza has significant role-playing elements. There's a two-player co-op mode where one person controls Pauline, and the multiplayer supports GameShare, so you can play on two different consoles using only one copy of the game. Bananza also has a bonus mode where you can sculpt rocks using the Switch 2's new mouse controls. Bananza was first revealed during Nintendo's big Switch 2 unveiling in April. It's the second major first-party release for the console, following Mario Kart World, which launched alongside the new console. Bananza is the franchise's first 3D platformer since the Nintendo 64 era, and is the first mainline entry since Tropical Freeze more than a decade ago.
