Donkey Kong punches his way onto the Nintendo Switch 2 with Donkey Kong Bananza, launching July 17

Donkey Kong is back with a new look in Donkey Kong Bananza. Revealed during today’s Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, the game will be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17, 2025. It’ll be retailing for $69.99.

The reveal trailer gives us a sneak peak at what Kong will be getting up to in this new release, navigating open areas, climbing up cliffs with his bare hands, and punching so hard he can dig through the ground itself. We also get a look at various different environments, from snow-topped forests to deep jungles. On top of that, we catch a quick peep at classic 2D Donkey Kong gameplay near the end of the trailer. All in all, it looks to be an exciting reinvention of the series.

What’s especially striking is the new look for Donkey Kong himself. He’s got a wide variety of expressions in the trailer, looking stern and angry, popping up with a big grin, having his eyes pop out of his head cartoon style when he sees a rock falling towards him. It’s all very goofy and fun, which y’know, makes sense. Donkey Kong’s kind of a wacky guy these days!

We’ve not seen Donkey Kong play around in an open world format like this since Donkey Kong 64, which came out ages ago, so I’m excited to see how this new age Kong settles in this exhilirating new approach to the series.

We won’t have long to wait until Donkey Kong Bananza is in our hands. Let us know what you think of the game down below, and whether you’ll be picking it up alongside a Nintendo Switch 2.