Donkey Kong Bananza stuns critics and joins the GOTY race for 2025

Donkey Kong Bananza has officially landed on Nintendo Switch 2, and the reviews are in: it’s a smash hit. After more than 25 years without a 3D Donkey Kong adventure, Nintendo has delivered a game that’s not only visually stunning but also mechanically inventive, earning it a spot among the highest-rated titles of the year.

Review roundup: critical acclaim across the board

With over 80 professional reviews counted, Bananza currently holds a Metacritic score of 90, tying it with Death Stranding 2 and placing it just behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (93) and Blue Prince (92). Here’s a snapshot of the scores:

Critics praise its destructible environments, fluid controls, and creative transformations like Bananza Kong, Bananza Ostrich, and Bananza Zebra. The game’s underground setting and dynamic terrain offer a fresh twist on classic platforming, with exploration and replayability at the core.

Metacritic’s top 10 games of 2025 (so far)

Donkey Kong Bananza now sits among the year’s elite:

1. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – 93
2. Blue Prince – 92
3. Split Fiction – 91
4. Donkey Kong Bananza – 90
5. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – 90
6. Despelote – 89
7. The Talos Principle: Reawakened – 89
8. Monster Hunter Wilds – 88
9. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – 88
10. Monster Train 2 – 88

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