While the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch line-up is focused on Mario Kart World, Mario’s not the only Nintendo character getting a new title early in the Switch 2’s life. Donkey Kong Bananza is launching just over a month after the console’s release, giving the Switch 2 a new 3D platformer for players to enjoy right out of the gate. However, Donkey Kong isn’t the first character many players had expected to get a new 3D platformer on the Switch 2, leaving Mario without a new 3D entry since 2017.
Although Super Mario Odyssey 2 or another 3D Mario game was often speculated to be one of the Switch 2’s launch titles, it seems Donkey Kong Bananza has snatched that role from the iconic plumber. It’s a daring move from Nintendo to relegate Mario to his kart racing spin-off series for a new console launch and shine the spotlight on DK instead. In doing so, it seems Nintendo is reigniting the long-held rivalry between the two characters that dates back to the company’s earliest video game days.
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Mario and Donkey Kong Seem to Be Competing Once More on the Switch 2
The Switch 2’s Launch Has Mario and Donkey Kong Going Toe to Toe
Before there was Bowser, Mario’s fiercest foe was Donkey Kong, with the ape playing the villainous role in the arcade classic Donkey Kong. Since the birth of this rivalry, Mario and Donkey Kong have faced off on numerous occasions, such as in the Super Smash Bros. series, the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, and, of course, the Mario Kart series. While in the modern gaming age, these longtime rivals are mostly on friendly terms, the proximity of their Switch 2 releases could pit them against each other once again.
With roughly a month between the launch of Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo Switch 2 owners will get to experience the latest games from both of these titans of gaming. Mario may be getting a new kart racer on the Switch 2, but the ensemble cast and status as a spin-off franchise keep Mario Kart World from feeling like a true starring role for the plumber. On the other hand, Donkey Kong Bananza will be the first 3D platformer for the Kong since Donkey Kong 64 on the Nintendo 64.
Donkey Kong 64 launched in 1999, meaning it will have been over 25 years since the Kong’s last 3D platformer appearance.
Donkey Kong is Stealing Mario’s Thunder with Bananza
Mario has been Nintendo’s 3D platformer icon since Super Mario 64 revolutionized the genre, so seeing a new Nintendo console launch with a platformer starring anyone other than the plumber seems strange. However, Donkey Kong is the best fit for a new 3D game, given that the Kong has been sidelined for much of the original Switch’s life, really only seeing ports of older titles. While Donkey Kong Bananza is an exciting title to see early in the Switch 2’s life, it could put the 3D Mario series in an awkward competition with the plumber’s former rival.
From the looks of it, Donkey Kong Bananza is everything a Super Mario Odyssey 2 could have been; it’s just missing Mario as the hero. That’s not to say a Super Mario Odyssey 2 couldn’t still happen, but it would have to live up to the expectations of the original and those set by Donkey Kong Bananza. With Donkey Kong leading the charge for Nintendo’s platformer presence on the Switch 2, it will be interesting to see how Mario responds to his old nemesis stealing his throne as the flagship 3D platformer mascot for Nintendo. In the meantime, Super Mario Bros. Wonder shows that the plumber still has a solid foundation in the 2D platformer space.
- Released
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July 17, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Number of Players
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Single-player
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
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July 17, 2025
