Donkey Kong Bananza: Guide to all worlds and levels

Donkey Kong Bananza for Nintendo Switch 2 isn't just a game, it's an underground universe to discover. From the mines of Ingot Island to the depths of the Lagoon Layer, each level is a world unto itself, filled with secrets, collectibles, and paths you must create yourself. Here's a guide to what awaits you.

Donkey Kong Bananza's level structure is one of its most innovative features and a clear differentiator from its acclaimed spiritual predecessor, Super Mario Odyssey. Instead of expansive realms, the game features a vertical descent through an underground world composed of layers, each with multiple sublevels, unique biomes, and a density of secrets that promises dozens of hours of exploration.

The journey begins on the surface, on Ingot Island, but quickly moves underground, where the goal is to reach the planet's core. The 3D world map allows the player to track their progress and use a fast-travel system, based on giant eels, to move between the different layers and already discovered areas.

Ingot Isle

This is the world that serves as the game's prologue and tutorial. Ingot Island is a mining area where players learn the basic mechanics of movement and, most importantly, destruction. Here, Donkey Kong learns to punch in different directions to break rocks, glass, and earth, and to use harder rocks as improvised tools to break through tougher materials. Although it's an introductory area, it already hints at the freedom the game will offer.

Lagoon Layer

This appears to be the game's first major world, and where the Bananza formula truly comes into its own. The Lagoon Layer is an aquatic, jungle-like environment inhabited by creatures suffering from a water shortage because the villains at VoidCo. have blocked the supply.

• Main Mission: The main objective is a classic "raise the water level" mission, where DK must destroy a series of dams and blockages to restore the water flow and help the inhabitants.
• Structure: This level feels the size of a Super Mario Sunshine world and is packed with alternate paths and secrets. While the main quest can be followed, the real fun lies in detouring and literally smashing your way through the cave walls.
• Collectibles: The Lagoon Layer is filled with Banandium Gems (the main collectible) and fossils (the in-game currency), hidden behind puzzles, platforming challenges, and destructible walls.

As players progress, the worlds become more varied and complex. Leaks and trailers suggest a wide variety of biomes, each associated with a theme and possibly one of the Bananza transformations. Confirmed or strongly hinted worlds include:

• Snow World (Zebra Theme): An icy level where the transformation of Zebra Bananza, with its great speed, will be key to crossing fragile surfaces.
• Jungle World (Ostrich Theme): A jungle biome with purple poison lakes, reminiscent of the classic Donkey Kong Country games. Here, the gliding ability of the Bananza Ostrich transformation will be essential.
• Canyon World (Giraffe Theme): A level that is speculated to be associated with a giraffe transformation, although no details have been revealed.
• Lava World and Crystal Caves: Other biomes mentioned include volcanic environments and crystalline caves, each with their own challenges and materials that will require different methods of destruction.
• Resort World (Watermelon Theme): A more relaxed level with a resort theme and a giant square watermelon, suggesting unique puzzles and mechanics.

"The levels aren't as vast as Odyssey's, but they're structured very differently. They're layered on top of each other, and each individual sub-layer feels roughly the size of a Super Mario Sunshine level." – IGN Review

Within each world, players will find secret areas that lead to specific challenges, much like Super Mario Odyssey. These include:

• Pure platform challenges.
• Puzzles based on destruction.
• Combat arenas against hordes of enemies with a time limit.
• Mining areas to collect gold and other resources.

In addition to the story mode, Bananza includes a free camera photo mode and DK Artist, a creation mode where players can use the Joy-Con 2 motion controls to sculpt and paint their own creations in the game's voxel environment.

The structure of Donkey Kong Bananza seems to be a brilliant compromise between the more contained levels of games like Super Mario 64 and the freedom of exploration of Odyssey. By layering dense, secret-filled worlds, Nintendo has created a universe that invites you not only to explore, but literally to demolish in the pursuit of its countless mysteries.