Developed by the same team, Super Mario Odyssey and Donkey Kong Bananza rank among the best 3D platformers ever produced by Nintendo, with each game shining in its own way. Although the two titles are not directly comparable, since each approaches the genre’s core mechanics in a unique manner, the result tailors the experience to the style players prefer most.
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Therefore, even though a more direct comparison proves impossible, Donkey Kong Bananza offers several improvements over Super Mario Odyssey, mainly by refining concepts introduced in the earlier game and by taking advantage of more powerful hardware. Thus, while Mario’s journey possesses many merits, this 3D chapter for DK represents a natural evolution of the formula that further expands the concept.
Both games were designed primarily as single‑player experiences, yet the nature of the Nintendo Switch led the developers to include a small built‑in multiplayer mode in each title. In Super Mario Odyssey, however, this mode remained basic because the player controlling Cappy possessed limited freedom during stage exploration and mainly collected coins.
This aspect was what Donkey Kong Bananza improved, creating a more enjoyable experience than its predecessor. When controlled by a second player, Pauline now plays an active role, and while the adventure still targets solo play, the upgrade offers a welcome option for those wishing to share the journey with another person.
Super Mario Odyssey and Donkey Kong Bananza occasionally interrupt their 3D exploration flow to present secondary objectives, often through sequences that honor each series’ classic installments. In Mario’s adventure these moments feel charming, particularly to long‑time fans, yet Donkey Kong Bananza executes the idea even better and strikes nostalgia directly.
Several classic DK scenarios appear throughout Bananza’s stages, such as Nostalgia Country in Hilltop Layer, a clear nod to the first level of Donkey Kong Country. A hidden secret also waits here, because walking left reveals DK’s Home, where a banandium gem lies ready, eager for the protagonist to collect.
One thing that Donkey Kong Bananza achieved, addressing a major issue in 3D platformers better than Super Mario Odyssey, was designing a large map that never feels empty. Instead of a sprawling world with scattered collectibles that can leave players in barren corners, the game splits the environment into sublayers to create the impression of constant content.
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Overall, this design delivers a smoother pace because worlds broken into small sections to explore offer a higher chance of uncovering secrets and, above all, make the map feel denser. Consequently, Donkey Kong Bananza provides a superior and more enjoyable platforming experience than Odyssey presented when it debuted on Nintendo Switch.
Although the Capture mechanic in Super Mario Odyssey, which lets players throw Cappy at an enemy and take control, proves extremely entertaining, Donkey Kong Bananza pushed the concept further by granting the protagonist a suite of transformations. These forms show greater versatility because they can be activated at any moment and are not restricted to areas populated by specific enemies.
In fact, Donkey Kong Bananza hands players full control over this system because they can switch between DK’s forms at will to overcome the game’s challenges. Each transformation also gains upgrades through a dedicated skill tree, turning the mechanic into a deeper and more rewarding layer than anything seen in Odyssey.
It Is Not a Mario Odyssey Reskin Featuring Donkey Kong
Although both Nintendo titles share the same philosophy and development team, Donkey Kong Bananza reshaped the formula employed in Super Mario Odyssey to suit a completely different protagonist. Rather than forcing DK into Mario’s mold, the design built mechanics around his core traits, emphasizing raw strength in environmental interaction.
This fresh approach ensures each title’s moment‑to‑moment action stands apart, giving both adventures a distinctive identity players recognize instantly. In DK’s 3D platformer, bosses and even destructible arenas bend to his brawler style, making Bananza an experience no other Nintendo character could headline and rendering the game more Donkey Kong than ever.
The vast majority of mainline Super Mario games follows a simple narrative formula that serves as a straightforward pretext for all gameplay. Thus, as in many other titles, Bowser kidnaps Peach in Super Mario Odyssey and Mario embarks on a rescue adventure, whereas Donkey Kong Bananza surprises by intertwining its two protagonists and also reimagining much about the characters.
Pauline’s presence in the game, for instance, ranks among the developers’ smartest decisions because she has long been linked to DK and also evokes a familiar archetype, the gentle giant protector and the child, similar to Ralph and Vanellope in Wreck‑It Ralph. Even though Bananza’s story remains simple compared with other genres, its final moments rank among the most enjoyable and intense across 3D platformers.
The core concept behind Donkey Kong Bananza is scenic destruction available to players, letting them reshape many portions of the environment during play. Rather than simply exploring as in Super Mario Odyssey, Bananza lets players smash through and carve new paths, turning the stage into a living, dynamic entity where hidden items lurk in places previously unimaginable.
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Furthermore, whereas Odyssey distinguished itself through the ability to capture enemies, Bananza pushes interactivity further by letting the very landscape be dismantled and rebuilt. Guided by creative visual cues, players use brute strength and imagination to solve puzzles or bypass them altogether, forging gameplay that aligns perfectly with the character.
Arguably, the aspect Donkey Kong Bananza executed better than Mario Odyssey lies in choosing the two main characters who accompany the player throughout the story. Mario and Cappy never form a weak or charmless duo, yet the chemistry between Donkey Kong and this younger version of Pauline works so well together that finding a livelier pair in other games proves difficult.
DK, for example, has always ranked among Nintendo’s most charismatic characters, and in Bananza he shines even brighter than ever beside Pauline. While DK supplies raw strength and a clumsy sense of humor, Pauline balances him perfectly, and although neither character enjoys full voice acting, their in‑game interaction operates remarkably well.
July 17, 2025
Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
Nintendo
Nintendo
Single-player
