The 3D platformer Donkey Kong Bananza represents the platforming return of one of Nintendo's biggest mascots. Featuring exploration and destructible environments, the new game showcases Donkey Kong's new character design. The title will be exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2.

The announcement trailer from Nintendo gave us a glimpse of gameplay and a release date of July 17. In Donkey Kong Bananza, players can "explore a vast, underground world" by smashing, punching, and kicking through it in typical Donkey Kong fashion. According to the game's official page, Donkey Kong Bananza will cost $70. Watch the trailer below for more details.

What We Know About Donkey Kong Bananza's Gameplay

Players Will Be Excited To See How The Switch 2 Will Enhance The Gaming Experience

The trailer showcases a variety of new locations with different climates, including a grassy valley, a snow-covered tundra, and a mining area called Ingot Isle. While exploring these destructible environments, Donkey Kong appears to collect sparkling ores and coins, punching through glimmering rocks and banana structures in pursuit of the almighty Golden Bananas.

But things on Ingot Isle aren't all fun and games. A handful of new enemies working under the name VoidCo have gotten their hands on Donkey Kong's Golden Banana collection, and they're not going down without a fight. Players will have to defend Ingot Isle and recollect Donkey Kong's beloved bananas from VoidCo by punching and smashing into hidden underground areas.

Nintendo spent a lot of time discussing the Switch 2's new console features during the Switch 2 Direct, but as of now, players are left in the dark as to how those console features will factor into the gameplay of Donkey Kong Bananza, if at all.

Our Take: Now Is A Perfect Time For A New Donkey Kong Game

The Latest DK Installment Offers Features Unique For Nintendo

It's been a long time since Nintendo last released a Donkey Kong platformer, with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze releasing all the way back in 2014 for the Wii U. A remastered version of Donkey Kong Country Returns, which originally came out on the Nintendo Wii in 2010, did come out in January to relatively positive reviews. As Nintendo enters the Switch 2 era, a return to some of its original properties is a fantastic way to unlock nostalgia and draw players back to their systems.

The inclusion of destructible environments in Donkey Kong Bananza is also a big deal for Nintendo, as the scope and scale needed for such complex graphics is immense. This alone suggests that the Switch 2 has the capability to large games without lagging or crashing, something that can't be said for the original Switch console. Donkey Kong Bananza could be the perfect game to revive a beloved franchise while also showing off Nintendo's latest system, though the game's success greatly depends on how players embrace the Nintendo Switch 2.

Source: Nintendo/YouTube