The moment I saw the Donkey Kong Bananza trailer, I was interested… and intimidated. Platformers have never been for me. They’re too stressful. So, I skipped several big releases like Mario Odyssey and Kirby and the Forgotten Land on the original Switch.
Even though Bananza looked stunning, I probably would have skipped it if the Switch 2 exclusive library was larger. I wanted to give it a try, in some ways, to justify purchasing the console as early as I did. I went into Bananza expecting buyer’s remorse. Amd I didn’t imagine myself doing a Donkey Kong Bananza review, but the game opened my eyes to just how cozy this genre can be.
Does DK deliver what cozy gamers look for?
What is a cozy game, and does this new DK title fit the definition? According to r/cozygamers, cozy games typically include activities like:
Common cozy game activities
🌱 Farming & gardening
🎣 Fishing
🏡 Decorating & building
👫 Relationship development
🧩 Puzzle solving
🌍 Peaceful exploration
🎨 Creative expression
These games generally avoid high-stakes mechanics or intense competition. Mild or optional combat can be acceptable if it’s not the focus. For example:
- Minecraft with peaceful settings and cozy mods
- Skyrim using passive or non-violent mods
The verdict: Donkey Kong Bananza is a cozy game, because it does allow you to build, solve puzzles, and peacefully explore. It also offers some creative expression with fashion and some character customization.
How I made Bananza cozier for myself
To give myself the best chance to like this game, I knew I had to look for ways to make it more peaceful and less chaotic. That’s why the first choice I made was to play in assist mode.
What assist mode changes
GamesRadar+ reported some of the ways that assist mode changes Donkey Kong Bananza:
- Reduced damage: Donkey Kong takes less damage from enemy attacks compared to Normal Mode.
- Regenerating health: DK’s health will slowly replenish when he is standing still.
- Path guidance: The game provides markers on the map to guide players towards the main objective, making it easier to navigate the levels.
- Reduced gold loss: When DK dies, the game only deducts 100 gold coins instead of the usual 10% loss in normal mode.
How the cozy charm grew over time
Assist mode or not, I’m really impressed by how this game slowly introduces you to controls, and it continues to remind you of them for specific moves like punching up or doing a dive punch. It takes me a little while to learn controls in games, so having the reminders right there on screen is helpful for me.
All of this happens while you’re just in the first area. I was having fun, but I wasn’t quite convinced that I could call this a cozy game. The graphics were gorgeous, but aesthetically, it wasn’t bringing the same charm as other games in my collection.
Not at first, anyway. It doesn’t take long until you go to a different sublevel and end up in these absolutely beautiful spaces. Totally cozy, in my opinion.
Finding freedom in constraints
Some people might find the markers and guidance on the map annoying. But I liked knowing exactly where to go. It actually gave me more freedom because I felt like I could explore without being scared of getting lost or turned around. So early on in the game I did find myself smashing up walls and busting things just to see what I could find. I knew that I could always get right back on track when I wanted to head back towards the goal.
Exploration in this game is low risk, high reward. The game is built to distract you in the very best way. There’s no pressure to rush to the next section. I was nervous that destroying the environment would get old quickly, but it hasn’t. There’s a lot to gain from taking your time in each layer.
If you’re considering this game, you should think about whether this freedom will work for you. The Donkey Kong Bananza destruction urge is so strong for some players that they find themselves struggling to make progress in the game. That wasn’t my experience, but it’s something to be aware of.
Making the game your own
The decisions you make change the way you play. When you collect enough Banandiam gems, you get access to the skill tree, which can change the way you play. For me, this meant increasing the number of hearts that I had. In my mind, the more hearts I have, the more difficult it is to die, and the cozier the game is. But I’ve started using my skill points in other places too, as the value of different skills becomes more obvious as you progress.
Then, there’s the customization aspect of the game. You can use fossils you collect in each level to get different colors for Donkey Kong’s fur, plus outfits for DK and Pauline. Obviously, it’s fun to customize and dress up the characters, but there’s more to it than that. For example, you can buy clothing that increases the chances that a treasure chest will appear or a piece that improves your sonar. Do more of what you love or get some help if you’re struggling. The choice is yours.
Getting to the core of Donkey Kong Bananza
But when you’re not hunting down the next gem or changing your outfit, is the gameplay high stress? It isn’t.
There are tons of checkpoints throughout the levels, which means if you die, you don’t have to start from a position that’s super far off from where you were. As I’ve continued to play, I have noticed that the difficulty does increase, but there hasn’t been a huge spike. Plus, many of the more challenging places feel more like a puzzle. You’re focused on finding the right approach, not timing the perfect jump.
Because there are so many ways to make this game easier on yourself like balloons popping in to save you when you fall or dropping ropes as a quick way to climb up to higher ground—I’ve found that I’m very rarely frustrated in this game, which is exactly what I’m looking for.
Finding the heart in the action
And it’s all wrapped in a surprisingly sweet story. The interactions between Pauline and DK are worth listening to. And the villains and other NPCs are fun to interact with. Even when you have more “action” moments, they’re still packed with charm.
The gameplay I’ve done so far has not been quick and it has not been graceful. But I’ve never felt stuck. When I failed at something, I was able to recover quickly and find a way to get past it.
Donkey Kong Bananza review: So…is it cozy?
If you plan on assist mode? My take is that it is. This mode took a game that was honestly intimidating to me and something that I didn’t think I could play, and made it something that I didn’t want to put down.
I’m only a little bit into the game so far. And the fact that I’m enjoying it so much is opening my eyes to what can be cozy. I never would have guessed that this action/adventure game would fall in this category. But it’s got so many of the elements that cozy gamers look for.
If you’ve ever written off platformers like I did, this is your invitation to reconsider.
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