One of the games I had on my personal Nintendo Switch 2 bingo card was a new 3D Mario. We didn’t get one at the Switch 2 hands-on, and at first, I thought it was odd that Nintendo would be launching its next big thing without a dedicated title for its number one guy. But after playing Donkey Kong Bananza, I realized that while we’re due for a new Mario game, Bananza is perfectly positioned to fill the plumber-shaped platforming hole.

Donkey Kong Bananza is my personal game of the show. In Bananza, the Kong Kingdom has been hit by a gold rush. Everyone is obsessed with digging in the ground to unearth precious metals and gems, including diamonds suspiciously shaped like bananas. They function like the power moons of Super Mario Odyssey, where Donkey Kong travels the world digging them up out of the ground or fighting monsters who’ve stolen them.

Donkey Kong has a new design that makes him way more expressive and fun to watch as he smashes, punches, and chucks rocks all over the place. I was also really impressed with the literal depth of Bananza’s detailed world. Not only are you platforming above ground, but with DK’s smashing ability on certain surfaces, you can dig b …

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