"Nintendo Unveils Donkey Kong Bananza Direct This Week"

The news was first shared via the Nintendo Today! app, revealing that the showcase will run for 15 minutes and exclusively highlight gameplay, story elements, and new details about Donkey Kong Bananza. The game is set to launch on July 17, making it one of the earliest major exclusives for the next-generation console.

With the highly anticipated release of the Switch 2 now complete, Nintendo is shifting its focus toward showcasing exclusive titles designed to highlight the console’s enhanced capabilities. As part of this strategy, the upcoming Direct will center entirely on Donkey Kong Bananza, offering no glimpses into other Switch 2 titles—whether previously announced or brand new.

One of the most notable updates surrounding Donkey Kong is his updated character design, introduced in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In a recent interview with IGN, Nintendo's legendary developer Shigeru Miyamoto provided insight into the evolution of Donkey Kong’s appearance.

“I still take an active role in character creation,” Miyamoto explained. “Looking back at the original Donkey Kong Country, we collaborated with Rare to bring the game to life. When we started thinking about evolving Donkey Kong, we revisited earlier titles like Jungle Beat, working alongside the team behind 3D Mario games.”

He continued, “With the technological advancements available today, we wanted to make Donkey Kong more expressive. We reevaluated the original design crafted by Rare and explored how we could modernize it. This new design ultimately became the foundation used in the movie—and now, in Donkey Kong Bananza.”

For more hands-on impressions and early insights into the game, be sure to check out IGN’s Donkey Kong Bananza preview.

This release is expected to bolster the Switch 2’s lineup of exclusive titles, which currently includes the launch game Mario Kart World: Welcome Tour. Additional upcoming exclusives include Survival Kids, Kirby Air Riders, and the newly revealed Splatoon Raiders.