Latest news with #DonkeyKongBananza
The Verge
7 minutes ago
- Business
- The Verge
You can now easily buy a Switch 2 without jumping through hoops
Perhaps we've been thinking the same thing, you and I. That there won't be a long-standing drought of Nintendo Switch 2 availability after all. The console has been easy to buy online from several retailers this week, including Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. Amazon, which didn't sell the Switch 2 at launch, is currently selling it by invitation only. The console's messy preorder process and spotty launch availability made it feel a little like late 2020 all over again, when the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nvidia RTX 30-series GPUs launched in extremely limited quantities due to component shortages. However, Nintendo appears to have adjusted the right dials to boost production quickly enough to meet US demand. The company reportedly delayed the Switch 2's planned late-2024 launch to build up stock, according to Nikkei (translated by VGC). If that's true, that decision seems to have paid off for customers. The increased flow of consoles seemed to coincide with the launch of Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo's latest Switch 2 exclusive. By then, the Switch 2 had already set sales records, becoming the fastest selling game hardware in US history, according to details from marketing firm Circana. Nintendo sold 1.6 million units within its first month in the US alone (it sold a record 3.5 million consoles globally in its first four days). That's impressive, considering how much skepticism there was about whether its high $449.99 price ($499.99 if you want a bundle with Mario Kart World) would turn away would-be buyers. If stock were still tough to come by, we'd be anticipating some kind of update on the matter during Nintendo's upcoming August 1st earning's call. But, thankfully, people across the country can now just buy one online without stressing about it. Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox weekly. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Brandt Ranj Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Analysis Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Entertainment Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gaming Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Nintendo Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Donkey Kong Bananza The Divide layer – which path you should choose on your adventure
Donkey Kong Bananza is a fun-filled adventure for fans of the leader of the bunch and newbies alike, and for the many already getting stuck in, it has proven itself to be one of the best 2025 Nintendo Switch 2 games out there. Gamers are being presented with a decision as they encounter the Donkey Kong Bananza Divide layer – but don't let it keep you rooted to the spot. Donkey Kong Bananza has been a smashing hit for both fans of the leader of the pack and newcomers alike, and for the many already diving in, it's proven itself to be one of the top 2025 Nintendo Switch 2 games on offer. Take our word for it in our review of the game – it's undoubtedly the first must-play game for the new Nintendo flagship console. Enthusiasts are immersing themselves in every aspect of the game, not stopping at discovering how many layers there are to explore and flipping sublayers in their quest for bananas at any cost. There's loads happening here as players traverse the planet's numerous areas – but there's one area that's already causing some stumbling blocks. The Donkey Kong Bananza Divide layer is an intriguing one, not only unveiling a mysterious substance that seems to duplicate itself in new areas when destroyed, but also posing a challenging choice for players. However, fortunately for you, it's not one that will drastically flip your gameplay on its head. Here's everything you need to know about the Donkey Kong Bananza Divide layer. Introducing All Out Gaming Where should I go on the Donkey Kong Bananza Divide layer? The Donkey Kong Bananza Divide layer is incredibly unique as it presents players with a choice between two layers – much like the diverging paths in Super Mario Odyssey. At The Divide, you're given the option to venture into either the Freezer Layer or Forest Layer, leaving some players uncertain about which route to take. However, there's no need for alarm – your initial choice only affects the sequence of Bananzas you'll unlock. Opting for the Freezer Layer will grant you the Zebra Bananza, while the Forest Layer yields the Ostrich Bananza. Regardless of your decision at The Divide, you'll inevitably have to revisit each area, so choose based on whether you'd prefer enhanced speed or the power of flight first. After completing your chosen layer, you'll be transported to The Junction, an area akin to The Divide. Here, you'll be asked to Teeleport back up to access the layer you initially bypassed, enabling you to progress and raise the bridge onwards. The concept is straightforward – select one to tackle first, then return to the other later. From our experience, the Forest Layer was quicker to complete, so bear that in mind when making your decision. In any case, don't let the Donkey Kong Bananza Divide choice paralyse you with overthinking. If you're unsure, just opt for the Freezer, if only to bask in its icy ambiance.
New York Times
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Pac-Man's New Friend: A Sword-Wielding Warrior
Although the summer can be a slow period for new video games, there were a few major releases in recent weeks. Our critic considered Donkey Kong Bananza a strong addition to the Nintendo Switch 2 library, praising the 'lavishly animated extravaganza.' Another critic thought the auteur Hideo Kojima was a bit heavy-handed in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, which addresses the pitfalls of connection. Here are three other games you may have missed this month: Shadow Labyrinth Reviewed on the PlayStation 5 Pro. Also available on the PC, Switch, Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S. When it comes to choosing a movie to watch on an airplane, I always opt for something that rests comfortably on the lower range of good. I steer clear from things I really want to see because I'm an uptight cinephile who would prefer to watch the best stuff in front of a nice setup without ambient distractions. I thought about those preferences while playing Shadow Labyrinth, a good but by no means great Metroidvania. In keeping with the genre, it offers the lulling comfort of crisscrossing a mazelike structure and acquiring power-ups that allow the player to unlock previously inaccessible areas. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Donkey Kong Bananza fan breaks game by painting the cartridge yellow
An overly enthusastic Donkey Kong fan has almost ruined their Nintendo Switch 2 by spray painting one of their game cartridges banana yellow. Donkey Kong Bananza is a great game and it's been a very long time since there was another big budget Donkey Kong title, so some fans, with a lot of nostalgia for the franchise, have got a bit carried away with themselves. One major point of conversation has been the game's placement in the wider Donkey Kong timeline or rather how it seems to contradict it entirely. We're not going to get into that again here, but some fans are oddly annoyed by the lack of consistency… even though the series has never had in-depth storylines. Another even stranger trend has been trying to paint the cartridge the game comes on yellow, like the Donkey Kong 64 one. That's not a very good idea though, as one fan in particular has discovered. The fan in question is one gardnerhartung, or merely Gardner, on TikTok who recently shared a video expressing disappointment that the physical game cartridge for Donkey Kong Bananza is the usual red colour, like other Switch 2 cartridges. His reasoning is that, back in the day, a couple of Donkey Kong games received unique yellow cartridges when they came out, specifically 1995's Donkey Kong Land for the Game Boy and 1996's Donkey Kong 64 for the Nintendo 64. It was a fun novelty, but it really was only those two games. Yet Gardner, in his own words, was 'displeased' with Bananza not following suit and filmed himself disassembling the cartridge so he can paint it yellow without damaging the game and its connection pins. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. The final result is admittedly authentic looking, but it ultimately proved fruitless since the cartridge would no longer fit into the console, either due to the extra layers of paint making it slightly bigger or it wasn't put back together properly. In a follow-up video, Gardner showed he was able to force the cartridge in eventually and, from the sound of things, actually play the game. But the cartridge is now stuck, and he can't remove it, with one attempt with a pair of metal pliers only breaking part of it off. While some of the comments do try to offer advice on how to remove the cartridge, there are unsurprisingly a lot of people mocking Gardner for even attempting any of this to begin with. The videos have gone viral enough to generate at least three separate Reddit threads, where plenty of people either insult Gardner or accuse him of just trying to draw attention. Whatever the case, Gardner appears to be taking has fame well. In a third video, where it seems he's about to address the mean comments and media coverage, he reveals he was sent a threatening email from Nintendo. Signed by 'John Nintendo himself', it says unless Gardner gets the cartridge removed by the end of the day, the company will take his house and brick his Switch 2 (admittedly, that second one is something Nintendo can actually do). He then shows that a second attempt at using the pliers was successful and has presumably left his Switch 2 undamaged, but the cartridge itself is in pieces. If there's any lesson to be learned from this, it's don't spray paint your games, especially with how expensive they are nowadays, although you'd think most people would know not to do that. More Trending In other Donkey Kong news, although Nintendo hasn't shared official sales figures yet, data by NielsenIQ and shared by The Game Business says Donkey Kong Bananza enjoyed the biggest opening week in the UK in the franchise's history… maybe. As it stands, 2010's Donkey Kong Country Returns (the original Wii game, not the Switch remaster) officially holds that record, but NielsenIQ admits it currently lacks data for how many copies of Bananza were sold directly from Nintendo's online store and the eShop. Even if Bananza has outperformed every other Donkey Kong game in the UK, that doesn't really mean much as the series has never done tremendously well over here. Although Donkey Kong Country helped the SNES to beat the Mega Drive (aka Genesis) in the US, during the 90s, it didn't have quite the same effect here, where it wasn't until the DS and Wii era when Nintendo really became popular in the UK. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Nintendo Switch 2 beats PS4 and PS5 as fastest-selling console ever MORE: Two new racers coming to Mario Kart World hints Donkey Kong credits MORE: Weirdly Mario Kart World is only the third best selling Switch 2 digital game
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
Best Nintendo Switch 2 games in 2025
Nintendo Switch 2 is in the early stages of its lifecycle, which means the competition to be named the best Nintendo Switch 2 game isn't quite as intense as it's sure to be a little ways down the road. However, it's already amassed a solid library of worthwhile games, and it's growing every week. Exclusives are the lifeblood of any console, and on Switch 2, there's a small handful that are certainly worth playing. This includes Donkey Kong Bananza, which is such a delight, it might be the first Switch 2 system seller. Then there's Mario Kart World, which reworks the kart racer series in some interesting ways while still offering the friendship-ruining Mario Kart experience we all love. The Nintendo Switch 2 also offers portable versions of some of the biggest blockbuster games around, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy. And we can't forget the upgraded version of fan-favorite Switch 1 games like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Breath of the Wild. Determining the 'best' Switch 2 games is highly subjective; not every game on this list will appeal to every player, but below are the games that I believe every early adopter should at least consider playing on Nintendo's new console. So, these are the best Nintendo Switch 2 games you can play right now. You would probably assume that the first flagship 3D platform for Switch 2 would star Mario, but instead, Nintendo opted to build a game around his old foe, Donkey Kong. It was a stroke of genius. Donkey Kong Bananza isn't merely a traditional Mario platformer with a DK skin; instead, it's an experience built around the oversized ape. Levels are almost fully destructible, letting you smash up, down and sideways to discover hidden collectibles as you explore colorful levels from a snowy mountaintop to a dusty canyon-sized desert. Plus, the story, which pairs DK with a young Pauline, is simple but sweet. Oh, and completionists will be pleased to know there are hundreds of shiny objects to find, and each one feels rewarding to uncover. There's a good chance you already have a copy of Mario Kart World, as Nintendo released a Switch 2 bundle including the game for launch. But if you picked up just the console and are wondering if the latest entry in the kart racer phenomenon is worth buying, the short answer is, absolutely. It's less content-rich than Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but World makes some big changes to the formula, including the inclusion of a vast, but somewhat empty, open world. Fundamentally, it offers the same great Mario Kart racing action that the series has done for decades, but with new moves like wall riding and rail grinding. The new Knockout Tour mode is also fantastic and sees 48 players compete to be crowned the winner battle royale style. Yes, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour probably should have been a pack-in title. It's a collection of micro-games, tech demos and information packets that explain how Nintendo designed the Switch 2 hardware. It makes a great introduction to the system, and the central setup of the whole tour taking place inside a building-sized Switch 2 is pretty novel. There's also a lot to see, with a 100% playthrough likely to take you around 10 hours. If you want to get a better understanding of the ingenuity that went into making your Nintendo Switch 2 console, it's a worthwhile experience, and at $10, it feels appropriately priced. Though Nintendo could have gained a lot of goodwill and avoided some online backlash by making it free, ala Wii Sports. Cyberpunk 2077 is one of gaming's great redemption stories. Released in late 2020, it was heavily criticized for omitting promised features and being a technical mess, but developer CD Projekt Red has spent the last five years improving the game and releasing the essential expansion Phantom Liberty. Now the complete sci-fi action-RPG experience is available on Switch 2, and it's currently the best place to play Cyberpunk 2077 on the go. If you're unfamiliar with this one, it comes from the same developers as The Witcher, and sees you play a mercenary named V in the seedy and crime-filled Night City. Your goal is to become a legend of the underworld, or die trying. Packed with well-written quests, memorable characters and a near-unrivalled sense of atmosphere, Cyberpunk 2077 is now considered a masterpiece for very good reason. Consider this a dual-entry, as both The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, have never looked or run better than they do via their new Nintendo Switch 2 Editions. Both 100+ hour games have been fully remastered for the Switch 2 with improved framerate performance and superior image resolutions. These were already must-play masterpieces, and now, thanks to Nintendo's new hardware, they are somehow even more essential. If you have to pick one, I'd recommend opting for Tears of the Kingdom, solely because its Ultrahand ability, which lets you cobble together vehicles and structures to complete puzzles and explore the world, is so enjoyable it's hard to return to BOTW without it. However, you really should play them both if you can. Hogwarts Legacy on Nintendo Switch 2 is a great showcase of the improved power of the hybrid console over its predecessor. This open-world adventure set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is available on Switch 1, but it's a seriously compromised experience with ugly textures, a crawling framerate and loads of additional loading screens. Hogwarts Legacy on Switch 2 is much closer to the flagship version found on other platforms, even if a few restrictions remain in the name of squeezing the large RPG onto a portable device. It's a must-play for Potter fans, and lets you attend and explore the iconic wizarding school as you unravel a sinister goblin plot. And yes, you do get sorted into one of the four houses, so best hope you're not put in Slytherin. Sonic Generations was already considered one of the Blue Blur's best games of the modern era, and this remastered package adds a new chapter that lets you play as everybody's favourite motorcycle-riding anti-hero hedgehog, Shadow. Blending 3D sections with more traditional side-scrolling levels, Sonic X Shadow Generations is a true celebration of Sonic's past and present, and with the recent blockbuster movies bringing the gaming icon to a whole new audience, it's a perfectly timed package. It's also well-suited for the portable nature of the Switch 2 as levels can be completed in short bursts, making it ideal for pick-and-play fun. Even when running at blazingly fast speed, Sonic x Shadow Generations runs very well on Nintendo Switch 2. If you've collected a large library of the best Nintendo Switch games, you'll be pleased to know that the Switch 2 offers pretty robust backwards compatibility. In short, yes, you can play Switch 1 games on Switch 2, but with a few caveats. Switch 2 supports both physical Switch 1 game cards and digital software, which can be (re)downloaded via the Nintendo eShop. Nintendo reports that over 15,000 Switch 1 games can be played on Switch 2 with no issues found 'during basic compatibility testing.' There are select games with 'issues that prevent progress' on Switch 2, and while this list represents a tiny fraction of Switch 1's library, it does include popular games like Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Overcooked! All You Can Eat. Meanwhile, certain titles like Ring Fit Adventure, 1-2-Switch, Nintendo Switch Sports and Nintendo Labo are playable on Switch 1, but require a set of Joy-Con controllers, as they are not compatible with the Switch 2's stock Joy-Con 2s. (Note: The Nintendo Labo Toy-Con VR Kit is not compatible, as the larger Switch 2 unit doesn't fit into the cardboard holder.) Overall, the vast majority of Switch 1 games function without issue on Switch 2, and Nintendo has given some first-party titles a performance boost via a free update. These include Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, Splatoon 3, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. The full list is on Nintendo's website. Nintendo Switch 2's library is growing pretty rapidly, but it's great that you can enjoy Switch 1 games on the new console as well. This lets you circle back to play old favorites or critically acclaimed titles you missed, or if you're brand new to the Switch platform, you've got a lot of excellent games to catch up on.
