Donkey Kong Bonanza, arriving on the 17th, has received critical acclaim from overseas media. Based on early reviews, the title has reached a 91 on Metacritic and earned the 'Must-Play' badge.

Donkey Kong Bonanza is a new action game featuring the legendary Nintendo character 'Donkey Kong'. The story follows the banana-obsessed primate and Pauline, a girl desperate to return to the surface, as they team up to explore a vast subterranean world. Players can experience Donkey Kong's overwhelming power to destroy terrain, while Pauline acts as a support, using song to buff Donkey Kong or guide the way. The game also supports co-op play, allowing two players to control Donkey Kong and Pauline respectively via Joy-Con sharing.

Critics commonly praised the game for offering a unique experience in the platformer genre by leveraging Donkey Kong's strengths. As mentioned, Donkey Kong possesses enough raw strength to level an entire mountain if he chooses. The developers have successfully woven this into the gameplay, providing a refreshing, sandbox-like sense of freedom as you smash your way through the scenery.

Reviewers also lauded the joy of hunting for hidden collectibles, alongside a wealth of post-game challenges that keep you busy long after the 20-hour campaign credits roll. Pauline's musical contributions were also noted for their high quality. Nintendo recently revealed in an interview that the team behind Donkey Kong Bonanza consists of the same developers who created Super Mario Odyssey, leading many outlets to hail this as a true successor to that masterpiece.

Donkey Kong Bonanza is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, following the release of Mario Kart World. The team originally began development for the existing Switch, but shifted to the Switch 2 due to technical constraints. Critics have noted that the game leverages the Switch 2 hardware to render complex, massive 3D environments that crumble in real-time, all while maintaining a relatively smooth experience.

Admittedly, some areas suffer from noticeable frame drops, and the camera controls can be a bit finicky. That said, the consensus is that these minor hiccups do little to dampen the overall quality or the fun of the game.