Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush Review

When Nintendo dropped the DK Island & Emerald Rush Expansion for Donkey Kong Bananza, It honestly came as a big surprise. The base game only swung onto the Nintendo Switch 2 a couple of months ago, so seeing a full-blown expansion pack this soon, announced during the latest Nintendo Direct no less, was surprising enough. But the bigger shock was that it wasn’t just “coming soon.” Nope, Nintendo pulled one of those now-classic “and it’s available later today” moves.

Now, to be clear, this is a paid DLC, not a free content patch or seasonal update. That might raise some eyebrows given how fresh the main game still feels, but Bananza already had such a strong gameplay foundation that I was eager to see what new content this expansion would bring. Turns out, it adds a brand-new area to explore and an entirely new mode that takes Donkey Kong’s gameplay in an unexpected direction.

Let’s start with the main section of the expansion, Emerald Rush mode. This is where the DLC really earns its name and, frankly, its price tag. After wrapping up the main game’s story, you once again end up crossing paths with Void Kong. He recruits you to help meet the quotas for his new emerald mining operation. Naturally, this means diving headfirst into new mining zones, smashing enemies, and hoarding as many shimmering green gems as possible before the timer hits zero.

The concept sounds simple, collect Emerald Ore within a tight 99 second window, but the twist is how this mode layers in roguelike mechanics on top of Bananza’s already excellent platforming and combat systems. Each run starts you fresh, with DK’s base abilities intact but no perks or boosts carried over. As you mine, fight, and explore, you’ll uncover hidden fossils that grant randomized perks for that run. Everything from “bonus emeralds for defeating a specific enemy type” to “treasure chests appear more frequently” or “earn extra ore for defeating enemies with specific attacks” etc.

These perks change every single run, which means your strategy does too. No two runs are the same thanks to the randomised structure of the goals, perks found and enemies encountered. It’s fast, it’s unpredictable, and it turns Bananza’s core gameplay into something that feels totally new.

And when I say fast, I mean it. 99 seconds doesn’t sound like much, but those runs get intense. It’s a constant weigh up of risk and reward, and I found myself scrambling at times to get the best possible score for my run and complete the most goals as possible. The further you go, the tougher the enemies get, but so do the rewards. It’s a perfect little feedback loop that hits the sweet spot between skill, luck, and risk management.

At the end of each run, your emerald haul gets tallied up against Void Kong’s target quotas. The more you collect, the better the rewards, everything from new cosmetic outfits to permanent unlocks like additional mining layers and fresh perks for future runs. The sense of progression is strong, and so is the addictive gameplay loop. 

It’s a clever way to breathe new life into Bananza’s gameplay. Fans of roguelikes are going to feel right at home here, but even if you’ve never touched the likes of Hades or Dead Cells, this mode is surprisingly approachable. It rewards experimentation and never punishes you too harshly for a bad run, which fits perfectly with Donkey Kong’s more lighthearted, accessible design philosophy.

While Emerald Rush is the highlight, the expansion also opens up a brand-new hub area, DK Island. Longtime fans will immediately recognize it as a nostalgic callback to the old-school Donkey Kong Country days. The developers clearly wanted to capture that same spirit, and visually, they nailed it. The island is lush, vibrant, and packed with little Easter eggs referencing older games, from the familiar shape of DK’s mountain shaped head to crossing paths with characters from the SNES era games.

You can freely explore DK Island when you’re not diving into Emerald Rush runs, which makes it a relaxing counterpoint to the high-intensity mining sessions. The island acts as both a hangout zone and a kind of mini-hub for accessing new content, checking in with Void Kong, and browsing your collected rewards.

That said, this is where the expansion feels a little undercooked. As great as DK Island looks and feels, it doesn’t do much. There are no new story missions, no fresh Banandium gems to collect, and no new fossils beyond what you find in Emerald Rush. It’s a bit of a missed opportunity, especially for a paid add-on that isn’t exactly cheap. I kept expecting a short narrative arc or at least some new side quests to fill in the gaps, but the island mainly serves as a backdrop rather than a destination with meaningful gameplay hooks.

Still, it’s a solid place to unwind and explore between mining runs. I just hope Nintendo plan on adding in more content over time for purchasers of this DLC. If that’s true, and DK Island ends up growing over time, then this expansion could become the foundation for something much bigger.

After spending several hours with the DK Island & Emerald Rush Expansion, I walked away impressed, but also wishing there was a little more meat on the bone. The Emerald Rush mode is a genuinely fun and creative twist that adds surprising depth and replayability. It’s addictive, fast paced, and fits the Donkey Kong vibe perfectly while also branching out into new gameplay territory. The roguelike elements don’t feel forced, they complement DK’s moveset and the series’ rhythm of discovery and reward.

DK Island, on the other hand, is gorgeous but underutilized. It’s more of a nostalgic sandbox than a meaningful gameplay addition, and that makes the expansion feel slightly uneven. Given that it’s a paid DLC, I was hoping for at least a small chunk of new story content or additional characters to interact with. The foundation is there, it just needs a little more purpose.

Still, if you loved the base game, there’s plenty to enjoy here. The Emerald Rush alone could keep you coming back for weeks, trying out different perk combinations and chasing higher scores. And honestly, that’s worth something. The gameplay loop hits that satisfying rhythm that’s hard to put down.

If you’re not into roguelike style game design, though, this DLC might not be your thing, at least not at full price. In that case, it might be worth waiting for a sale or bundle deal down the road. But for everyone else, especially players who can’t get enough of Donkey Kong Bananza’s punchy, kinetic gameplay, this expansion is a worthy addition.

A Nintendo Switch 2 review code was provided by Nintendo for the purpose of this review.

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