Many Nintendo Switch 2 owners are going bananas for the latest release for everyone's favorite tie-wearing ape. Donkey Kong Bananza is bringing back something that Nintendo fans have enjoyed since the era of the Nintendo 64, 3D platformer titles with beloved mascots. This has been something multiple Nintendo consoles over the years have included within their libraries, to the delight of many players who love to dive into colorful, fun games. But like anything else, Donkey Kong Bananza will come to an end and players will be looking for something else to check out.

For anybody who finishes Donkey Kong Bananza, what are some other games to dive into that will offer a similar experience? Even if it doesn't star Nintendo's favorite lovable ape, the party doesn't have to stop once the end credits roll. Luckily for everyone, there's no shortage of 3D platformers from Nintendo, but it might be overwhelming for some trying to find some of the best ones to look into. Here are 3 great games to start playing when you're finished with Donkey Kong Bananza on the Nintendo Switch 2.

3 Super Mario Odyssey

Same style, different flavor

Anybody who hasn't had the chance to play through Super Mario Odyssey on the original Nintendo Switch now has something to play immediately. It doesn't get any closer to the kind of experience that Donkey Kong Bananza offers than playing another game made by the same development team. Nintendo revealed just before the release of Donkey Kong Bananza for the Switch 2 that the team who had made Super Mario Odyssey would also be the ones developing DK's latest adventure. And you can totally see it within the design of various elements in the game, including some of the HUD displays and other indicators that look very similar to the ones seen in their previous project.

Super Mario Odyssey takes Mario through a variety of colorful locations, much in the same way as previous Super Mario titles have done on different Nintendo consoles. The game was released in 2017 for the Nintendo Switch, and was one of the most critically acclaimed games for the console. Mario is tasked with collecting Power Moons, much like his previous outings, in order to stop Bowser from forcing Princess Peach to marry him. Helping him on his quest is the magical Cappy, a sentient hat that gives Mario new abilities that aid him throughout the story. The gameplay and overall design of Super Mario Odyssey will be very familiar to everyone that has played Donkey Kong Bananza, but with an entirely different cast of characters in the mix. For just about every Switch or Switch 2 owner, this is an absolute must-play game.

2 Donkey Kong 64

Have some gold bananas

What if you're craving more Donkey Kong in your life? The next best thing to do is play Donkey Kong 64 on the Nintendo 64, which heavily inspired Donkey Kong Bananza in many ways. This was the first 3D game to feature the Donkey Kong cast outside other titles where DK appeared as a side character. Donkey Kong had already been in games like Mario Kart 64 and Mario Party on the N64, but he had never had a starring role in a solo adventure until this game. He even got his own rap song that is still a popular reference among Nintendo fans. Developed by Rare in 1999, Donkey Kong 64 was one of the few games for the N64 that required the N64 Expansion Pak, which allowed bigger and more detailed games to be played on the system. The game came bundled with the Expansion Pak upon release, allowing everybody to immediately jump into DK's adventure, as well as have the new Expansion Pak for other games that might require it.

The story of Donkey Kong 64 takes place on an DK island, with King K. Rool kidnapping Donkey Kong's family and putting together a powerful weapon to destroy the island. Donkey Kong needs to free the other captured Kongs and gather items to gain access to new locations, eventually battling King K. Rool and saving the island. Unlike other platformers on the N64, Donkey Kong 64 gave control of multiple characters with their own unique series of collectibles, adding an extra layer for completion. Each playable Kong has their own abilities and obstacles that only they can open for everyone, usually with color-coded doors, switches, and more. Getting through the game requires traversing each area with all the Kongs, which can lead to finding Gold Bananas and other collectibles. For many, Donkey Kong 64 is one of the best releases for the franchise, and arguably one of the best games on the Nintendo 64.

1 Banjo-Kazooie

Get jiggy with it

While Nintendo had plenty of platformers that starred their own iconic characters, they weren't the only ones to make waves among players. Other games for the Nintendo 64, and eventually other platforms later on, would capture everyone's attention for their colorful experiences. One of the most famous is the Banjo-Kazooie series, which began on the N64 in 1998 and was also developed by Rare. To many people, Rare was the company responsible for most of the beloved 3D platformers of the era, which included multiple kinds of characters and game releases that stretched out into later consoles like the Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox 360. But one of their most beloved games is Banjo-Kazooie because of its lighthearted characters, colorful visuals, and solid gameplay.

One can argue that many aspects of most 3D platformers can be traced back to either Super Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie, mostly due to the approach to the gameplay and design of stages found in both games. With Banjo-Kazooie, multiple locations and hidden secrets could help players throughout the adventure, which was covered by a goofy story with a fun sense of humor. The idea of finding jigsaw pieces, called Jiggys in the game, to unlock new locations is something that has been emulated by other 3D platformers for years, which was something that was inspired by Super Mario 64 originally. But while that game laid a foundation for the genre moving forward, Banjo-Kazooie perfected everything to a level that made the genre a marquee part of the nintendo 64's legacy. If you love the exploration and collect-a-thon aspects found in Donkey Kong Bananza, then Banjo-Kazooie is definitely a game that should be next on your list, if you haven't played it already.

Keeping the Bananza going

The release of Donkey Kong Bananza is doing a few great things for everyone. We are seeing the return of a beloved Nintendo character in a major way, but we're also getting a modern approach to a game genre that has been popular since the late 90s. People love to dive into colorful worlds with fun characters that they can explore, but they especially love seeing familiar and iconic faces that they've known for a long time. Donkey Kong Bananza is not only making people go bananas for a new Donkey Kong game on the Nintendo Switch 2, but it's giving them a very big reason to have Nintendo's latest console right now. When the DK Bananza is done, there's no reason not to keep the party going.