While the Nintendo Switch 2 didn't launch with many games, the company did reassure everyone that it had a blockbuster lineup of games ready to go. On release, people got to sink their teeth into Mario Kart World, and now that people have worn down the rubber on their vehicles of choice, Nintendo is bringing in the next round with Donkey Kong Bananza.

At first, things looked a little precarious, as Nintendo confirmed that the game is already pushing the limitations of the console. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to have harmed the enjoyment of the game, as reviewers are giving the title rave reviews across the board.

Donkey Kong Bananza enjoys potentially Game of the Year-levels of positive reviews

At the time of writing, both OpenCritic and Metacritic report that Donkey Kong Bananza has an average critic score of 91%. On top of that, OpenCritic says that 100% of the critics tallied recommend the game, while Metacritic says that the game received no Mixed or Negative reviews. And this isn't a small sample, either; OpenCritic cites their score from 48 reviews, while Metacritic lists 83 of them.

Here are some snippets from publications that gave the game a perfect score:

The leader of the bunch is finally back to kick some tail in Donkey Kong Bananza, a brilliant successor to Super Mario Odyssey and a smashing return for a classic Nintendo character. It was a bold choice to build the Switch 2’s first 3D platformer around Donkey Kong instead of Mario, but it’s proven to be the best decision Nintendo could’ve made.

~ IGN

As the debut big adventure for the new console and its increased computational power, Nintendo wants this belief to punch through: Technology for the sake of play, not just for visual pleasure, is king.

~ Washington Post

Donkey Kong Bananza is nothing short of a love letter to the big ape’s past, a regrounding of his present and the start of a wondrous new chapter for the hijinks that await in his future. It’s a celebration that the gaming icon has long deserved, and a game that has delivered memories that I will cherish for decades to come.

~ Nintendo Insider

And here are samples of reviews that collectively gave it the lowest score of the lot, which, at the time of writing, is 80%:

I’m not sure Bananza has the same legs as Mario Odyssey. Where that game blossomed in a rich, post-credit endgame, DK lives more in the moment: moving ever forward, chewing through new ideas and never stopping to pulverise the roses.

~ Guardian

Early levels are far too easy and controls can be finicky at times, sure, but the gorilla's new adventures offer cristallized joy and sunshine with intuitive mechanics, colorful biomes and wacky hijinxes through the Earth's underground.

~ Gamekult

If you'd like to see even more reviews, our lovely sister websites have been chewing over the game themselves. ScreenRant gave it a shining 9/10 score, while TheGamer awarded it a 4/5 rating. And if you stay tuned, our resident Nintendo enthusiasts are getting stuck into Donkey Kong Bananza as we speak, and they should have a review up on XDA in the coming days.