X
Donkey Kong Bananza’s DK Island + Emerald Rush DLC is a decent enough expansion that is NOWHERE near worth the asking price.
Sep 16, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island and Emerald Run breaks the house, but not in the way we'd like. This Nintendo icon's return home via DLC isn't the one we'd dreamed of. While this Emerald Run mode extends the experience of satisfying gameplay (provided you've completed the game), it doesn't offer enough varied and entertaining content to make it a must-play. Similarly, DK Island serves only as a destructible backdrop for this side mode: no banandium crystals to discover or other challenges to try, despite the environment being pleasant to explore. As Pauline so aptly puts it at the end: emeralds aren't worth bananas...
Sep 15, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
Don't be an idiot like me and blindly give $20 for this. I loved the base game so much and have such a soft spot for DK that it was a no-brainer for me buuuuuuut ~ THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN END GAME CONTENT INCLUDED in the 2 month old release. Imagine if peach's castle in Mario Odyssey had been DLC?? DK Island is a nostaligic museum for 30 mins. No new bananas, just the new mode.
Nintendo is just bending their fans over a this point and only discouraging new ones all at the same time!
Sep 17, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush
Released On: Sep 12, 2025
60
4.7
Donkey Kong Bananza’s DK Island + Emerald Rush DLC is a decent enough expansion that is NOWHERE near worth the asking price.
Sep 16, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island and Emerald Run breaks the house, but not in the way we'd like. This Nintendo icon's return home via DLC isn't the one we'd dreamed of. While this Emerald Run mode extends the experience of satisfying gameplay (provided you've completed the game), it doesn't offer enough varied and entertaining content to make it a must-play. Similarly, DK Island serves only as a destructible backdrop for this side mode: no banandium crystals to discover or other challenges to try, despite the environment being pleasant to explore. As Pauline so aptly puts it at the end: emeralds aren't worth bananas...
Sep 15, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
Don't be an idiot like me and blindly give $20 for this. I loved the base game so much and have such a soft spot for DK that it was a no-brainer for me buuuuuuut ~ THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN END GAME CONTENT INCLUDED in the 2 month old release. Imagine if peach's castle in Mario Odyssey had been DLC?? DK Island is a nostaligic museum for 30 mins. No new bananas, just the new mode.
Nintendo is just bending their fans over a this point and only discouraging new ones all at the same time!
Sep 17, 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
All Platforms
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
60
29% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
71% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
60
29% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
71% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Sep 13, 2025
Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush is such an exciting chunk of DLC that breathes new life into an already incredible experience. From chilling at DK Island to frantically punching everything in sight during Emerald Rush, you'll have a barrel of fun.
Sep 14, 2025
If you're into roguelikes, you're likely to enjoy DK Isle + Emerald Rush, with its secrets and unlockables, although those who don't see the appeal of this gameplay formula may find it a little lacking in new content. At least it has plenty of nods and curiosities for fans of the series.
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 43 User Ratings
4.7
37% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
14% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
49% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 43 User Ratings
4.7
37% Positive
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
14% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
49% Negative
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
Sep 15, 2025
Loved the main game. Over 200 hours of play, and I’m already on my third playthrough. At this point, I should probably list it as a part-time job on my résumé. The base game alone is worth $70 — especially if you went physical, since it’ll always hold a $50 trade or resale value. (Not that I’d ever trade mine, but hey, nice to know it’s basically gaming currency.) So when Nintendo surprise-dropped the DLC on Friday 9/12 for $20, it was a no-brainer. And wow — what a treat. This expansion is a big, glorious rogue-like romp across six of the game’s areas, plus a brand-new Donkey Kong Island. You can even decorate it with nearly 100 collectible 3D statues, which I’m proudly hoarding like a pixelated interior designer with a banana obsession. The game eases you in, but once you climb from difficulty levels 2 through 6, things get serious fast. Each new layer adds more devious layouts, and the challenge ramps up harder than a Mario Kart blue shell. I’m already 20+ hours deep into the DLC, nowhere near done with all the layers, and I’ve only collected 40 out of 100 statues. So yes, this thing has **** short: the DLC is fun, frantic, and dangerously addictive arcade gaming. It’s absolutely worth $20. Stop whining that Nintendo should’ve made it free — the base game was already absurdly generous. If you love rogue-likes and Donkey Kong, this is an instant buy. If you’re too busy being mad about the price… then don’t buy it. We’ll be over here having fun while you yell at clouds. :)
Report
Nintendo Switch 2
Sep 14, 2025
Its a nice Game fit Og and new Fans of Donkey Kong Bananza, because the eastereggs and the Void Missions. Its a good Game.
Report
Nintendo Switch 2
Sep 16, 2025
Donkey Kong Bananza’s DK Island + Emerald Rush DLC is a decent enough expansion that is NOWHERE near worth the asking price.
Sep 15, 2025
Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush gives you a neat, though largely empty, rendition of DK Island to explore and a cool side mode to master. It’s a fun little extra that would’ve made for a fantastic free update, but it's certainly not worth the relatively steep asking price.
Sep 15, 2025
Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island and Emerald Run breaks the house, but not in the way we'd like. This Nintendo icon's return home via DLC isn't the one we'd dreamed of. While this Emerald Run mode extends the experience of satisfying gameplay (provided you've completed the game), it doesn't offer enough varied and entertaining content to make it a must-play. Similarly, DK Island serves only as a destructible backdrop for this side mode: no banandium crystals to discover or other challenges to try, despite the environment being pleasant to explore. As Pauline so aptly puts it at the end: emeralds aren't worth bananas...
Sep 16, 2025
DK Island & Emerald Hunt tries to feel fresh, but mostly comes off as a quick cash grab. Fun for a short while, but the repetition kicks in fast and the fun quickly fades.
Sep 15, 2025
A relatively entertaining new mode and a mostly empty new island result in one of the most overpriced releases Nintendo has ever produced.
Sep 15, 2025
Great Dlc if you love roguelikes, goes all in into fleshing it out. Don't buy if you don't care for them
Report
Nintendo Switch 2
Sep 15, 2025
Shameless cash grab containing content obviously cut from the base game to milk more money from the player.
DK Island is just nostalgia bait - one new island with no banananas, fossils, or really any reason to explore at all. S
The new roguelike element is cute but not worth the price at all.
Report
Nintendo Switch 2
Sep 17, 2025
Don't be an idiot like me and blindly give $20 for this. I loved the base game so much and have such a soft spot for DK that it was a no-brainer for me buuuuuuut ~ THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN END GAME CONTENT INCLUDED in the 2 month old release. Imagine if peach's castle in Mario Odyssey had been DLC?? DK Island is a nostaligic museum for 30 mins. No new bananas, just the new mode.
Nintendo is just bending their fans over a this point and only discouraging new ones all at the same time!
Report
Nintendo Switch 2
Report
Nintendo Switch 2
Sep 17, 2025
Kind of fun but not 20 dollars this could have been easy part of the main game i don't understand how you just cut it out from the main game and sell it for 20 dollars a couple months after the game released...
Report
Nintendo Switch 2
Game Stats for Donkey Kong Bananza
Nintendo Switch 2
Difficulty
Play Time
Completion
Summary Take a trip to Donkey Kong’s home and try out the new Emerald Rush mode.
Platforms:
- Nintendo Switch 2
Initial Release Date: Sep 12, 2025
Genres:
