A Definitive Ranking of Donkey Kong Bananza‘s Powerful Bananza Transformations

After more than 50 hours with Donkey Kong Bananza on the Nintendo Switch 2, we're still uncovering more of its secrets and getting lost in the action-packed platforming fun.

You might think you're done with the adventure once the credits roll, but that's really only the beginning, with plenty of post-game content to explore and uncover—and a big focus on the game's five Bananza transformations. With the help of Pauline's incredible voice, Donkey Kong morphs into different powerful animals, each with unique abilities (and a catchy theme song to match). Of course, not all of the Bananzas were created equal, and below, we've ranked them all from our least favorite to the very best. Just be warned that a few Donkey Kong Bananza spoilers lie ahead.

5. Ostrich Bananza

We hate to place the Ostrich Bananza so low on this list, but while the ability to flutter and glide over distances can be useful, it doesn't come in handy as often as we'd like. It does have practical applications in areas where the game intends for you to use Ostrich Bananza, crossing large gaps or riding air currents into the sky, but outside of those circumstances, it's just not that intuitive to suddenly activate this Bananza form to recover a fall, for example, and because the Ostrich moves slowly, you don't want to be in this mode for regular traversal. We wish this transformation would've taken a cue from Expresso the ostrich from Donkey Kong Country, known for his high speeds. Similarly, the Egg Bomb doesn't have too many use cases, in addition to being occasionally tricky to aim.

(Donkey Kong Bananza via Nintendo)

We do give Ostrich Bananza bonus points for its epic song, reminiscent of classic Japanese kaiju and hero themes, but that's not enough to lift this one out of last place.

 

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4. Zebra Bananza

Zebra Bananza takes a big step up in practical usage, because who doesn't like to go fast? While its main intended use is for traversing thin and brittle terrain that only animals fall right through, the game doesn't demand this power-up too often. Instead, we use it to save time zooming around, or for getting across water quickly by running on its surface. However, we do find that it can be challenging to get the timing right to activate the extra-fast Charge Dash, and the braking doesn't feel very natural to us. Zebra Bananza's Spin Slam and Spin Shot moves can also take some practice, but they're great time-savers any challenges than require extra speed.

(Donkey Kong Bananza via Nintendo)

We're also infatuated with the Latin American vibes of the theme song, combining flamenco-style guitars with mariachi horns and a bold samba beat. We're not sure what any of those genres has to do with zebras, but we can't fault it.

 

3. Snake Bananza

We're a bit torn on the Snake Bananza form. On the one hand, you move so slowly as the snake, and you'll never want to be in this form unless you're actively using it. On the other hand, when it comes in handy, it comes in really handy. First off, we love the way it references Rattly the Rattlesnake from the second and third Donkey Kong Country games with its coiled, springy tail, allowing both charged high jumps and a double-jump. Then, there's the very powerful Glare ability, which slows down time around you, facilitating some truly game-breaking movement through otherwise dangerous situations. Combine these, and you've got an extremely powerful transformation that is key to overcoming some of the late-game challenges.

(Donkey Kong Bananza via Nintendo)

And the Snake Bananza theme goes hard. It kicks off with a spacey synths before launching into a Lady Gaga-esque dance-pop verse, with an absolutely unforgettable hip-hop breakdown.

 

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2. Kong Bananza

Yes, the first Bananza transformation you unlock, the Kong Bananza, also happens to be one of the very best, because often, strength is everything in this game. As the more empowered Kong, you're able to bust through even the toughest of breakable terrain in the game, using both standard and charged punches to smash the landscape and sometimes even bypass challenges. Obviously, this is also extremely handy when it comes to besting baddies. It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done, and for most of the game, we'd find ourselves activating this Bananza power just because we had the Bananergy at hand and wanted to smash stuff with as much strength as possible.

(Donkey Kong Bananza via Nintendo)

The Kong Bananza theme manages to be just as epic as the transformation itself using bongos and electric guitar to create a driving rock sound. Aggressive gorilla grunts and Pauline's energetic vocals further add to the excitement, particularly with the inspiring and uplifting choruses.

 

1. Elephant Bananza

We're not sure if we're in the minority here, but ever since unlocking the Elephant Bananza, we are in this form pretty much constantly. In an homage to Ellie the Elephant from from Donkey Kong Country 3, this form can suck up terrain as well as water, but his abilities go so far beyond that, because what you collect is also stored as chunks, which can be brought out with the press of a button. Not only is this skill super overpowered, but so is the ability to quickly inhale most types of terrain. It makes quick work of hills and walls, making it effortless to collect huge amounts of gold as well as treasure chests packed with healing items and maps to Banandium Gems and fossils. As completionists looking for every last hidden goodie in the game, Elephant Bananza is basically doing the work for us.

(Donkey Kong Bananza via Nintendo)

And finally, there's the triumphant, trumpet-backed Elephant Bananza theme, making it even more fun to stomp around vacuuming up everything in sight. It sounds like a marching band cheer, motivating you to keep going, and making the experience even more enjoyable.

 

Can't get enough of Donkey Kong Bananza on the Nintendo Switch 2? Click HERE to read our full review.