Donkey Kong Bananza is a 3D action platformer where you can dig holes, build bridges, and experiment in other ways as you burrow through various whimsical worlds on your way toward the planet core. Nintendo was so happy with its deformation tech that it decided to spin it off into an entirely separate artist mode.

There's also a sense of persistence in Bananza. You can create little home bases that let you rest up and change outfits. You'll meander off and come back to locations. Mario Odyssey had some of this too, but Bananza feels more lived in.

Even a rampaging ape needs to take time to stop and smell the roses. Or so it would seem in “Donkey Kong Bananza,” the new game released Thursday starring Nintendo’s well-known simian mascot and the company’s second major release for its Switch 2 console.