While “Mario Kart World” was the big launch title of the Nintendo Switch 2 and landed some very good reviews, at 86/100 on Metacritic it didn’t quite achieve the heights of it predecessor “Super Mario Kart 8” (92) or other celebrated Mario games like “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” (91).
Well the Switch 2 now appears to have found its killer app with “Donkey Kong Bonanza”. Reviews for the new title are in and the colorful platformer has managed a 91/100 on Metacritic, a record high for the “Donkey Kong” game series.
It helps being the first “Donkey Kong” title to be developed in-house by Nintendo in Japan in 20 years. It isn’t as universally praised as last year’s Game of the Year winner “Astro Bot” (94), several reviews indicate it doesn’t quite hit those creative heights, but it’s certainly looking to be a serious contender for this GOTY award.
Its 91/100 score is right up there with current frontrunner “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” (93) along with “Blue Prince” (92), “Split Fiction” (91), and “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach” (89).
It has a good chance – the Game Awards tend to favor either best-selling fantasy RPGs (Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt), dark cinematic action-adventure games (God of War, The Last of Us Part II, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice), or colorful platformers (It Takes Two, Astro Bot).
Several major titles are still to come this year that could also prove contenders including “Ghost of Yotei,” “Ninja Gaiden 4,” “Hollow Knight: Silksong,” “Silent Hill f,” “Subnautica 2,” “The Outer Worlds 2” and “Crimson Desert”.
