• YouTube video (first 7 minutes): https://youtu.be/rIR3PpQ82yE
• SkipVids (same video, but without ad): https://skipvids.com/?v=rIR3PpQ82yE
• New site: https://www.thisweekinvideogames.com/ (at the time of the posting the website opens extremely slow, they might get hit with lot of visitors)

The first 7 minutes segment explains it. Its kinda self advertisement, but I think this is important. One of my favorite Gaming YouTube channels "Skill Up" launched a new website for gaming articles. The goal is to have articles without Ai, no advertisements, no sponsored articles, no CEO optimized content, to maintain a high quality content. I think this is really really important and a good step.

Source.

Valve have added a new rule to the Onboarding guide for game developers, noting that payment processors get a say in what stays on Steam.

Newly added rule is:

Content that may violate the rules and standards set forth by Steam’s payment processors and related card networks and banks, or internet network providers. In particular, certain kinds of adult only content.

Diff of the new terms https://github.com/SteamDatabase/SteamworksDocumentation/commit/fddd59b5395cc3c1c74574650dbf5784612d0521

:/ payment processors strike again (slippery slope etc)

Mycopunk is full of clutch plays, chaotic fights, and good old-fashioned train-ing enemies. It's probably the most fun I've had in a shooter for a long time, primarily because it manages to straddle the line of being difficult but not punishing.

When selecting one of the various mission types, you can also customise the difficulty. There are three swarm intensities to choose from, which'll alter how likely enemies are to overrun you. Then there are six different difficulty levels to pick from, Difficulty 1 is the easiest, providing the least amount of resources, and Difficulty 6 is the hardest, giving players the most resources and XP.

Being able to change swarm intensities and difficulty separately from each other lets you experience all the different missions at your own pace, in circumstances that let you enjoy Mycopunk to the fullest. Like having to deal with mountains of enemies piling onto you at every second, but don't want them to pack too much of a punch? Pick a high swarm intensity at a low level, and so on.

Outside of difficulty, smart design choices (like removing the need to hunt for ammo or getting rid of the dreaded stamina bar) also make a world of difference. Instead of worrying about where I could find the next ammo cache like in other games, all I need to do to get more bullets is damage enemies with my other weapon.

This lets you focus on pulling off sick trickshots or clutch plays, rather than chaining you to a reload animation. It's also a great way to encourage players to diversify and upgrade all their weapons, not just focus on one favourite, which is something I'm guilty of in my FPS games.

I'm a huge fan of there being no stamina system, too. The enemy bots are also pretty fast, so having the ability to keep on running is vital. But it's not like you zip around whenever you feel like it. Instead, three of the four characters all have movement-based abilities which are on cooldown.

Hello my name is Daniel Hanrahan and I am wondering if my games here are fun and they do allow add-on mods. If you are wondering yes these games are the final product but that does not mean it won't get updates because there is always a chance of that happening. Sincerely, Daniel Hanrahan

Bowling_Mega_Mix: https://github.com/Daniel-Hanrahan-Tools-and-Games/Bowling_Mega_Mix Untitled_Knight_Game: https://github.com/Daniel-Hanrahan-Tools-and-Games/Untitled_Knight_Game The_Game_Of_Trusters: https://github.com/Daniel-Hanrahan-Tools-and-Games/The_Game_Of_Trusters Quest_For_Chalice: https://github.com/Daniel-Hanrahan-Tools-and-Games/Quest_For_Chalice Bug_Invasion: https://github.com/Daniel-Hanrahan-Tools-and-Games/Bug_Invasion

Have you ever looked at the map in a video game and thought: wow, I wish this was just the entire game? Or maybe you’ve found yourself playing a board game and thought: there’s not enough pixels in this? You’re in luck.

In the late 1980s, advancements in procedural generation tech gave rise to the booming “simulation” genre, which is characterized by games that model complex, real-world situations and environments. Players are often tasked with both responding to changes the sim throws their way while simultaneously trying to shape the sim to achieve their own specific goals: whether economic, civic, interpersonal, or in the art of war.

Although this subgenre of strategy games had been established prior to the modern moniker, the “4X” name (short for eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) is believed to have originated from the 1993 release of sci-fi sim Master of Orion, wherein the four “Xes” were used to describe its gameplay mechanics. This snappy little device also perfectly described the typical gameplay verbs within other games in the subgenre… and it stuck. And if seeing a giant billboard for Sid Meier’s Civilization VII while driving on the 405 S the other day isn’t proof enough: this style of game has clearly stood the test of time. Yet for all the popularity of the modern Civ games, it’s one forgotten title from 1999 that would most accurately depict the arc of human civilization throughout the 21st century.

[...] Civilization: Call to Power (1999) was undeniably a Civ game based on its gameplay and its isometric, cobbled aesthetics, but when it isn’t forgotten by Civ players entirely, it’s best remembered for its many unique eccentricities. Despite being developed by an entirely different team with no involvement from Sid Meier or greater MicroProse whatsoever, the core elements of the 4X style remain firmly intact: players would begin on a small part of the map and must explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate, all complete with its now legendary “Wonder” videos which played upon each unlock. A few standout features include the spy/stealth units in warfare, the slavery system (and subsequent “abolition” development), a rather pointed distaste for lawyers (hmm), and the very cool potential of building underwater or space-based cities in the later stages.

However, it’s this progression of the game’s timeline that makes some real deviations from the Civ formula. “You soon get the feeling that the game is rushing you through the early eras of the world – the ancient, classical and medieval – so that it can show you the crazy shit it has in store later on. ‘Who cares about bloody horses and spearmen and rickety chariots clip-clopping along dirt roads and uncharted lands?’ it seems to say. ‘You’ve seen all that crap before, haven’t you?’” writes Robert Zak at Rock Paper Shotgun.

Most Civilization games mark the completion of a campaign when the player reaches somewhere in the early 21st Century. This would be the “near future” for games released in the late 1990s, but Call to Power made the unique choice of making the end date the year 3000 instead. And the far future? It kinda sucks.

The server I mentioned in an earlier post seemed to be functioning well, so I added the info needed to show it in the games server list. This is the current description of the server:

An unofficial Mineclonia server for the Beehaw Community, set up as an experiment by a passionate user. This is not in any way sanctioned by or associated with the Beehaw site or administration, just a fun side project of a Beehaw contributor! The seed of the world is "beehaw". Enjoy and b(e)e nice!

To play, download the Luanti client for your desktop or mobile platform. The server should be visible in the server list under the name "Beehive". Just pick a name and password and start building fun stuff!

Game Information

Game Title: Donkey Kong Bananza

Platforms:

• Nintendo Switch (Jul 17, 2025)

Trailer:

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 91 average - 100% recommended - 44 reviews

Critic Reviews

Areajugones - Juan Linares - Spanish - 9.5 / 10

Donkey Kong Bonanza is a must-play gem poised to be one of the Nintendo Switch 2’s greatest titles. Evoking the golden era of Nintendo 64, it bursts with nostalgic charm, infectious fun, and stellar level design. If this is a glimpse of the Switch 2’s future, we’re in for something extraordinary.

CGMagazine - Zubi Khan - 9 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza marks the first major first-party release from Nintendo since the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2.

CNET - Unscored

I'm happy to say that Donkey Kong Bananza is here to whisk you off to multilevel worlds of satisfyingly smashing madness, to cheer you up and give you an excuse to punch the heck out of things.

COGconnected - James Paley - 100 / 100

Mario Kart World was a great introduction to the Switch 2, but Donkey Kong Bananza is the first can’t-miss game to come to the platform. You’d be a fool to pass on this one.

Cerealkillerz - Steve Brieller - German - 9.1 / 10

Donkey Kong's triumphant return to 3D delivers an incredibly fun experience. Minor technical issues are easily outweighed by the creative gameplay, the strong presentation and the perfect dose of nostalgia. This is the system seller the Switch 2 needed.

Checkpoint Gaming - Luke Mitchell - 9 / 10

Smashing and crashing his way to a new generation, Donkey Kong is well and truly back with Donkey Kong Bananza. Each layer is an absolute joy, with largely destructible environments that are jam-packed with secrets and hidden goodies. It's visually stunning, too; incredibly colourful and a true showcase of what the Switch 2 is capable of, with lots of variety. With so many collectables to find and a lot of nostalgic nods to D.K.'s long history, it's a must-have platformer that nails the brief and lives up to the legacy of Nintendo's greatest hits.

Console Creatures - Bobby Pashalidis - 10 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza is far deeper than I ever anticipated, and it's absolutely one of this year's best games. There has never been a better Donkey Kong adventure than Bananza.

Dexerto - Joe Pring - 4 / 5

From start to finish, Donkey Kong Bonanza is a riot. I wrapped up my journey to Bananza's credits in a little over 20 hours. Your mileage will vary wildly depending on how much optional content you decide to invest time in, but that's the beauty of it.

If you're not big on collectathons, there's still plenty of game here for platforming purists to enjoy. I can't recommend enough taking on the various trials – think Shrines from Breath of the Wild – littered throughout the world, though, especially if you're a fan of 2D Donkey Kong.

While performance issues were largely nonexistent in handheld mode, quite severe frame rate drops were commonplace when docked, especially during certain boss battles. This doesn't take into account any day one patches that may or may not arrive on release, and not egregious enough that your enjoyment will be hampered.

Digitally Downloaded - Matt Sainsbury - 4.5 / 5

Donkey Kong Bananza is the perfect launch window title for the Nintendo Switch 2. It highlights the kind of creative whimsy that Nintendo can achieve with its new hardware, demonstrates that the Switch 2 really is more than a slightly bigger Switch… and is just a very fine game on top of all of that. Donkey Kong has finally appeared in a 3D platformer worth a damn.

Digitec Magazine - Cassie Mammone - German - 5 / 5

With “Donkey Kong Bananza”, the Switch 2 is getting its next must-play title after “Mario Kart World”. One month after its release, the console already has its first in-house single-player hit.

Enternity.gr - Nikitas Kavouklis - Greek - 8.5 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza has all the makings of unlimited fun, but it's easy to miss the mark.

Eurogamer - Alex Donaldson - 4 / 5

A brilliant core mechanic and clever design twists make Bananza a delightfully sticky 3D platform adventure topped off with a sweet central character relationship.

Eurogamer.pt - Bruno Galvão - Portuguese - 5 / 5

Donkey Kong Bananza is one of Nintendo's funniest games ever, capable of bringing smiles to children's faces and energizing adults' love of video games. The 3D levels are playgrounds that you can almost completely destroy, in a design that uses simplicity as a launch pad for a huge amount of fun.

Everyeye.it - Italian - 9 / 10

In short, Donkey Kong Bananza arrives in dazzling form for its (highly anticipated) debut with gamers, once again demonstrating the extraordinary skill and fresh artistic vision of the creative team led by director Motokura, who previously rose to prominence with the splendid Super Mario Odyssey.

GAMES.CH - Benjamin Braun - German - 90%

Not only does the game look great and once again shine with a charming and detailed setting, but above all, it's incredibly powerful in terms of gameplay. Even if we could just smash half the world, we'd have tons of fun.

GRYOnline.pl - Adam Celarek - Polish - 8.5 / 10

Despite some of its flaws, Donkey Kong: Bananza perfectly fills a niche hungry for a colourful, joyful adventure, which provides a lot of unrestrained fun. The game draws extensively on the ideas from Super Mario Odyssey, with the addition of great mechanics of dynamic destruction. I have my fingers crossed that further games designed for Switch 2 will prove equally successful.

GamePro - Tobias Veltin - German - 95 / 100

But Nintendo's hit rate is extraordinarily high, and when I look back on the Switch 2 era one day, Bananza will definitely be one of those extraordinary titles that I look back on with butterflies in my stomach.

GameSpot - Steve Watts - 9 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza is a raucous, wildly inventive, and propulsive platformer that reboots one of Nintendo's most iconic mascots.

Gameblog - French - 9 / 10

Quote nFunny, beautiful, fluid in almost all circumstances, brilliant in its level design and freedom of approach, Donkey Kong Bananza is a slap in the face and a dopamine hit that constantly stimulates and rewards the player's curiosity.ot yet available

GamesRadar+ - Dustin Bailey - 4.5 / 5

Who needs all that platforming when you can just dig there?

Gfinity - Alister Kennedy - 10 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza delivers a triumphant return for the ape, offering an open-world, destructive 3D platforming adventure on the Nintendo Switch 2. As a spiritual successor to DK64, it blends nostalgic collectathon mechanics with innovative terrain destruction and new animal transformations, making it a must-buy system seller for the new console.

Glitched Africa - Marco Cocomello - 10 / 10

Galaxy moment and one of the best 3D platformers to come out of Nintendo this decade. It is chaotic, random, and at times, one of the weirdest games I have played. But there’s just nothing else like it and I can’t praise this enough. I didn’t think Donkey Kong would ever join the list of one the greatest games ever made but here we are.

HCL.hr - Žarko Ćurić - Unknown - 92 / 100

Donkey Kong Bananza rightfully stands alongside the great 3D Mario platformers and serves as a flagship title for the new generation of Nintendo's consoles.

Hobby Consolas - Álvaro Alonso - Spanish - 93 / 100

As the song goes, "Donkey Kong is here," and he's here ready to rock the boat. The gorilla's new adventure boasts of being one of the first must-have games for Nintendo Switch 2 and a title on par with the Japanese company's greatest series. This is the kind of "Kong content" that deserves a new console.

IGN - logan plant - 10 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza is a truly groundbreaking 3D platformer, with satisfying movement, powerful abilities, impressive destructible environments, and clever challenges that all come together in complete harmony to create Nintendo’s first Switch 2 masterpiece.

IGN Italy - Andrea Maderna - Italian - 9 / 10

Donkey Kong finds a new identity that embraces and rewrites the long legacy of the character, integrating his musical flair and his love for bashing stuff. It's a long, fun game, full of crazy ideas. It may be a bit too easy for veteran players, especially in the first half, but by now we know that's mostly to be expected from Nintendo.

IGN Spain - Laura Rey - Spanish - 9 / 10

Created by the team that developed Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bananza is a celebration of the character, a 3D platformer that finally puts him in the place he deserves. Its colorful and fully modifiable world, its variety of mechanics and its collecting spirit make it a worthy heir to its predecessor.

LevelUp - Spanish - 9 / 10

A well-executed and fun proposal that leaves you with a smile on your face and hooks you from start to finish. It has everything it needs to be a fantastic new beginning for a gaming icon that should never be caged again

Nintendo Blast - Leandro Alves - Portuguese - 9.5 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza follows the successful formula of Super Mario Odyssey, with great additions like a skill tree, functional customizations, strategic transformations, and intense exploration. It’s liberating to destroy everything in your path, with beautiful and varied layers, charismatic NPCs, and Pauline’s stories that are always worth listening to. The outfits acquired throughout the journey do more than change appearance—they also offer important functionalities like poison resistance, health recovery, and longer transformation durations, which are key to progress. The game can be finished in about 50 hours without feeling tired or bored, and there’s even post-game content. The only downside is the ease of the battles, but everything else makes up for it. Donkey Kong Bananza is a must-have for Switch 2 owners.

Nintendo Life - Jim Norman - 9 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza is an almighty re-introduction to the world of 3D platforming for DK, and arguably the Switch 2's first absolute must-play. The punching and crashing is a passing novelty that, once you get your fill, quickly becomes just another way of exploring the wonderfully varied and beautifully presented layers.Whether it's smashing through the scenery with a Bananza Transformation or carefully planning a route to a hidden Banandium Gem, you'll have trouble finding more originality and, crucially, more enjoyment from a platformer in recent years. As the DK Rap so wisely said, "Donkey Kong is here." Now let's just hope he stays.

Press Start - James Berich - 10 / 10

With Donkey Kong Bananza, DK is back in a big way. It blends new tech with old-school Nintendo charm for a destructive experience that is both intoxicating and addictive. While Pauline's storyline is underdeveloped, this is easily Donkey Kong at his absolute best. Regardless of some minor blemishes, Donkey Kong Bananza deserves a place in any self-respecting Switch 2 owner's library and, much like Super Mario Odyssey before it, sets an incredibly high bar for all that will follow.

Quest Daily - Mark Santomartino - 9 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza is an imperfect masterpiece. Its ambition pushes Nintendo’s new console — the Nintendo Switch 2 — up to and beyond its limit; serving as both a technical showcase and a reality check.

SECTOR.sk - Matúš Štrba - Slovak - 9 / 10

A fresh and ambitious 3D platformer that builds on Odyssey's strengths, Donkey Kong Bananza trades tradition for freedom'and mostly succeeds.

Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 8 / 10

Following Mario Odyssey is a tall order, and the game should not be solely compared to it, and while this is still a very engaging platformer, it's more surface level than it initially seems.

Shacknews - Donovan Erskine - 9 / 10

There are sequences in this game that instantly crystallized in my mind as iconic Nintendo moments, and the studio’s expertise in 3D platformers makes for a heap of fun and challenging levels. Beneath all of that, it’s the dynamic between Donkey Kong and Pauline that gives an emotional weight to everything, and drives me towards each new objective.

Siliconera - Jenni Lada - 10 / 10

Donkey Kong Bananza is a constant series of pleasant surprises and shows exactly what the Switch 2 can handle.

Spaziogames - Italian - 8.9 / 10

launch support, DK and Pauline adventure is already a great game at day one, albeit too simple even for Nintendo standards. A triumphant level design and a mesmerizing destruction rage will accompany both veterans and newcomers to the center of the earth.

Stevivor - Matt Gosper - [9 / 10](https://s/