This game *is* Super Mario Odyssey 2. EPD Production Group 8 doesn't miss!
--SPOILERS FOR DONKEY KONG BANANZA--
Already with Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, and Super Mario 3D World under their belts, they made the spiritual successor to their most recent smash hit, the incredible Super Mario Odyssey, with Donkey Kong Bananza.
The mechanic of simply using your fists and destroying everything around you is insanely addictive and strangely therapeutic – it simply feels really good to romp around and smash things.
Other than just punching, Donkey Kong himself also controls excellently. With the moves given in the game, like in Mario Odyssey, players and speedrunners have put them together to do insane feats, like skipping the Freezer Layer by using a precise trickjump in the Junction, and skipping SL301 and the Mad Mixer bossfight in the Canyon Layer.
Before the game released, I thought Pauline being fully voice-acted would be somewhat annoying and would drag my experience down. I can now happily say I was wrong! I love listening to her little comments in every situation – some of them got a bit more than a chuckle out of me.
The Bananza Transformations also feel really fun to play with! However, I do wish they were more balanced – my most used is the Elephant Bananza by far, followed by Kong and Ostrich Bananzas. The only times I used the Zebra Bananza were in the Freezer Layer during the main quest and in NDC getting to K. Rool.
AND SPEAKING OF K. ROOL! HE'S BACK! AND BETTER THAN EVER! His "King of Rot" transformation looked insanely cool, and though his fight wasn't super hard, like most in this game, I enjoyed every second of it. His reveal at the end was absolutely legendary – the King has truly returned!
Overall, I'd give Donkey Kong Bananza a 9.5/10. I had and am having a blast with it, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys Donkey Kong or Super Mario Odyssey – heck, I'd recommend it to anyone who's purchased a Nintendo Switch 2!