Donkey Kong Bananza Direct explains Pauline's involvement and showcases DK's many abilities

The Donkey Kong Bananza Direct has just concluded and it has shined a spotlight on a game that looks to be truly remarkable. The project, which will be a Switch 2 exclusive when it debuts on July 17, will be an absolute treat for fans of varied and intricate gameplay, really pushing the boundaries of 3D platforming. With that being the case, the Direct honed in on the various abilities and moves that will be at DK's disposal, while also delving a tad into the story and narrative as well.

• Don't miss our recent hands-on preview of DK Bananza

For those wondering what the point of DK Bananza is, essentially, the aim is to man the popular ape and to guide him deeper and deeper into the planet's core in an attempt to stop the Void Company, led by the nefarious Void Kong and his lackeys Grumpy Kong and Poppy Kong. The have taken over the various sub-levels of the planet and the aim is to dive deeper, free the levels from their grasp and all while protecting a young Pauline who has allied herself with DK. Oh, and where did Pauline come from, you ask? She begins the story as a rock called Oddrock, who soon is smashed to reveal the talented songbird.

With this in mind, you explore the various levels using DK's wide set of abilities, which includes punching, jumping, free climbing, and even a slate of more specific moves too. As for what these are, see below:

• Dive Punch - a diving punch attack that can smash through rock


• Roll Forward - a forward roll that can combo with other moves for greater distance


• Hand Slap - a ground-pound technique that can smash gold and even act as sonar to reveal nearby collectibles and items


• Tear Off - a grab technique to remove rock and then combine with Swing and Throw and others for additional attacks


• Throw - hurl torn off rock


• Swing - use torn off rock as a weapon


• Chunk Jump - use torn off rock as a way to generate a double-jump


• Turf Surf - use torn off rock to slide around the environment like on a surfboard


• Make Music - Pauline sings to bring chains and other obstacles set by the Void Company

Plus, DK can use gathered Bananenergy to transform into powerful Bananza powers. We got to see a few in action:

• Kong Bananza - a more powerful and aggressive version of base Kong


• Zebra Bananza - change into a zebra that can charge forward at speed


• Ostrich Bananza - turn into an ostrich to fly, glide, and use updrafts to reach new heights

Beyond this, the Direct introduced us to how Banadium Gems and Chips, Gold, and Fossils work, each of which can be consumed at stores for a variety of reasons. We got to see a plentitude of bosses and enemy types, a handful of the sub-levels that can be traversed using Eelevators, and more.

Check out some new gameplay below all ahead of Donkey Kong Bananza arriving on Switch 2 on July 17.