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.

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. The first original "Donkey Kong" game in 11 years forgoes the difficult side-scrolling platform levels and manic boss battles of previous titles for a 3D world that players can explore at their own pace.