Donkey Kong Bananzaseems to be renewing a lot of Nintendo Switch 2 owners' hopes for the future of the new console, with the game’s price being good news for many players. Both physical and digital copies ofDonkey Kong Bananzaare available now for pre-order for $69.99, which has caused some fans who were expecting a price hike to let out a huge sigh of relief.
The release of the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5 has drawn mixed responses from the gaming community. AlthoughSwitch 2 sales are on track to break historic records, reportedly selling more than 3 million units on launch day, the new console has also faced criticism for its narrow variety of games available at launch. That’s especially true among first-party titles, with onlyMario Kart WorldandNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which has been panned as a paid hardware tutorial, releasing alongside the console.
Adding to the frustration isMario Kart World’s high price tagof $80 for players who didn’t pick it up in a bundle with the Switch 2. However, many fans seem to be celebrating the news thatDonkey Kong Bananzawon’t be holding with that trend when it launches on July 17, remaining at the $70 that players have become accustomed to throughout the original Switch’s lifetime. The recent rise in the price of standard editions of announced triple-A games hasn’t been limited to Nintendo, with many publishers across all major consoles now setting their sights on $80 price tags to counter the rising costs associated with making games. WithDonkey Kong Bananzaable to avoid that price point, some are taking it as a sign that Nintendo may avoid raising its prices in the future.
Donkey Kong Bananza Fans Celebrate Its Price Announcement
There had seemingly been plenty of potential forDonkey Kong Bananzato join the $80 club. The Switch 2’s impressive sales, combined with the lack of early console exclusives, show just how eager players are for the return of classic Nintendo franchises on the new console. Nintendo even recently dedicated an entireNintendo Direct presentation toDonkey Kong Bananza, displaying that the company is firmly standing behind the quality of its next big first-party title.
WhileDonkey Kong Bananza’s price has given some players hope for the future, many are unconvinced that the next entries in franchises likeThe Legend of Zelda,Super Mario, andAnimal Crossingwill offer the same relief to gamers on a budget. They have some evidence to back up those beliefs, as Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said in May that even theprice of the Switch 2 itself could increasedepending on global economic issues, including tariffs. However, Furukawa has also noted that Nintendo is being cautious about price increases, noting the rising cost of living in regions like the United States could hurt the company’s sales.
