Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC Review – Worth the $20 Price?

Nintendo surprised fans during its latest Direct by unveiling Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush much earlier than expected. Typically, big expansions for first-party exclusives take a year or more to arrive. But with DK Bananza, players are already getting a new adventure—and it’s one of the best reasons to return to the game on the Nintendo Switch 2.

While the DLC doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it does deliver a lot of what players already love about Donkey Kong Bananza: fun gameplay, nostalgic callbacks, and an addictive new roguelike mode. Let’s break down what’s new and whether the $20 price tag is justified.

What’s New in DK Island & Emerald Rush

The expansion is split into two main parts:

• DK Island – a newly designed map inspired by the classic Donkey Kong adventures.
• Emerald Rush – a roguelike-inspired mode that completely changes how you approach the gameplay loop.

Emerald Rush: Roguelike Fun on Switch 2

The real star of this DLC is Emerald Rush. After completing the main Bananza story and unlocking all transformations, you join DK and Pauline on a new quest to stop Void Kong. Instead of hunting Banadiums, this time you’ll be collecting Emerald Ores.

Each run comes with a quota of Ores to gather, but the difficulty ramps up as you progress. To balance that, you’ll gain randomized perks that buff Bananza abilities or improve Ore collection. The roguelike design ensures every run feels unique, with mini-boss battles adding challenge and replayability.

It’s a clever twist on the formula—familiar enough to feel comfortable but fresh enough to keep you coming back.

Extra Content: Time Trials & Cosmetics

In addition to Emerald Rush, the DLC also brings:

• Time Trials: Endgame challenges that test your speed and skill.
• New Cosmetics: Unlockable outfits for DK and Pauline, giving fans a reason to grind.

While not groundbreaking, these extras add more replay value for players who want to squeeze everything out of Donkey Kong Bananza.

Is DK Island & Emerald Rush Worth $20?

At $20, the value of DK Island & Emerald Rush depends on what you’re looking for:

Great for fans craving more DK Bananza – The roguelike mode alone is fun enough to justify revisiting the game.
Solid replay value – Randomized perks, Time Trials, and cosmetics encourage multiple playthroughs.
Price feels a little steep – For the amount of content, it could have been priced at $15 or bundled with the base game.

As someone who already put 70+ hours into the base game, this DLC gave me a solid reason to jump back in. But if you’re still working through the original content, you might want to wait for a sale.

Performance & Shortcomings

The DLC is lightweight, coming in at under 1GB—a huge plus for players managing limited Nintendo Switch 2 storage. Performance occasionally dips in hectic sections, but nothing game-breaking.

The only major drawback is its price-to-content ratio. Emerald Rush is fantastic, but it does feel like it could’ve been included in the base package.

Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush is a fun and worthwhile addition to the base game. The Emerald Rush mode adds roguelike depth, DK Island taps into nostalgia, and Time Trials deliver endgame replayability.

While $20 feels a little overpriced, it’s still a great DLC for anyone craving more Donkey Kong fun on the Nintendo Switch 2. If you loved the base game, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.