The Nintendo Switch 2 has been selling extremely well since its release. And sales could well increase significantly in the short term, as the new console has its first system seller—and that's quite surprising.
Impressive figures underscore the success of the Nintendo Switch 2. In the first four days after its release alone, the console sold around 3,5 million units. This figure even reflects "real sales," i.e., those to end consumers. The comparison with the PlayStation 5 is particularly striking. Sony's powerhouse console sold around 4,5 million units at launch – but it took just under seven weeks to achieve this.
The dark side of success: the Nintendo Switch 2 is sometimes rare, sometimes even impossible to get hold of at retailers. Gaming enthusiasts will have to be a little patient to get their hands on a console. And the situation may be getting worse, because the Nintendo Switch 2 has surprisingly received its first system seller.
Donkey Kong Bananza was released on July 17th and has received unanimous praise from fans and critics alike. It's said to be better than Mario Odyssey – after all, it's from the same development team. So, more of the same? Not at all. The touted new Donkey Kong game is indeed a new one: the adventure is unique in its gameplay and impresses with an entertaining and funny story.
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The focus of the gameplay: pure destruction. But it doesn't get monotonous because the developers have managed to continually implement new – and sometimes incredibly creative – ways of destruction. As a player, you clear passages, fight your way through the earth, or hurl boulders at enemies. It's mostly fast-paced and entertaining – but occasionally confusing. And sometimes the technology doesn't cooperate: clipping is a problem, especially when going through the underground passages, and the camera work gets a bit choppy here and there. But it's not really a problem, because the brawls beneath the surface aren't really the focus. Quite the opposite: you hardly need any gameplay unless you're after treasure.
After a somewhat slow introduction, things get significantly better – even magnificent. It's an adventure that takes Donkey Kong and his young companion to the core of the planet. Constantly changing levels and diverse biomes are the building blocks that the developers transform into pure gaming fun. The boss battles are particularly well-executed – something that was already the case with Mario Odyssey. The story alone will keep you occupied for around 18 hours. If you want to discover everything, you can extend your playing time considerably. Yes, Donkey Kong Bananza is an expensive game, and its price is often discussed at length – but the quality of the title is beyond reproach.
The developers have also done a great job on the technical side. Donkey Kong Bananza looks excellent on the Nintendo Switch 2: crisp, colorful, and fast—although the console sometimes struggles. Especially when you're planning to destroy large areas. In terms of gameplay, however, everything is fine—it's just a minor issue. With a bit more polish, the developers could certainly have gotten it under control.
The fact is: Donkey Kong Bananza is a real surprise hit, which few fans expected in this quality. Many Nintendo enthusiasts were even skeptical given the narrow release schedule for the software for the Nintendo Switch 2. Moreover, quite a few gamers were hoping for Mario Odyssey 2 to provide rocket fuel for Switch sales. The fuel is now available, albeit without the plumber. Instead, Kong gets to fix things – and he's unlikely to fail. The Bananza-smashing orgy is a real system seller.
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