Donkey Kong Bananza Gets Day-One Patch Notes Ahead of Release

Donkey Kong Bananza is set to be released on July 17th, and when it arrives players will have a day-one update to download. Right now, it’s difficult to say how substantial the update will be, but Nintendo has apparently fixed some issues ahead of launch. On top of that, the update will add in the ability to use GameShare, allowing players to enjoy co-op locally across two systems, or online through the GameChat function. For those that want to share the experience with a friend, that could be a pretty big deal. Full patch notes (courtesy of Nintendo Everything) can be found below:

Ver. 1.1.0 (Released July 16, 2025)

• You can now select “GameShare with people nearby” or “GameShare via GameChat” from the “Play with two people” option in the pause menu.
• Fixed several issues to improve gameplay experience.

Day-one updates have become increasingly common in the video game industry. The reality is, a lot of developers end up working until the last minute on these games to offer the best possible experience. We saw the same thing happen with Mario Kart World last month, and chances are we’ll be seeing this with a lot more Nintendo Switch 2 games throughout the year and beyond. Judging by the patch notes, it looks like players will be fine if they can’t run the update right away, but they still might want to do so as soon as possible, in order to get the most out of the software.

GameShare is a new feature for Nintendo Switch 2, which allows a user to play specific multiplayer games even with just one copy. With a single copy of Donkey Kong Bananza and a Nintendo Switch 2, a second player can control Pauline using a second Nintendo Switch 2 either locally, or online via GameChat. Donkey Kong Bananza also allows GameShare locally with someone that owns a standard Nintendo Switch system. The whole thing works via streaming, and we’ve seen this done with other Switch 2 games like Split Fiction. In theory, that should make it a lot easier for players to enjoy the game together. Pauline can use her voice to smash enemies and the environment in two-player mode, while the main player controls Donkey Kong himself.

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Chances are, a lot more people are going to want to play Donkey Kong Bananza now that reviews have gone live. With 79 outlets having weighed in, the game currently holds a score of 90 on Metacritic. Donkey Kong’s new adventure is getting rave reviews, and it’s already being talked about as a Game of the Year contender. It remains to be seen whether audiences will feel as strongly, but it looks like this could be one of the first must-own games for Nintendo Switch 2. That number could grow later this year though, as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends: Z-A are both due to be released before the end of 2025.

Are you planning to check out Donkey Kong Bananza later this week? How do you feel about the new GameShare feature? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!