Donkey Kong Bananza is Officially Crossing Over With Super Mario Bros.

During the June 2026 Nintendo Direct, Donkey Kong Bananza was again featured with a free update coming to the game adding special Super Mario Bros-themed content to the DK Island and Emerald Rush mode. Although Donkey Kong Bananza originally released nearly 1 year ago, the game has once again shown up at Nintendo’s latest Direct event, with the title still being one of the standout experiences on the Switch 2 console.

Released a month after the launch of the Switch 2, Donkey Kong Bananza was quickly regarded as a big reason to own the console. Featuring impressive levels of destruction, Bananza became a big first success for the Switch 2. In fact, it wasn’t long after that Nintendo shadowdropped new DLC for Donkey Kong Bananza, releasing DK Island and Emerald Rush in September 2025. The premium DLC let players explore DK Island, unlock new cosmetics and even place character statues. Emerald Rush could be played once the campaign was over, allowing players to race against the clock to collect as many Emerald ores within a set time limit, using customizable perks and skills to make each run unique.

Donkey Kong Bananza Adds Super Mario Collaboration With a Twist

As part of the Nintendo Direct, Donkey Kong Bananza once again appeared with the reveal of a free update coming to the DK Island & Emerald Rush paid DLC. As part of the ongoing Super Mario franchise’s 40th Anniversary, DK Bananza is getting special crossover content, including a Mario and Luigi outfit for Pauline and DK to wear. While collecting Emeralds, players will also come across familiar items like Brick Blocks, coins, Question Blocks, and Super Mushrooms. The trailer hinted at even more Super Mario-themed things to discover as well.

Guess the games from the emojis.

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Unfortunately, there is a bit of a catch with this content as it won’t be available forever. The free update announcement during Nintendo’s June 2026 Direct confirmed that it will only be available for a limited time at specific times, launching in 4 waves throughout the summer. Wave 1 kicks off on June 9 and runs through the end of the month. Here’s the full schedule:

Wave 1: June 9-30, 2026
Wave 2: July 14 at 1 AM PT and ending on July 21 at 12:59 AM PT
Wave 3: August 4 at 1 AM PT and ending on August 11 at 12:59 AM PT
Wave 4: August 25 at 1 AM PT and ending on September 1 at 12:59 AM PT

Naturally, reaction to the content is a bit mixed as fans seem to like the crossover content, though the fact that it’s a free update specifically for paid DLC isn’t sitting well with others. Not only that, the fact that the content appears to be extremely limited, only being available at specific times is another negative element to the announcement.

Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.

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It isn’t the first time that Nintendo has tempted fans with limited content. In fact, one of the higher-profile controversies came with the limited time availability of Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Announced in 2020 during the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario franchise, Nintendo revealed Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection containing Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. Fans were extremely happy that these games were again being made available, but were quickly gutted to learn that Super Mario 3D All-Stars would only be available for a very limited time, over the course of a few months. After March 31, 2021, the collection disappeared, leaving fans frustrated by Nintendo’s decision to utilize FOMO for the release.