Nintendo Capitalizes On Bananza’s Success By Bringing Back Donkey Kong 64 On June 4

The long-awaited port is official. Donkey Kong 64 will join the Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics library on June 4, 2026 on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Access to the game will be reserved for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. The title becomes the 43rd N64 game available on the service in the West. It follows Ridge Racer 64, Killer Instinct Gold, Forsaken 64, Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble, all added last year.

The content remains faithful to the original released in November 1999 on Nintendo 64. Players will alternately take control of DK, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong and Chunky Kong. The objective is to recover the Golden Bananas stolen by K. Rool and his Kremlings. The game offers a solo adventure in an open world along with a multiplayer mode up to 4 players in split-screen competitive arenas. Developed by Rare, the title uses the same engine as Banjo-Kazooie and originally introduced the famous DK Rap composed by Grant Kirkhope.

The timing of this announcement is no accident. Nintendo openly capitalizes on the commercial success of Donkey Kong Bananza released in 2025 on Nintendo Switch 2. Bananza is the first true 3D entry for the mascot in 26 years. Donkey Kong 64 being historically the only previous 3D adventure game centered on DK, its release on Nintendo Classics serves as a perfect bridge. Fans can finally explore the roots of the gameplay popularized by Bananza.

The return of Donkey Kong 64 also falls on the 1-year anniversary of the Switch 2 launch, released June 5, 2025. Nintendo thus polishes the anniversary date of its new portable console. Note that the game originally required the Expansion Pak N64, a physical accessory adding RAM. This accessory would later lend its name to the Expansion Pack of the current online service. The title, never available on Wii Virtual Console, had only been ported to Wii U in 2015.