In our recent Donkey Kong Bananza review, we described the new game as a must-play title that makes the Nintendo Switch 2 worth getting. What we didn't point out is that it could also be a contender for our guide to the best 3D modelling software.
OK, so Donkey Kong Artist mode isn't quite Blender or ZBrush, but it's surprisingly powerful. It also demonstrates one of the things that makes Nintendo so endearing as a developer: its habit of including random and entirely unnecessary extra features just for the love of it.
While the aim of Donkey Kong Bananza is to smash you way through Ingot Isle to recover stolen banana diamonds, many fans have found themselves distracted for hours by DK Artist mode, which allows you to put Kong's rock-breaking powers to more creative use.
Players are going wild with it. Nintendo characters like Mario and Donkey Kong himself are obviously popular choices, but people have also been sharing models of characters from other IPs and completely random creations. Some of them are stunning, many are a little cursed. It seems Donkey Kong art is becoming a whole genre in its own right.
WORLDS FIRST SPRINGTRAP SCULPTED IN DK ARTIST YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST FOLKS
— @emiebunny.bsky.social (@emiebunny.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-07-22T12:27:09.234Z
You can only access Donkey Kong Artist Mode from the title screen. There, instead of pressing a face button to start or continue a game, you press the “+” button. The tool will give you a random object that you can start to carve into a 3D shape. You can even paint it and add lighting, and then share your creation online.
You can use any controller, but the Joy-Cons in mouse mode provide more precision. The left and right D-pad buttons change tools and the up and down buttons change colours.
It's a neat bonus feature that reminds me of the joy of discovering Paint as a kid, and I love how it's bringing 3D creation to people who might never think to download modelling software and learn how to use it. Blender is free and open-source, but Donkey Kong's a cheaper introduction to 3D sculpting than something like ZBrush!
It's also a great example of how Nintendo does things differently from many other developers. Like Super Mario 64's start menu, these kinds of fun features show that it sees itself as a toy company who's job is to entertain us with fun products even if they're not a necessary part of the game.
