Note: this article will contain open spoilers for Donkey Kong Bananza. Nintendo of Korea accidentally posted some art we weren’t supposed to see yet.
Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
After years of speculation, rumors, and hardware leaks, Nintendo finally delved into the Nintendo Switch 2 last month. And the Direct ended by unveiling Donkey Kong Bananza, the series’ first new, mainline entry in eleven years following Retro Studios’ Wii U classic Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. As Source Gaming’s leading Donkey Kong aficionado, I was pleased Nintendo heard my pleas.
While Nintendo annoyingly neglected to confirm which studio is developing Bananza, it’s reportedly a Nintendo EPD production. Sounds right; I’m definitely sensing some Super Mario Odyssey vibes. (Image: Nintendo)
Rumors spread in the days leading up to the Direct saying that Donkey Kong would crash it. And while I try to hype responsibly as we say, my gut was telling me that this was finally its time. We’re only two years removed from a Hollywood blockbuster that prominently featured a redesigned take on Donkey Kong alongside a considerable chunk of his cast. A similar redesign is now the character’s default look, and the wealth of Donkey Kong merchandise we’re getting proudly flaunts it. Plus, the most prolific game Nintendo published this year so far is Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, a remaster of the seminal Wii / Nintendo 3DS side-scroller they promoted for months. Alone, sure, that might not sound noteworthy, especially when it’s meant to synergize with the Donkey Kong Country theme park (which itself is also huge). But Nintendo pushed it on social media incessantly. Much more so than, say, fellow 3DS remaster Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD last year. You could tell they wanted to reintroduce Donkey Kong to prime us for something fresh, something massive.
Which leads into the elephant in the room—wait, uh… no, it doesn’t. Ellie of Donkey Kong Country 3 and Land III fame is nowhere to be seen. Neither is their star, Dixie Kong, or her sidekick, Kiddy. Or Donkey Kong’s own partner, Diddy. Other franchise fixtures like Rambi, Funky, and even someone as innocuous as Professor Chops are AWOL, too. All the enemies are totally new, following the example of the last three mainline Donkey Kongs. The only returnee to grace Bananza’s reveal is its headliner.
Some aren’t sold yet on the guy’s redesign either. While I think it’s fantastic, it will admittedly take me some time to adjust to. (Image: Nintendo)
This isn’t an entirely new phenomena. Nintendo GameCube outing Donkey Kong Jungle Beat infamously lacked any familiar faces besides its namesake, and that hit when the franchise was all over the map with gimmicky spin-offs the masses rejected. Both titles also focus on Donkey Kong’s physicality and strength, elements that distinguish him from other Nintendo heroes. Unsurprisingly, Jungle Beat was developed internally by Nintendo EAD Tokyo, the precursor to Mario Odyssey studio EPD Tokyo. And Jungle Beat flopped commercially, which I don’t wholly blame on its lack of recurring iconography, but that was a big bugbear for longtime fans.
I skim social media and forums. Most seem excited for Bananza, but I’ve seen concern from some Donkey Kong diehards about its direction. I get it. This is the game that’s going to direct the brand for years, like Returns has done since 2010. It’s been over a decade since Tropical Freeze, so reestablishing Donkey Kong through a more traditional entry might’ve been more assuring. Of course, what’s “traditional” for this series varies. When I envision Donkey Kong, it’s Rare’s naturalistic Country trilogy that pops into my brain first. Whether that’s true for you or you favor the arcade trilogy, Donkey Kong 64, Retro’s Country duology, or, I dunno, Donkey Kong Jr. Math, it’s fair to express disappointment if Nintendo is moving away from your preferred interpretation of the franchise.
Coincidence or not, the hard hat DK wears during his grand entrance evokes the one he wore in old DKC1 promotional renders. Discovering that Bananza is leaning into this aspect was comforting. (Image: Nintendo)
However, it’s also important to give change a chance, and franchises will change, especially when they’re capable of theoretically continuing indefinitely. Yes, that doesn’t always yield winners (don’t get me started again on Sonic 4 or Dead Rising 4), but it also led to Country, the reason I became a fan of this franchise. Titles like Super Mario Galaxy and Odyssey tastefully honored the mascot’s legacy while pushing him forward, too; EPD navigates this tightrope expertly.
I’m confident Donkey Kong Bananza will follow suit. In fact, it already has: a stone tablet briefly seen in the trailer depicts a Gnawty, the dopey beavers of Donkey Kong Country and 64. More prominently, it seemingly revisits the Kongo Jungle, Country’s iconic starting area. Alongside a redesigned Barrel Cannon, Bananza faithfully recreates the ACM palm trees from that game—a surprise after their angular contemporaries in Returns and Tropical Freeze have been the standard for so long. We’ve also seen red balloons, mine carts, and brambles, three franchise staples. Golden Bananas return from DK64, as does its “oh, banana!” chant. Red girders akin to the original game’s construction site dot Ingot Isle. People are drawing comparisons between Bananza‘s ostrich denizens and Expresso, beloved Animal Buddy of yore. And then, we learned that Cranky Kong’s in the game, and his dialogue all but confirms Rambi’s inclusion, too! Newer details further Bananza’s ties to its predecessors, two of which are delightfully deep cuts, and we still have two months until it hits. Plenty of time for Squawks or Squitter or King K. Rool to pop up.
Speaking of K. Rool, fans are theorizing a Kremling King comeback may be looming. Now, I don’t want to raise our hopes only to end up disappointed, but… yeah, I don’t think we can discount his inclusion just yet. (Image: Nintendo)
Make no mistake, too, I want Bananza to celebrate every era of Donkey Kong, and it seems likely that’ll happen (even Jungle Beat’s gotten a nod through the return of DK’s clap attack). Odyssey’s Donkey Kong tribute New Donk City is referenced; it makes sense that EPD would build on their previous work. That leads into the render Nintendo’s Korean wing accidentally posted, which implies Pauline might be the true identity of Odd Rock, the ape’s amnesiac companion. Odder still, it’s a younger take on her, suggesting she’s also the victim of some magic de-aging or time travel hijinks. Of course, it’s possible she isn’t Pauline but a relative or even someone whose physical resemblance is sheer coincidence within Bananza‘s fiction. I’m intrigued! Tagging the giant gorilla with a defenseless kid humanizes the former; this is a side of him your average Nintendo fan might not be familiar with. And if the little girl is Pauline, she has every right to appear in a proper Donkey Kong title, and isn’t doing so at the expense of anyone else. Dixie is my favorite Donkey Kong character, but she lacks the ties to the original arcade game and Odyssey that define the New Donk City mayor. If Dixie Kong is absent from Bananza, that’ll be disappointing. But it wouldn’t be a dealbreaker, and given her prevalence elsewhere, I’m confident her future is secure.
Plus, Bananza‘s premise, by happenstance or otherwise, is surprisingly consistent with Rare’s Country trilogy: the media they drew from inspired its dreary lost worlds, Indiana Jones-esque mine carts, and the pirate and Frankenstein motifs employed by its villain. Subterranean fiction is timeless, and I’m happy Donkey Kong’s latest adventure is tackling the trope.
Pairing primal, destructive forces of nature with tiny tykes is fun, and it’s a dynamic Mario is less equipped to handle. (Image: Disney)
As for Bananza‘s gameplay, it looks promising! Part of Mario’s appeal is that he’s a normal dude, albeit a heroic and acrobatic one. He could never punch through the planet or climb like a madman as DK does in Bananza. And it seems to understand Donkey Kong’s abilities, particularly his roll attack—EPD even included roll jumping, a mechanic essential to Country’s identity. Innovations, like the bit where DK throws a chunk of the ground and then rides atop it, suit his strong nature perfectly. One of Country‘s greatest pleasures is its focus on forward momentum, on dashing through levels in one grand, uninterrupted motion. Bananza‘s sandboxes likely won’t facilitate that exact sensation, and what little we’ve seen is light on traditional platforming challenges, but it looks frantic and fun (and somehow less goofy than the time DK punched the moon out of orbit in Returns). And considering Cappy, Odyssey’s flagship sidekick and mechanic, was only revealed during its second trailer, my imagination is running wild contemplating what Bananza may still be hiding.
Whatever your stance on Bananza is, though, one thing should thrill all Donkey Kong fans: it proves Nintendo cherishes the property. It was the Direct’s closer, the “one more thing” to hype up their new machine. Not Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, or Super Smash Bros. Right now, our boy is the main attraction (well, okay, alongside Mario Kart World)! To those disappointed we didn’t see the next 3D Mario: that’s understandable, but it’ll come, and in the meantime Donkey Kong gives EPD freedom to explore concepts the plumber can’t. And if you’re a skeptical Donkey Kong fan and Bananza ultimately doesn’t win you over, that’s fine, too. Hopefully the next one does. Look at Sonic the Hedgehog: it drew criticism for its melodramatic Aughts outings, responded by embracing a comedic tone, and is now returning to a more serious one; franchises ebb and flow. And though it took over two decades, this classic Sonic fan eventually was catered to through Mania. Bananza may wind up lacking the quiet, naturalistic moments I fancy, but I’m hopeful Donkey Kong will eventually explore them again.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder plays with the environment through flashy, magical flowers. Bananza plays with it by letting its hero effortlessly Hulk and “Turf Surf” through it. (Image: Nintendo)
More than anything, however, I’m so happy Donkey Kong’s back. After eleven years, we finally have a new game on the horizon! Fans are abuzz speculating if and how the Northern Kremisphere and Crocodile Isle connect to Bananza’s subterranean settings, something that’s wild and exciting! And to be clear, I’m not fully sold on Bananza yet, but I did overall savor our first taste of it and can’t wait to see more. Nintendo’s studios are talented (if I’m wrong and this isn’t an EPD joint, we should still be in good hands), Bananza looks innovative and ambitious, and even if it doesn’t perfectly appeal to my sensibilities, I’m sure it’ll be a good time. May Donkey Kong’s tenure under this team be fruitful, and may he never enter hibernation again.
Getting a new 3D Donkey Kong after twenty-six years is huge, a guaranteed way to grab people’s attention. Hopefully the series follows Mario’s example and eventually starts alternating between 2D and 3D titles. (Image: Nintendo)
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