Donkey Kong Bananza is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 this summer, and there’s still a lot we don’t know about the game. The new 3D platformer puts players back in the role of the king of swing himself, in a game where he’s accompanied by a strange new companion named Odd Rock. While Nintendo is keeping this character’s true identity a secret, a leak earlier this month suggests that Odd Rock is actually a transformed Pauline, or possibly a younger version of the character. This has resulted in fans theorizing that Donkey Kong Bananza might be a prequel to Super Mario Odyssey, or perhaps the entirety of the DK series.
Pauline first appeared in the original Donkey Kong. In that arcade game, Pauline was kidnapped by the eponymous ape, and players had to rescue her as Mario. Pauline’s appearances were few and far between for decades after, but the character played a major role in Super Mario Odyssey. In the Nintendo Switch game, Pauline had become the mayor of New Donk City. The game only lightly touches on her past with DK and Mario, but Donkey Kong Bananza could offer more backstory for the characters.
While this fan theory is interesting, there are some reasons it starts to unravel. As the Mario canon currently stands, the Donkey Kong from the original arcade game is actually Cranky Kong; the current Donkey Kong is either his son or grandson, a fact Nintendo has gone back and forth on over the years. Since Cranky has already been shown in the game, this couldn’t be a prequel to the entire franchise. So how is it that Pauline is in the game, while looking much younger? It’s possible Donkey Kong Bananza could have some time travel elements, or that this character could actually be a relative of Pauline instead.
Whatever the case might be, Nintendo has clearly gotten a lot of interest from Donkey Kong fans. People are eager to learn more about the game, from its lore, to the team behind it. Many fans are assuming that Donkey Kong Bananza is being developed by Nintendo EPD, the studio responsible for Super Mario Odyssey. That would make a lot of sense given everything shown thus far, and it would establish another connection between the game besides the presence of Pauline. The only thing we know for sure thus far is that longtime Donkey Kong composer David Wise will not be involved with the game.
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With Donkey Kong Bananza set to be released on July 17th, we can likely expect to learn more about the game following the release of Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5th. Mario Kart World is understandably getting the majority of the focus from Nintendo thus far, since it’s the system’s big launch title. However, once that game is out, we can probably expect more details about other first-party games coming to Nintendo Switch 2.
Do you think Donkey Kong Bananza has a connection to Super Mario Odyssey? Are you planning on checking out the game this summer? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
[H/T: Game Rant]
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