As we’ve discussed in the past, one of the biggest problems with video game franchises as a whole is that if you don’t innovate them enough over time, things will start to get stale, and you’ll lose your fan base. Many series and characters have gone through “reinventions” to try and “spice things up” without losing what made the franchise special in the first place. Donkey Kong Bananza is the first attempt in a while to “spice up” DK and his world. This one feels special to fans not only because of the inclusion of Pauline but also because of the destructible environments, the new Donkey Kong design, and the true open-world aesthetic.
In a special “Ask The Developer” interview, Nintendo talked to the Donkey Kong Bananza team, and they revealed that one of the key thought processes for the game was to expand DK’s franchise into two different “branches,” just like Mario had done, all the while doing it in a way that would expand Donkey Kong’s perception in the gaming community. Producer Kenta Motokura noted:
“In a long-running series, novelty and continuity are both important, but we wanted this title to fully convey the appeal of Donkey Kong as a character. Meanwhile, we thought that by creating something new, leveraging our experience developing 3D Mario games, we’d have the opportunity to create two separate branches – 2D Donkey Kong and 3D Donkey Kong – just as we did with Mario games. So, keeping in mind that this game will come to symbolize 3D Donkey Kong, and with the theme of bringing Donkey Kong’s strengths and new actions to the forefront, we thought the concept of “destruction” would be a good fit.”
Art Director Daisuke Watanabe added that gamers don’t all view Donkey Kong the same way, so they wanted to help refine that “vision” of the beloved ape:
“People’s impressions of Donkey Kong actually vary quite significantly from person to person. Donkey Kong began life in the arcades as Mario’s nemesis, but since then he’s had many guises depending on the game, be that a cool, rugged king of the jungle or a lovable goofball. So, rather than just giving him a simple design update, we strove for a design that would get to the core of what makes Donkey Kong who he is, bringing out his unique characteristics and appeal.”
That was a key reason why Donkey Kong is so expressive in the new game, as the team wanted to really have him “emote” and showcase what he’s feeling at any given moment. The game comes to Nintendo Switch 2 on Thursday!
