Donkey Kong Bananza: The 3D Return That Might Break Our Hearts
We just got a huge dump of information about Donkey Kong Bananza, the upcoming 3D DK game, and I’ve got so many thoughts. First off, I’m beyond excited. This one’s shaping up to be a true spiritual successor to titles like Donkey Kong 64, Banjo‑Kazooie and Super Mario 64, which were childhood classics for me. I’ve been craving a proper 3D Donkey Kong sequel ever since DK64, and Bananza looks like exactly that.
Story-wise, I think this game’s gonna be a tragedy. The game is clearly a prequel to the arcade original, where DK kidnaps Pauline and Mario rescues her. Here, we’ll actually meet teenage Pauline, full of dreams to be a singer, with DK carrying her on his shoulder. They go on adventures, fight bad guys, collect goodies, and forge a bond. But that bond is the setup for the classic DK we know: jealous, angry, kidnapper Donkey Kong. I genuinely think Donkey Kong Bananza will be a Shakespearean tragedy (minus the death.)
In Super Mario Odyssey, we see grown‑up Pauline singing in New Donk City, DK is absent, and Mario’s the hero. I reckon Bananza shows DK and Pauline building that very city together in Hollow Earth, only for Mario to waltz in and steal Pauline away. That heartbreak fuels the anger we see in the arcade game. If that isn’t emotional tragedy, I don’t know what is.
What really blows me away is how much tactile, emotional content is packed in. Pauline is not just a cameo: we hear her sing snippets of the original Donkey Kong Country theme. That’s where I know it from, but I’ve had several commenters telling me it’s in fact the original menu theme from the Donkey Kong arcade classic.
She’s got real English voice lines, and she’s this full character, not silent like Mario. DK has animal transformations — zebra, ostrich, gorilla — and Rambi the rhino is back for riding and smashing. The environments are destructible: bust through walls, build stuff, explore; it all looks epic. There's even that legendary DK Rap winking from past titles, a nod to fans that just feels right.
Diddy and Dixie Kong show up too, it seems they have a minor role in the game, but I’m glad they’re there. That said, I’m sad King K. Rool’s missing — he’s such a menacing, nostalgic favourite. Fans love him and he even made it into Smash Bros. because of the fan love, so why not include him?
Ultimately, this feels like Nintendo pulling together the Mario and Donkey Kong universes after years of running them (sort of?) separately, aside from when they’re all getting together to play tennis, go-karting, golf or having parties.
On a personal note, this is the sort of game I bought my Switch 2 for. I was keen on Mario Kart World, but Bananza triggers that deeper nostalgia. It’s shaping up to be a heartfelt, ripping adventure. One that’ll make you laugh, pump your adrenaline, and maybe tear up at the end.
This blog post was repurposed from the transcript of my YouTube video on the same topic. I used AI to structure the transcript into a blog post form.