From New Donk Mayor to Ingot Isle minor.
During an interview with IGN, Donkey Kong Bananza Producer, Kenta Motokura, and Director, Kazuya Takahashi had a lot to say. One thing in particular was the decision to revert Pauline to being a teenager. For their full responses, we have them here:
Kazuya Takahashi: Well one of the important roles that we knew we wanted this character to accomplish was in accompanying Donkey Kong on his travels and acting in some cases as a bit of a narrator. And considering we would probably have both new players who are experiencing a Donkey Kong game for the first time, as well as people who are long-time fans of Donkey Kong. So we had the opportunity to offer a character that was familiar to long-time players, but had a new appearance that might be interesting for new folks as well.
Kenta Motokura: And so we’re always thinking about the setting of not just the world but also each character itself and how that’s going to impact player enjoyment in the end.
Kazuya Takahashi: Now as to why 13-year-old in particular was the choice, I think that’s something that we want players to, in the course of enjoying the game, start to puzzle out, think for themselves.
For more from the full interview, we highly encourage you to check out the complete piece on IGN by clicking here.
About Donkey Kong Bananza:
The big guy is back—and he’s not alone! — Explore a vast underground world with Donkey Kong and Pauline—by smashing your way through it!
With DK’s brute force and Pauline’s special singing abilities, you can crash through walls, carve tunnels with your fists, punch straight down into the ground, and even tear off chunks of terrain to swing around and throw in groundbreaking exploration. The more you smash, the more areas open up to explore.
Take a deep dive into fun — Join DK and his companion, Pauline, as they delve deep underground—and discover that this subterranean world is a lot more than it seems on the surface. Uncover a variety of environments such as arid canyons, lush forests, and frigid tundra as you peel back the world’s layers!
Pair up with Pauline — Pauline is a 13-year-old girl with a powerful voice—so powerful it can blast rocks and even bestow powers on Donkey Kong!
Bananza time! — Pauline’s singing can empower DK with different Bananza Transformations, each with its own unique power. Pump up DK’s strength, speed, and more!
Underground folks — Donkey Kong and Pauline meet a lot of interesting characters along the way—some might even help them out on their adventure!
Void Company The Planet Core is said to have the power to grant any desire—and Void Kong, the ruthless head of the greedy Void Company, will stop at nothing to reach it and claim all the world’s riches for himself. Smash your way to the Planet Core before the greedy Void Company gets there first!
Team up with a friend — In 2-player co-op mode, one player controls Donkey Kong while the other can be Pauline, riding on DK’s shoulder, using her powerful vocal blasts to clear a path and zap baddies. (You can even try Joy-Con™ 2 mouse controls for more precise aiming!) Pauline can also copy nearby terrain to add some environmental umph to her blasts. When DK and Pauline work together, the bad guys don’t stand a chance!
Assist Mode — If you’re a new player or just want a more mellow experience, try out Assist Mode! Get helpful features like automatic path guidance, aim assist, reduced damage, and regenerating health!
Different ways to play together!
- Local | one game + one Nintendo Switch 2 system
- Local | one game + two Nintendo Switch 2 systems using GameShare
- Online | one game + two Nintendo Switch 2 systems using GameChat + GameShare
Source: IGN
