Back to the Drawing Board.
During an interview with IGN, Donkey Kong Bananza Producer, Kenta Motokura spoke out in response to why Donkey Kong was redesigned for the upcoming title. His words in full can be seen here:
Kenta Motokura: So we’re always thinking about what sort of in-game expression of the character would be appropriate. You want to make sure that you have a character that can be very expressive, very emotive. And so from the very beginning of the project we were considering over the long history of Donkey Kong, what elements could we pull into in terms of creating this appearance that would be fun for fans. And as a result, we spent a lot of time thinking about distinctive visual features of Donkey Kong as a character among the developers. Even going all the way back to Mr. Miyamoto’s original designs. We found a lot of expressive features in that character design as well. But also, in games like the Country series, you see him adventuring in a jungle where he has more of a cool and wild side. And so we wanted to pull together a lot of these different elements of the character over its long history, to come together for the design of Donkey Kong Bananza.
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
