Donkey Kong Bananza Developer Wants to Define 3D and 2D Branches for the Franchise

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As we approach the launch of “Donkey Kong Bananza” on July 17, Nintendo aims for

2D and 3D games. He compared this approach to the work his team has done with the Mario games, which also have both 2D and 3D titles.

Motokura explained that in an ongoing series, it’s crucial to balance novelty and consistency, but they aimed to make

To make sure the game embodies the iconic essence of the 3D version of Donkey Kong, we decided that focusing on showcasing Donkey Kong’s abilities and introducing fresh actions would be ideal. Since ‘destruction’ could effectively highlight these elements, we believe it suits our concept well.

In the same Q&A session, Motokura discussed the fresh design for the main character, Donkey Kong. Regarding queries about the character’s transformation in Bananza, Motokura explained that this change was an organic evolution of the studio’s work on the upcoming game.

Motokura stated that the game “Donkey Kong Bananza” inspired a new design that, in his opinion, more effectively captures the essence of Donkey Kong. Additionally, he mentioned that Donkey Kong was featured in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Apart from his recent appearances in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (2023) and “Mario Kart World”, the fundamental Donkey Kong character has a history that dates back further. As he spoke, he explained, “The original design of Donkey Kong serves as the foundation for these modern versions. However, this classic design has undergone a significant transformation. In our efforts to refresh the design, we traced its roots back to where it all began. We used Shigeru Miyamoto’s original Donkey Kong as a base, incorporating design aspects from ‘Donkey Kong Bananza’ in certain areas.

In their latest conversations, Motokura and director Kazuya Takahashi shared a wealth of information about “Donkey Kong Bananza” and its creation process. One of the details they disclosed was that the team began developing this upcoming game as early as 2017, immediately following the completion of “Super Mario Odyssey.” As a result, “Bananza” has been in development for approximately eight years now.

Motokura mentioned that he’s unable to provide exact specifics, but he did share that the project began following the completion of ‘Super Mario Odyssey’ in 2017.

The upcoming game, “Donkey Kong Bananza,” will initially be available only on the Nintendo Switch 2. Following its release, whispers suggest that a Nintendo Direct might take place.

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2025-07-16 16:42