Donkey Kong 'Bananza' Director Goes Ape Over Franchise History (For Research, Obviously)
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
The director of Donkey Kong 'Bananza' replayed every game in the series for inspiration, which is good news for those hoping for a faithful (but destructive) revival of the franchise on the Nintendo Switch 2. Sounds like Takahashi really wants to deliver a proper experience for fans, so cautiously optimistic vibes all around!
Right, so it turns out that the director of the upcoming Donkey Kong 'Bananza' (coming exclusively to the Nintendo Switch 2, mark your calendars for July 17, 2025) took his homework *very* seriously. Kazuya Takahashi, the bloke in charge of bringing our favourite tie-wearing gorilla back into our lives, apparently replayed *every single* Donkey Kong game before diving into development.
I reckon that's a fair bit more dedication than I put into most things, including remembering where I left my keys. But hey, when you're tasked with reviving a beloved franchise that's been relatively quiet for over a decade (Tropical Freeze came out in *2014* - blimey!), you probably want to do your due diligence. According to an interview with La Vanguardia, Takahashi-san wanted to get some fresh ideas and re-immerse himself in the world of DK.
And it sounds like Donkey Kong Country got a particularly good look. Takahashi mentioned wanting to revisit elements from the SNES classic, but with a twist – a "sense of destruction." Because what's a Donkey Kong game without a bit of chaotic, banana-fueled mayhem? We know that Bananza is going fully 3D with a fully destructible, voxel-based world. So, fair dinkum, that checks out. Smash, dig and climb through the game while collecting stolen Banandium Gems. I guess VoidCo are the new bad guys - never heard of them...
He did warn folks that there might be some performance hiccups in certain spots, which, let’s be honest, is hardly surprising for a launch title on new hardware. Still, he reckons it won't ruin the fun, which is good enough for me.
It's reassuring to see a director so committed to the source material. Whether or not 'Bananza' sticks the landing remains to be seen, but the fact that Takahashi-san clearly *gets* Donkey Kong is a promising sign. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to replay Donkey Kong 64. Purely for research, of course.
Tags: Donkey Kong, Nintendo Switch 2, Kazuya Takahashi, Donkey Kong Bananza, Platformer
Original article: Game Rant