Donkey Kong Goes Bananza: Odyssey Devs Reveal Why They're Monkeying Around (and it's Wilder Than You Think)
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
The Super Mario Odyssey team is making a 3D Donkey Kong game with voxel-based destruction, a 13-year-old Pauline, and it's coming to Nintendo Switch 2 to unleash maximum environmental chaos. Sounds like a recipe for either pure genius or a beautiful disaster!
Right, so Donkey Kong's back, and this time it's not just a rehash of the old platforming glory. Apparently, Nintendo's Super Mario Odyssey team decided to go full-on Kong, and fair dinkum, the reasons are a bit bananas.
According to a recent interview with IGN South Africa (big ups to Rebekah Valentine for getting the scoop!), Kenta Motokura (producer) and Kazuya Takahashi (director) spilled the bananas on *Donkey Kong Bananza*. And get this, it all started with a simple request from their boss, Mr. Koizumi: "Hey, wanna make a 3D Donkey Kong game?" Sounds simple, right? Nope.
Turns out, they then went straight to the source – Miyamoto himself – to figure out what *really* makes Donkey Kong tick. Apparently, it’s all about the hand slaps and powerful breath. Who knew?
But the real kicker? Voxel tech. Remember that cheese-digging and snow-plowing fun in *Odyssey*? Yeah, they're doubling down on that, letting players smash and bash their way through the entire world. Think *Wreck-It Ralph* meets Donkey Kong, with a healthy dose of environmental destruction.
Now, about Pauline... she's back, and she's 13! Why 13? They're not saying, reckon they want us to come up with our own theories. Maybe it's a secret prequel to *Odyssey*? The mind boggles! What we DO know is that she sings and her singing opens up new routes, the co-op will allow another player to control her "vocal blasts" and that she is in place to provide a human point of view for the player.
The voxel engine's destruction is the core of *Bananza*, the designers want players to look at something in the world and immediately wonder if they can break it.
And here’s the real kicker: *Donkey Kong Bananza* is a Nintendo Switch 2 title. Originally, it was in development for the original Switch, but when they got their hands on the new hardware, they reckoned it was the perfect platform to unleash the full destructive potential of the voxel tech. And mouse control! Apparently, that's going to be a thing, especially in co-op and a mode called "DK Artist" which allows players to sculpt voxels.
So, will *Donkey Kong Bananza* live up to the hype? It sounds like they're blending the classic Donkey Kong feel with some seriously bonkers new mechanics. As with any big release, I'm cautiously optimistic. It might be a smashing success, or it could end up a pixelated pile of rubble. Time will tell.
Tags: Donkey Kong, Nintendo Switch 2, Super Mario Odyssey, Voxel Technology, Gaming News
Original article: IGN South Africa