Holy Banana Slamma! Donkey Kong Gets a New Voice (And Pauline Sounds Younger Than My Nan)
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
The new *Donkey Kong Bananza* credits reveal a new voice actor for Donkey Kong, Kouji Takeda, and a fresh voice for Pauline, Jenny Kidd, leading to speculation about character timeline and possible prequel storylines. Is this the start of a new Kong dynasty?
Right, so *Donkey Kong Bananza* just dropped, and the eagle-eyed wizards over at IGN South Africa (cheers, mates!) have been digging through the credits like truffle pigs. Turns out, we've got a new voice for DK himself. And Pauline sounds like she's raided the fountain of youth.
Remember how everyone was buzzing about Kouji Takeda potentially taking over as Donkey Kong after he voiced the big ape in the Japanese dub of *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*? Well, *Bananza* has seemingly confirmed it! Takeda is credited as Donkey Kong across all language options. So, fair dinkum, it looks like Nintendo's finally unified DK's grunts and groans across all platforms. (originally speculated when Takeda's name popped up in the credits of *Mario Kart World*)
Now, some of you older gamers might recall Takashi Nagasako, who voiced Donkey Kong for a whopping 21 years. But, alas, time marches on, and Nagasako's no longer credited. It feels like Nintendo's going through a bit of a voice actor shuffle lately, doesn't it? (like replacing Princess Peach and Toad, and Charles Martinet retiring as Mario, Luigi, Wario and Waluigi)
But wait, there's more! Pauline's got a fresh set of vocal cords too. Actress and musician Jenny Kidd is now voicing her in the English dub. Remember Kate Higgins, who voiced Pauline in *Super Mario Odyssey* and belted out that banger "Jump Up, Super Star!"? Well, apparently, this new Pauline is a 13-year-old version. That's one way to explain the switch.
Sounds familiar? Some fan theories suggest that *Bananza*'s Pauline is a younger version, a prequel to the *Odyssey* Pauline. Is this some kind of Donkey Kong cinematic universe origin story? (we even asked the game's development team for their take) Well, I won't spoil it for you, but there might be a nugget of truth there. IGN's review says, "Every element comes together in complete harmony to create Nintendo’s first Switch 2 masterpiece."
In conclusion, *Donkey Kong Bananza* isn't just a game; it's apparently a casting director's playground! Wonder if we'll see even more voice changes in the future? Only time (and more credit scrolls) will tell!
Tags: Donkey Kong, Nintendo, Voice Acting, Gaming News, Pauline
Original article: IGN South Africa