Donkey Kong Bananza

*LeotheLateBloomer* · 04-04-2025, 10:55 PM

I'm super excited for this game! It's been so long since the last 3D DK game. Also, I like DK's design. This trailer doesn't show him but Cranky is in this game.

Mad Dog McMutt · 04-05-2025, 12:05 PM

I have sworn to myself that I will not buy anymore Nintendo consoles because they knowingly sold everybody crappy joy-sticks that are destined to drift. I had to replace my switch lite with a tv console because of this. So I knew that I was going to be a little sad everytime I see an exciting new release that I wont be playing. This happens to be the first one. I absolutely loves DK 64 to the point where I fully completed it. Som3 of the mini games got a little too difficult at the end, but I still loved it. This game looks absolutely amazing. After learning about the modern costs of the Switch 2 and the games, I am very happy that I'm hopping off the keeping up with modern consoles train.

Bluelightsaber · 04-05-2025, 02:12 PM

It’s rough seeing cool new stuff drop and feeling left out, but honestly, stepping off the upgrade treadmill can be freeing. You’ve still got your DK64 memories, and nothing beats that kind of nostalgia

Mad Dog McMutt · 04-05-2025, 05:25 PM

Before the Switch, I stopped keeping up after the Wii/3ds. Howevee, the switch had such a good library that I had to cave in. Plus I was dying to play the 2 Southpark rpg games. Nintendo made me so mad with their greediness that even if the Switch 2 has the best library, I am not buying one.

*sdp* · 04-06-2025, 02:09 PM

How big was Donkey Kong during the 80s and 90s? I was too young in the 90s to really appreciate how big he was, I just saw him as a Mario spin-off character because of Mario kart 64/Mario Party I didn't play. By the time I got my first DK game DK 64 the hype on the character had already died I think and passed on to Banjo Kazooie, he struggled during the whole Gamecube era with spin-off gimmicky games, and didn't make a "return" until DKC Returns but even then he hasn't really been that big until recently with the release of the Mario Movie, his own theme park and now 3D game, he feels like he is "back".

I mean in the 80s I'm guessing he was almost as big as Pac-Man? He got 3 games, got two cartoons (DK/DKjr), he appeared in Captain N as a major antagonist, his game was ported to pretty much every console at the time, he got his own cereal (though I think in the 80s everyone got their own cereal right?). Clearly it was a priority to have the DK Trilogy once the NES came out, but between DK3 not being that good and Super Mario Bros being great that era of relevancy died quickly like it did for other arcade icons.

But unlike other arcade icons, DK was able to make a comeback in the 90s, I didn't realize it then but it seems like DKC really challenged Mario as the "next big platformer", and now I realize looking back at magazines and ads, people treated DK like a huge star as big as Mario, he got another cartoon in the 90s, 3 games, 3 ports of games and whatnot. That redesign became so iconic that it stayed with him until just this year. I think not having DK be a part of DKC2 and DKC3 likely hurt his relevancy and DK64 came out way too late after Banjo had already done the whole collectathon first, there was no need for a third "Nintendo collectathon 3D platformer".

I'm glad DK got a re-design, this fits way more not only the Mario universe he belongs in, but it gives him far more personality that fits his name of being goofy. His Rare design reeks too much of the 90s and limited his expressions.

Bluelightsaber · 04-06-2025, 05:29 PM

Yeah, Donkey Kong was huge in the 80s. He was right up there with Pac-Man as one of gaming’s first true icons. The original arcade game basically put Nintendo on the map in North America, and it also introduced Mario (then called Jumpman), which is wild in hindsight. For a few years, Donkey Kong was the face of Nintendo.

By the late 80s, though, Mario started pulling ahead fast thanks to Super Mario Bros. Meanwhile, Donkey Kong 3 didn’t hit nearly as hard, and he kind of faded for a bit. But you’re absolutely right, DK made a massive comeback in the 90s with Donkey Kong Country. That game was a huge deal. Graphically it blew minds back then, and it gave DK a total rebrand with the red tie and 3D look. For a while, he really did rival Mario in popularity. Nintendo even gave him a leading role in the DKC cartoon (which, yes, was weird and Canadian and CGI)

Mad Dog McMutt · 04-06-2025, 07:58 PM

I have heard about how popular DK was in the 80's. I was born in 86 so I can't remember much of the 80's but Donkey Kong was right under Mario in terms of popularity in the 90's. The DK country games were very popular. As far as I know DK was the most popular mascot until Mario came along. This may sound crazy, but I like Returns and Tropical Freeze even more than the Country games and I love the Country games. The Land games are really fun too. I still own all of these DK games and I still play them to this day. However, I have the 3ds virtual version of the country games since I don't own a Snes.

*Andrew NDB* · 04-07-2025, 03:51 AM

This is one of those things that I'm glad it exists but I probably will never play.

*oldmanwinters* · 04-07-2025, 08:13 AM

The "Is that Rock really a young Pauline who DK taught to Sing?" theory is really running wild on social media.

~~ResidentEvil7~~ · 04-07-2025, 09:21 AM

Lately I've been reading an e-book on my Samsung tablet about arcade and console games and yes the book even did mention just how popular Donkey Kong was back in the early 1980s. The book goes in a certain order of games that were released covered. Right now the latest game I'm currently reading about a game called Time Pilot.

Yes Donkey Kong was very popular back in the day. The book mentions that Mario, then called Jumpman, climbed structures, dodging barrels to reach the captured princess from Donkey Kong. The next year, in 1982 (same year I was born), Donkey Kong Junior came out in arcade about his son trying to save Daddy-o from an evil Mario.

In 1994, Donkey Kong Country came out to the Super Nintendo and yes the graphics were state of the art for those times. I remember when my older brother and I played it on his SNES, and we reached a new level, we were astonished by how awesome the background graphics looked: the jungle, the caves, the water, the factory, the forest, the temple, the banana boss level and the mines were great for those times. I have a Retron 3 console that supports the NES, Genesis and SNES to which I have Donkey Kong Country 1.

I always felt the SNES was the best system because games then were great, had nice graphics for those times and not as stressful fast play games we have today.

*CyberCubed* · 04-07-2025, 10:43 AM

Donkey Kong has always been popular:

Arcade games: Donkey Kong 1-3. Donkey Kong '94 on Gameboy was a sequel to these games, and this spawned the Mario Vs. DK series on GBA (which got a Switch remake)

SNES: Donkey Kong Country Trilogy. There's also the Donkey Kong Land Trilogy on Gameboy

N64: Donkey Kong 64 (basically a Banjo/Mario clone)

Gamecube/Wii: DK: Jungle Beat, an excellent high-score sidescrolling DK game made by Nintendo

Wii: Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro's sequel to the original trilogy

Wii-U: Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, the next sequel.

So this game DK Bananza is the first 3D DK game since DK64. And these are all the mainline DK games not counting spinoffs.

*neatoman* · 06-18-2025, 04:35 PM

Why is Pauline a child now?

*CyberCubed* · 06-18-2025, 06:13 PM

This game looks incredible. System seller. Made by the Mario team, and first 3D Donkey Kong since DK64 in 25 years. Kid Pauline is amazing, they really went with Wreck it Ralph vibes.

*Storm Eagle* · 06-18-2025, 11:25 PM

I forgot there would be a Nintendo Direct until I saw something about a new amiibo on Twitter. I went and preordered it later on, and then watched the Nintendo Direct on my TV when I got home from work.

It looks like I can put all of the DK-themed amiibo I got to use after all. Hopefully the Diddy Kong amiibo from the Super Mario line will get reissued. It's the only DK-themed amiibo I don't have. I noticed in the direct that these "bracelets" were shown with the past amiibo, and I've never seen those anywhere before.

Now I wonder if Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will get a direct, and have a new amiibo announced.

There ought to be a soundtrack made with Pauline's songs.

*sdp* · 06-18-2025, 11:35 PM

I'm not 100% sold on it, I mean I still plan to get it but I might wait for reviews before I decide to get it day 1 or if not I'll wait for some black Friday deal. I have plenty of Switch 1 games I bought recently to get through so it won't be a long wait but it'd be nice to have another Switch 2 exclusive game to play.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Storm Eagle

I noticed in the direct that these "bracelets" were shown with the past amiibo, and I've never seen those anywhere before.

Now I wonder if Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will get a direct, and have a new amiibo announced.

The NFC Bracelets are the ones they sell at Super Nintendo World so you can play a few activities while you're there. The bracelet games at Super Nintendo World are kinda cute but don't know if it's worth the $40 asking price for them since you only ever use them in that specific place. IMO it's a better investment to get the fast pass, so you an go through more attractions but that's just me.

They've shown a lot of MP4, don't know if it'll get a direct but it's a possibility, an amiibo I think is more likely to happen though.

*Storm Eagle* · 06-20-2025, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdp

The NFC Bracelets are the ones they sell at Super Nintendo World so you can play a few activities while you're there. The bracelet games at Super Nintendo World are kinda cute but don't know if it's worth the $40 asking price for them since you only ever use them in that specific place. IMO it's a better investment to get the fast pass, so you an go through more attractions but that's just me.
https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/articles...1676650250.jpg

Okay thanks. I won't bother trying to get them.

*LeotheLateBloomer* · 06-23-2025, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

This game looks incredible. System seller. Made by the Mario team, and first 3D Donkey Kong since DK64 in 25 years. Kid Pauline is amazing, they really went with Wreck it Ralph vibes.

Beyond excited! Already pre-ordered both the game and the amiibo! Pauline is so adorable!

*neatoman* · 07-13-2025, 03:08 PM

Does anyone have any idea what she's singing here?

*oldmanwinters* · 07-14-2025, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neatoman

Does anyone have any idea what she's singing here?

Simian Cultural Appropriation?

*RaphaelinSTL* · 07-20-2025, 11:23 AM

10 hours in (only in the 4th world technically) and this has been genuinely one of the best games I've played in years. I'm loving the **** out of this.

04-04-2025, 10:55 PM	#1
LeotheLateBloomer Foot Elite Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 3,117	Donkey Kong Bananza I'm super excited for this game! It's been so long since the last 3D DK game. Also, I like DK's design. This trailer doesn't show him but Cranky is in this game.

04-06-2025, 02:09 PM	#5
sdp Detoxed Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Tokio, Italy Posts: 11,226	How big was Donkey Kong during the 80s and 90s? I was too young in the 90s to really appreciate how big he was, I just saw him as a Mario spin-off character because of Mario kart 64/Mario Party I didn't play. By the time I got my first DK game DK 64 the hype on the character had already died I think and passed on to Banjo Kazooie, he struggled during the whole Gamecube era with spin-off gimmicky games, and didn't make a "return" until DKC Returns but even then he hasn't really been that big until recently with the release of the Mario Movie, his own theme park and now 3D game, he feels like he is "back". I mean in the 80s I'm guessing he was almost as big as Pac-Man? He got 3 games, got two cartoons (DK/DKjr), he appeared in Captain N as a major antagonist, his game was ported to pretty much every console at the time, he got his own cereal (though I think in the 80s everyone got their own cereal right?). Clearly it was a priority to have the DK Trilogy once the NES came out, but between DK3 not being that good and Super Mario Bros being great that era of relevancy died quickly like it did for other arcade icons. But unlike other arcade icons, DK was able to make a comeback in the 90s, I didn't realize it then but it seems like DKC really challenged Mario as the "next big platformer", and now I realize looking back at magazines and ads, people treated DK like a huge star as big as Mario, he got another cartoon in the 90s, 3 games, 3 ports of games and whatnot. That redesign became so iconic that it stayed with him until just this year. I think not having DK be a part of DKC2 and DKC3 likely hurt his relevancy and DK64 came out way too late after Banjo had already done the whole collectathon first, there was no need for a third "Nintendo collectathon 3D platformer". I'm glad DK got a re-design, this fits way more not only the Mario universe he belongs in, but it gives him far more personality that fits his name of being goofy. His Rare design reeks too much of the 90s and limited his expressions. __________________ *Trapt* *urself Page MiscRave!!!* Click to join The Drome Discord server

04-07-2025, 08:13 AM	#9
oldmanwinters Overlord Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Between yesterday and tomorrow! Posts: 15,509	The "Is that Rock really a young Pauline who DK taught to Sing?" theory is really running wild on social media. __________________ Experience the TMNT Fan Commentaries! Check out my TMNT fan comic, "Nothing to Fear"! View my sketch work! I'm selling some of my hard-to-find TMNT items!

07-20-2025, 11:23 AM	#20
RaphaelinSTL Mad Scientist Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: St. Louis Posts: 1,948	10 hours in (only in the 4th world technically) and this has been genuinely one of the best games I've played in years. I'm loving the **** out of this. __________________

04-05-2025, 12:05 PM	#2
Mad Dog McMutt Stone Warrior Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 707	I have sworn to myself that I will not buy anymore Nintendo consoles because they knowingly sold everybody crappy joy-sticks that are destined to drift. I had to replace my switch lite with a tv console because of this. So I knew that I was going to be a little sad everytime I see an exciting new release that I wont be playing. This happens to be the first one. I absolutely loves DK 64 to the point where I fully completed it. Som3 of the mini games got a little too difficult at the end, but I still loved it. This game looks absolutely amazing. After learning about the modern costs of the Switch 2 and the games, I am very happy that I'm hopping off the keeping up with modern consoles train.

04-05-2025, 02:12 PM	#3
Bluelightsaber Foot Soldier Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 101	It’s rough seeing cool new stuff drop and feeling left out, but honestly, stepping off the upgrade treadmill can be freeing. You’ve still got your DK64 memories, and nothing beats that kind of nostalgia

04-05-2025, 05:25 PM	#4
Mad Dog McMutt Stone Warrior Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 707	Before the Switch, I stopped keeping up after the Wii/3ds. Howevee, the switch had such a good library that I had to cave in. Plus I was dying to play the 2 Southpark rpg games. Nintendo made me so mad with their greediness that even if the Switch 2 has the best library, I am not buying one.

04-06-2025, 05:29 PM	#6
Bluelightsaber Foot Soldier Join Date: Aug 2017 Posts: 101	Yeah, Donkey Kong was huge in the 80s. He was right up there with Pac-Man as one of gaming’s first true icons. The original arcade game basically put Nintendo on the map in North America, and it also introduced Mario (then called Jumpman), which is wild in hindsight. For a few years, Donkey Kong was the face of Nintendo. By the late 80s, though, Mario started pulling ahead fast thanks to Super Mario Bros. Meanwhile, Donkey Kong 3 didn’t hit nearly as hard, and he kind of faded for a bit. But you’re absolutely right, DK made a massive comeback in the 90s with Donkey Kong Country. That game was a huge deal. Graphically it blew minds back then, and it gave DK a total rebrand with the red tie and 3D look. For a while, he really did rival Mario in popularity. Nintendo even gave him a leading role in the DKC cartoon (which, yes, was weird and Canadian and CGI)

04-06-2025, 07:58 PM	#7
Mad Dog McMutt Stone Warrior Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: St. Louis, Missouri Posts: 707	I have heard about how popular DK was in the 80's. I was born in 86 so I can't remember much of the 80's but Donkey Kong was right under Mario in terms of popularity in the 90's. The DK country games were very popular. As far as I know DK was the most popular mascot until Mario came along. This may sound crazy, but I like Returns and Tropical Freeze even more than the Country games and I love the Country games. The Land games are really fun too. I still own all of these DK games and I still play them to this day. However, I have the 3ds virtual version of the country games since I don't own a Snes.

04-07-2025, 03:51 AM	#8
Andrew NDB Weed Whacker Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 34,579	This is one of those things that I'm glad it exists but I probably will never play.

04-07-2025, 09:21 AM	#10
~~ResidentEvil7~~ Banned Join Date: Nov 2023 Location: Suburban Chicago, IL Posts: 629	Lately I've been reading an e-book on my Samsung tablet about arcade and console games and yes the book even did mention just how popular Donkey Kong was back in the early 1980s. The book goes in a certain order of games that were released covered. Right now the latest game I'm currently reading about a game called Time Pilot. Yes Donkey Kong was very popular back in the day. The book mentions that Mario, then called Jumpman, climbed structures, dodging barrels to reach the captured princess from Donkey Kong. The next year, in 1982 (same year I was born), Donkey Kong Junior came out in arcade about his son trying to save Daddy-o from an evil Mario. In 1994, Donkey Kong Country came out to the Super Nintendo and yes the graphics were state of the art for those times. I remember when my older brother and I played it on his SNES, and we reached a new level, we were astonished by how awesome the background graphics looked: the jungle, the caves, the water, the factory, the forest, the temple, the banana boss level and the mines were great for those times. I have a Retron 3 console that supports the NES, Genesis and SNES to which I have Donkey Kong Country 1. I always felt the SNES was the best system because games then were great, had nice graphics for those times and not as stressful fast play games we have today.

04-07-2025, 10:43 AM	#11
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,894	Donkey Kong has always been popular: Arcade games: Donkey Kong 1-3. Donkey Kong '94 on Gameboy was a sequel to these games, and this spawned the Mario Vs. DK series on GBA (which got a Switch remake) SNES: Donkey Kong Country Trilogy. There's also the Donkey Kong Land Trilogy on Gameboy N64: Donkey Kong 64 (basically a Banjo/Mario clone) Gamecube/Wii: DK: Jungle Beat, an excellent high-score sidescrolling DK game made by Nintendo Wii: Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro's sequel to the original trilogy Wii-U: Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, the next sequel. So this game DK Bananza is the first 3D DK game since DK64. And these are all the mainline DK games not counting spinoffs.

06-18-2025, 06:13 PM	#13
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,894	This game looks incredible. System seller. Made by the Mario team, and first 3D Donkey Kong since DK64 in 25 years. Kid Pauline is amazing, they really went with Wreck it Ralph vibes.

06-18-2025, 11:25 PM	#14
Storm Eagle Saved by Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: New York Posts: 3,395	I forgot there would be a Nintendo Direct until I saw something about a new amiibo on Twitter. I went and preordered it later on, and then watched the Nintendo Direct on my TV when I got home from work. It looks like I can put all of the DK-themed amiibo I got to use after all. Hopefully the Diddy Kong amiibo from the Super Mario line will get reissued. It's the only DK-themed amiibo I don't have. I noticed in the direct that these "bracelets" were shown with the past amiibo, and I've never seen those anywhere before. Now I wonder if Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will get a direct, and have a new amiibo announced. There ought to be a soundtrack made with Pauline's songs.