Get ready, Nintendo fans! Nintendo has officially confirmed that the highly anticipated platformer, donkey Kong Bananza, is being developed by the same acclaimed team behind the phenomenal Super mario odyssey. This exciting news dropped during recent hands-on previews for the game, set to launch on July 17, 2025, for the Nintendo Switch 2. Bananza marks a significant milestone as the first 3D Donkey Kong adventure released in over 25 years, promising a fresh, innovative take on the iconic ape and his world.
The Significance of the Super Mario Odyssey Team
The confirmation that the Super Mario Odyssey development team is heading up Donkey Kong Bananza carries immense weight in the gaming world. This particular group within Nintendo EPD (Entertainment Planning & Development), widely believed to be EPD Production Group No. 8 based in Tokyo, is renowned for creating one of the most critically and commercially successful titles on the original Nintendo Switch. Super Mario Odyssey garnered stellar reviews (like Game Informer’s 9.75/10 rating) and became a top-selling game, cementing the team’s reputation for pushing boundaries in 3D platforming design. For fans, knowing this highly capable group is developing Bananza instills significant confidence regarding the game’s potential quality and innovation right out of the gate.
Why This Development Team Matters
Choosing the team responsible for Super Mario Odyssey to revive Donkey Kong in 3D is a powerful statement from Nintendo. It signals a commitment to giving the character a premier development effort. This mirrors Nintendo’s successful strategy of leveraging experienced internal talent across their flagship franchises like Kirby, Mario, and Zelda, fostering consistent quality and pushing creative limits with established IPs. The EPD Tokyo team, known for crafting expansive, secret-filled 3D worlds, brings a wealth of relevant expertise that is expected to elevate the Donkey Kong formula in exciting ways.
A Rare Confirmation from Nintendo
Interestingly, this official developer confirmation during preview events represents a slight departure from Nintendo’s more recent practices. Often, the company tends to keep specific internal development teams under wraps until a game’s credits roll. Revealing this link upfront highlights Nintendo’s confidence in Donkey Kong Bananza and smartly leverages the strong reputation of the Super Mario Odyssey team right from the pre-release marketing phase. Key figures associated with the Odyssey project, including director Kenta Motokura and producers Yoshiaki Koizumi and Koichi Hayashida, led that acclaimed title, and their influence is highly anticipated in this new Donkey Kong journey.
Donkey Kong Bananza: A New Era for the Ape
Donkey Kong Bananza isn’t just another entry; it distinctly heralds a new era for the storied series. Arriving more than a quarter-century after 1999’s Donkey Kong 64, Bananza is the first fully 3D platformer starring the heroic ape in a generation. This significant hiatus means expectations are sky-high for a modern reinterpretation of DK’s 3D adventures.
Breaking the 25-Year 3D Hiatus
The last time Donkey Kong headlined a main-series 3D platforming game was with Rare’s Donkey Kong 64 on the Nintendo 64. This new installment on the Nintendo Switch 2 finally brings the character back into the realm of 3D exploration and platforming led by Nintendo’s own internal talent. This makes Bananza a pivotal moment for the franchise, aiming to introduce Donkey Kong’s unique style to a new generation of 3D gaming fans while appealing to long-time enthusiasts.
Fresh Gameplay Mechanics and World Interaction
Previews reveal a substantial rethinking of the traditional Donkey Kong platformer formula, incorporating a wealth of fresh mechanics centered around environmental interaction and traversal. DK gains surprising new abilities like punching, digging, and butt-stomping, enabling players to manipulate the terrain directly. This focus on “bombastic spelunking” and even “mass level destruction” appears central to navigating the game’s potentially expansive 3D levels. Players will seemingly tunnel through, break apart, and reshape the world around them to progress and uncover secrets. The game is also reported to feature transformations, granting Donkey Kong the abilities of various animals, including a zebra and an ostrich, further diversifying gameplay.
Revamped Art Style and Character Designs
The visual presentation of Donkey Kong Bananza also showcases a fresh artistic direction, moving away from the styles seen in previous 2D or 3D outings. Hands-on impressions noted a distinct, almost cel-shaded look for DK and his supporting cast, drawing comparisons to the vibrant visual style seen in recent Legend of Zelda titles. Donkey Kong himself reportedly sports a design similar to his appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, offering a modern yet immediately recognizable look for the character.
A New Role for Pauline
Adding a significant layer to the game’s narrative and gameplay is the inclusion of Pauline. Previously known from early Mario games and her prominent role in Super Mario Odyssey as New Donk City’s mayor, she returns in Bananza taking on a new, crucial role as Donkey Kong’s co-op partner or sidekick. Her increased presence continues her rise as a notable figure within the broader Mario universe lore, and her dynamic with Donkey Kong in Bananza is an exciting prospect for fans.
Comparing Bananza’s Feel to Previous Mario Titles
Despite being developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team, early gameplay impressions suggest Bananza’s traversal mechanics might feel different than expected, perhaps even more akin to Super Mario Galaxy in certain ways. While Odyssey emphasized open exploration and versatile movement options often tied to Cappy captures, Bananza’s focus on tunneling, digging, and manipulating the environment through spelunking offers a distinct feel.
One preview noted that “thanks to all of its new traversal mechanics, in a lot of ways, Bananza reminds me more of Mario Galaxy than Odyssey. It just swapped out the gravity-bending physics for bombastic spelunking.” This highlights the game’s unique identity, showing that while it benefits from the developer’s world-class 3D platforming expertise, it is forging its own path distinct from the Odyssey formula, perhaps leaning into environmental puzzles and linear, albeit highly dynamic, levels more reminiscent of Galaxy‘s structured stages.
The Big Question: What About the Next 3D Mario?
For many Nintendo fans, the revelation that the Super Mario Odyssey team has been focused on Donkey Kong Bananza for the past several years immediately sparks a crucial question: what about the next mainline 3D Super Mario game? Since Odyssey’s 2017 release, this highly-regarded team’s main project has been a mystery, leading to widespread speculation.
While it’s possible another internal Nintendo team (or even a different group within EPD Tokyo) has been developing the next 3D Mario concurrently, the confirmation that this specific, anticipated team was dedicated to Bananza suggests that a brand-new 3D Mario adventure from this particular group might still be some time away. This creates significant anticipation and speculation within the community regarding Nintendo’s future lineup, particularly for the rumored capabilities of the Switch 2 console, which Bananza is poised to help launch.
Release Details and Platform
The wait for this exciting new adventure is almost over. Donkey Kong Bananza is officially scheduled to launch worldwide on July 17, 2025. The game will be available exclusively for the new Nintendo Switch 2 console, positioning it as a major early title for Nintendo’s next-generation hardware.
Frequently Asked Questions
What new gameplay abilities does Donkey Kong have in Bananza?
Based on hands-on previews, Donkey Kong gains several surprising new moves for interacting directly with the environment. These include powerful actions like punching, digging, and butt-stomp attacks. These abilities are key to tunneling below, into, and through terrain, enabling players to manipulate the ground, cause mass level destruction, and shape the world around them to navigate expansive 3D environments and solve puzzles. The game also features animal transformations.
Why is the Super Mario Odyssey team developing Bananza considered significant?
The team behind Super Mario Odyssey is one of Nintendo’s most acclaimed internal development groups, renowned for creating a critically and commercially successful masterpiece widely considered one of the best 3D platformers ever. Their involvement signals a high level of quality, innovation, and ambition for Donkey Kong Bananza. It also marks a rare instance where Nintendo publicly confirmed the specific, highly-regarded team behind an unreleased game, underscoring their confidence in the title.
How does Donkey Kong Bananza’s traversal compare to Mario Galaxy or Odyssey?
Despite being developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team, previewers noted that Bananza’s core traversal mechanics, heavily focused on digging, tunneling, and “bombastic spelunking,” felt more akin to the physics-based, environmental manipulation challenges sometimes seen in Super Mario Galaxy. This contrasts with the open-world exploration and capture-based movement emphasized in Super Mario Odyssey, suggesting Bananza offers a distinct style of 3D platforming gameplay focused on environmental interaction and destruction.
The confirmation that the celebrated Super Mario Odyssey team is steering the development of Donkey Kong Bananza elevates anticipation significantly for this long-awaited 3D return. With innovative mechanics focused on environmental destruction and traversal, a fresh visual style, and the promise of expansive levels featuring Pauline as a sidekick, Bananza is poised to be a landmark title for the Nintendo Switch 2. Launching on July 17, 2025, this game not only offers a fresh adventure for Donkey Kong fans but also showcases the continued evolution of 3D platforming from one of Nintendo’s most capable studios, while leaving tantalizing questions about what this powerhouse team might tackle next in the future.
