By Donkey Kong Bananza‘s producer has disclosed that he revisited all the titles in the series once he was allocated to the project.
It took some time, but we ultimately discovered that Donkey Kong Bananza is being developed by the Super Mario Odyssey team. Since then, we’ve learned that the game’s director is Kazuya Takahashi, a newcomer at Nintendo after gaining experience with companies such as Sega and Square Enix since the early 2000s, as per information from MobyGames. In a conversation with Spanish publication La Vanguardia (thanks, VGC), Takahashi discussed his background with the franchise.
“I possess many cherished recollections of playing Donkey Kong Jr. and subsequently Donkey Kong Country,” Takahashi remarks, adding, “Once I was informed that I’d be part of the Donkey Kong Bananza team, I replayed every title in the franchise.”
Donkey Kong has experienced several directional shifts throughout its nearly 45-year legacy, yet the most notable must be Rare’s Donkey Kong Country series, which Takahashi highlighted while discussing his franchise replay, “In particular, Donkey Kong Country introduced distinctive mechanics such as barrel cannons and minecarts. I aimed to revisit those aspects and incorporate a sense of destruction. That inspired me to blend past experiences with fresh concepts.”
Up to this point, Donkey Kong Bananza appears to diverge from prior entries in the series. Although it marks the second 3D platformer from the franchise, the essence of each game is considerably distinct (notably, DK 64 is sluggish, cumbersome, and a bloated ordeal). However, trailers have showcased features like Minecarts and Rambi the rhino within the environment, along with 2D side-scrolling levels incorporating elements from the Donkey Kong Country trilogy in
.
Let’s simply
hope King K. Rool is among the characters they reintroduce
.