Donkey Kong Bananza Could Be The Shocking Prequel To Super Mario Odyssey!

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The announcement of “Donkey Kong Bananza” was among the most thrilling from the April Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. Being the first significant “Donkey Kong” game since “Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze” in 2014, “Donkey Kong Bananza” places our beloved orangutan in a fresh, open-ended 3D journey with a strong focus on demolition. Scheduled for release in July, this game appears to be one of the standout titles for the Nintendo Switch 2 in its early phase.

The excitement for “Donkey Kong Bananza” is now at an all-time high, given the incredible demand for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, which has already set records for pre-orders and is expected to match or exceed the success of its predecessor. With the new console on the horizon, gamers are eagerly speculating about what “Donkey Kong Bananza” might bring. One popular theory revolves around its potential link to “Super Mario Odyssey,” with some suggesting that this new “Donkey Kong” game could secretly be a prequel.

Donkey Kong Bonanza May Be Connected to Super Mario Odyssey In A Big Way

Leaked Donkey Kong Bananza Key Art May Hint At Pauline’s Appearance

A significant theory suggesting that “Donkey Kong Bananza” is a prequel to “Super Mario Odyssey” stems from leaked alternative cover art for the game. Initially spotted on the Korean version of Nintendo’s website, this artwork (which has since been taken down) seems to depict a young woman riding on Donkey Kong’s back. Many fans have speculated that this young woman could be Pauline, a character from the original “Donkey Kong” arcade game who played a significant role in “Super Mario Odyssey.

It’s common for Nintendo to keep some major details under wraps until a game nears release, a tactic they often employ as a publisher. If the character in the promotional art is indeed a younger version of Pauline, then Donkey Kong Bananza might serve as a prequel to Super Mario Odyssey, offering insights into how Pauline rose to become the mayor of New Donk City. Should Nintendo choose to intertwine these two games, this new installment could also explain the origin story of New Donk City.

Donkey Kong Bananza Already Wears Its Super Mario Odyssey Influence On Its Sleeve

In “Super Mario Odyssey,” although Donkey Kong himself wasn’t a major character, the New Donk City setting was filled with references to Donkey Kong, particularly from the Donkey Kong Country series. Various shops and streets within New Donk City were given names of Donkey Kong characters. Towards the end of the level, Mario navigates through a 2D section inspired by the original Donkey Kong game, culminating in Mario overcoming an 8-bit version of Donkey Kong to collect a Power Moon from Pauline.

In essence, if the prequel narrative isn’t present in the game, “Donkey Kong Bananza” could be seen as a spiritual successor to “Super Mario Odyssey”. This is because “Bananza”, being Donkey Kong’s first significant 3D adventure since 1999’s “Donkey Kong 64”, appears to draw heavily from the open-world exploration concepts that were introduced in “Odyssey” back in 2017. Given how evident the influence of “Odyssey” is in this new game, it’s reasonable to at least view it as a sort of sequel, even if it doesn’t adopt the “prequel story” concept.

In essence, even if a prequel narrative doesn’t show up in the game, Donkey Kong Bananza can still be considered a spiritual sequel to Super Mario Odyssey.

Donkey Kong Bananza May Be Developed By The Super Mario Odyssey Team

It’s possible that the games “Donkey Kong Bananza” and “Super Mario Odyssey” share a deeper connection than just their gameplay. Though Nintendo doesn’t always reveal which team is responsible for each new game, earlier reports suggested that the development team for “Super Mario Odyssey,” known as Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development (EPD), could be the ones working on “Donkey Kong Bananza.” Until its release, we won’t know for sure, but given the current similarities between the two games, it wouldn’t be unexpected if Nintendo EPD was also responsible for Donkey Kong’s upcoming journey.

Without a doubt, any speculation about Donkey Kong Bananza serving as a prequel to Super Mario Odyssey should be treated with caution. Nintendo has swiftly removed the extra key art from view after its initial appearance, and the company may continue to keep secret the identity of the woman in the image until the game’s launch. Nevertheless, Donkey Kong Bananza is expected to be an essential title for the Switch 2, and it seems poised to match the success achieved by Super Mario Odyssey on the previous system.

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2025-04-27 17:04