Donkey Kong Bananza Director Wants Players to Chill – the References are Just for Fun

We all love Donkey Kong Bananza, but it also drives Nintendo purists a little crazy. Is it a prequel? Is it a sequel? If it’s a prequel, why are the bonus levels that reference Donkey Kong Country games titled “Nostalgia Country”? Why is Cranky Kong in the game as an old man if it’s a prequel? However, if it’s a sequel, then how the heck is Pauline thirteen years old? Well, the director is telling us not to worry about any of that.

Donkey Kong Bananza Director: “Please Enjoy Them Without Overthinking Them”

According to The Gamer, Nintendo Dream Web Japan talked with the Donkey Kong Bananza development team, including the director, Kazuya Takahashi. Takahashi was asked about the Easter egg where you can visit Donkey Kong’s treehouse from the Donkey Kong Country games and how Bananza connects with those games. Takahashi talked about Bananza‘s numerous references to the other games in the Donkey Kong series, specifically naming how the fossils you collect contain references to other games, but he had this to say about analyzing them:

“As the fossils progress, they begin to contain elements reminiscent of previous games, but please enjoy them without overthinking them.”

Overthinkers Will Overthink

Takahashi is likely getting tired of people coming up with theories like multiple generations of Paulines in order to fit Bananza into the Donkey Kong timeline. The references in Bananza are meant to be fun little Easter eggs that players shouldn’t think too deeply about. Still, Takahashi’s statement isn’t likely to dissuade fans from coming up with timeline theories anyway. For some people, fan theories are a form of entertainment in themselves and they add to the game’s fun level, even if the powers that be say not to think about it.

Conclusion

From the moment that the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct streamed, I wondered how the game fit into the Donkey Kong timeline. However, I also got super excited about playing the game, and I adored young Pauline. Now that I finally have a Switch 2, I’ve been playing the game nonstop and enjoying the references. Will I give up my head canon of three generations of Paulines because Takahashi tells me not to overthink the references? No. However, I also won’t let nitpicking damage my enjoyment of the game itself.

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