Donkey Kong Bananza is lastly right here, as is a few readability about the place it’d match into the Donkey Kong timeline and why Nintendo’s authentic damsel-in-distress Pauline seems as a a lot youthful model of herself. However questions nonetheless abound about how, you realize, the occasions of 1981’s Donkey Kong match into all this.
And whereas Bananza’s connection to latest Mario video games like Tremendous Mario Odyssey are made clear, there are nonetheless essential unknowns to deal with — like how does Bananza join, if in any respect, to the occasions of the Donkey Kong Nation video games and, extra importantly, is that this even value expending brainpower on?
[Ed. note: Spoilers for Donkey Kong Bananza follow.]
Right here’s what we do know for sure: Donkey Kong Bananza is a prequel to Tremendous Mario Odyssey. The latter, in fact, notably options an adult-age Pauline because the mayor of New Donk Metropolis. Extra than simply an elected official, Pauline is a well-liked singer. Because the ending of Donkey Kong Bananza reveals, Pauline and DK emerge from the planet’s subterranean layers and wind up in New Donk Metropolis, the place she tries to attain her dream of turning into a musician. In a chunk of post-ending art work, we see teen Pauline busking on the streets of NDC, implying her rise to fame and public workplace.
The occasions of Bananza additionally present slightly colour to one thing Pauline says in Tremendous Mario Odyssey, which now has new context. In one in all her questions used to quiz Mario in Odyssey, Pauline asks if he is aware of about an occasion from her previous, through which she was “captured by [an] ape.”
“I knew you’d keep in mind!” Pauline says, if the participant will get that query proper. “It was traumatic on the time, however it helped make me the individual I’m now.”
Her response initially appears to suggest that she was referring to the occasions of Donkey Kong (and different Donkey Kong video games) through which she was (seemingly) kidnapped by Donkey Kong. However her “captured by ape” remark might as a substitute confer with her abduction by VoidCo’s Void Kong, one of many predominant antagonists of Bananza.
Given the occasions of Donkey Kong Bananza, through which DK acts as good friend and occasional father determine to Pauline — proper up till his unquenchable starvation for Banandium kicks in — perhaps there’s an argument to be made that Donkey Kong has by no means really “kidnapped” Pauline. Possibly his place as father determine to Pauline was engaged when Mario confirmed up, and her cries of “Assist!” in Donkey Kong have been directed at her large ape protector. In any case, Mario could be type of a dick, and perhaps Donkey Kong is aware of that she might do higher. In Donkey Kong, was he merely defending Pauline from a poisonous relationship? Mario’s longstanding obsession with Princess Peach, who actually sees the plumber as a Very Good Pal, a pal, like a brother to her, may assist the idea that girls ought to keep away from him. Thus, Donkey Kong could be very sensible.
Precisely how the Bananza-to-Nation timeline works out, nonetheless, and whether or not Cranky Kong is the unique Donkey Kong, and no matter else occurred throughout a number of Uncommon-developed video games of the ’90s ties into the modern-day Donkey Kong lore continues to be fairly muddled. However not less than now we’ve a greater sense of how Donkey Kong and Pauline got here to know one another, and that finally, they’re good buds, not enemies.