Donkey Kong Bananza: Nintendo Explains Pauline’s Age Choice and Gameplay Role

Donkey Kong Bananza has been a major talking point for Nintendo fans and industry watchers, with its introduction of a younger Pauline diverging from her traditional depiction.

Developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch, Donkey Kong Bananza puts a new spin on the beloved platform series while paying homage to its iconic characters.

Now, direct insights from producer Kenta Motokura and director Takahashi shed light on how creative decisions shaped Pauline’s role in the game. The discussion surfaced in a recent interview with Japanese publication Nintendo Dream, where Motokura shared that the development team originally considered including the adult version of Pauline, familiar to longtime fans from earlier Donkey Kong and Super Mario games.

However, integrating the adult character into Bananza's unique gameplay posed significant design challenges. "Pauline was one of the characters we initially wanted to feature, but we couldn’t figure out how to make her fit naturally within the game mechanics," explained Motokura.

"After developing a prototype for the Bananza transformations, Naoto Kubo composed a related song.

With the connection established between the new music and the ability transformations, it became possible to include Pauline in a way that made sense." One of the key changes was reimagining Pauline’s age as 13.

Takahashi, the game's director, elaborated on this narrative and mechanical adjustment.

"To enable Pauline to travel and adventure alongside Donkey Kong, we placed her on DK’s back during gameplay.

Initially, we tested her as an adult character, but a younger girl felt more appropriate for the size and the dynamic we wanted to achieve.

For many players, this would be their first time playing as Donkey Kong with Pauline, so introducing her as a new, younger character fit better with our vision," he stated. Nintendo Dream noted that the company rarely makes a character's age explicit.

Addressing this observation, Takahashi added, "For the story, age 13 represents a period where young people begin to experience personal conflicts and start contemplating their future dreams.

We felt it was the ideal age to portray that kind of coming-of-age narrative in Donkey Kong Bananza." Donkey Kong Bananza released on the Nintendo Switch through the eShop and physical retailers, marking a new chapter in the franchise with innovative gameplay and character development.

The decision to reintroduce Pauline as a younger character not only streamlined gameplay mechanics but also enriched the game’s storytelling potential.

Nintendo’s thoughtful approach exemplifies the company’s commitment to both creative storytelling and player experience in its modern releases. For more insights on the art and game design process behind Donkey Kong Bananza, industry professionals and fans alike can look to the ongoing coverage in Nintendo Direct presentations and future interviews.

The collaboration between longtime Nintendo talents like Kenta Motokura and composer Naoto Kubo reiterates the company's leading role in shaping memorable gaming experiences for the Nintendo Switch era.

Donkey Kong Nintendo Switch Nintendo Donkey Kong Bananza Pauline Switch Kenta Motokura Bananza Motokura Takahashi Naoto Kubo Nintendo Dream Nintendo Everything