Donkey Kong Bananza, the latest game from the Super Mario Odyssey development team, marks the return of the franchise to 3D platforming since Donkey Kong 64 in 1999 and the first developed internally since Jungle Beat in 2004. Questions about why Donkey Kong was chosen over a direct Mario sequel and the timing of the return to 3D are addressed in a recent interview with the developers.
According to Donkey Kong Bananza producer Kenta Motokura in an IGN interview, the project began when Nintendo executive Yoshiaki Koizumi suggested the team consider creating a 3D Donkey Kong game. The development team consulted with Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of both the Donkey Kong and Mario series, who pointed out Kong`s distinctive abilities, such as the hand slap familiar from Super Smash Bros. Koizumi, who previously directed Jungle Beat, noted Donkey Kong`s powerful long arms as a contrast to Mario`s physical build.
Concurrently, a developer from the Super Mario Odyssey team was exploring voxel technology, the same tech used in games like Minecraft to build worlds from customizable shapes. This technology was even incorporated into Super Mario Odyssey`s Snow Kingdom (snow) and Luncheon Kingdom (cheese). The combination of exploring Donkey Kong`s unique physical characteristics and experimenting with voxel technology directly inspired the creation of Bananza as it exists today.
Donkey Kong Bananza producer Kenta Motokura summarized the inspiration: “When we recognized how well Donkey Kong`s defining traits—his strength and large, long arms—aligned with the potential of voxel technology, we saw a perfect match that guided us towards making destruction a central gameplay element in this title.”