And while Bananza ’s connection to recent Mario games like Super Mario Odyssey are made clear, there are still important unknowns to address — like how does Bananza connect, if at all, to the events of the Donkey Kong Country games and, more importantly, is this even worth expending brainpower on?

Donkey Kong's first new game since 2014 has revitalized one of Nintendo's most recognizable characters with a new installment.

In an interview with IGN, Donkey Kong Bananza director Kazuya Takahashi and producer Kenta Motokura ( Super Mario Odyssey ’s director) were asked why Pauline is riding on DK’s back in the game. Their answer was a perfect window into how game development often seems to work at Nintendo,