Donkey Kong Bananzais a triumphant release for the titular character, but it’s disastrous for the part of my brain that loves to think about the chronology of a long-running series. Donkey Kong is a gaming icon, starring in the arcade game that led to theMariofranchise, one of the most recognizable properties in the world.
Nintendo plays it fast and loose with story and lore in all of its games, though, and the great,destructive gameplay inDonkey Kong Bananzaclearly takes the spotlight. The game is filled with all sorts of unanswered questions and weird conundrums, mostly stemming from the seemingly impossible ages of its characters.
Bananza’s Cranky Kong Appears To Be The Original Donkey Kong
New Game, Old Lore
Very early inBananza, you may meet Cranky Kong for the first time in the Lagoon Layer. He makes a passing mention of a former rival, buta detail about said rival wearing overalls makes it a pretty explicit reference to Mario.
This part actually tracks with establishedDonkey Konglore. In Rare’sDonkey Kong Country,Cranky Kong is DK’s grandfather, and the original Donkey Kongfrom the 1981Donkey Kongarcade game. The arcade game predates the originalMario Bros., but features Mario as Jumpman, the player’s avatar.
Jumpman was named Mario in certainDonkey Kongpromotional material, but became Mario in-game for the sequel,Donkey Kong Jr.
Similarly,Donkey Kongwas also the debut of Pauline, who was originally known only as “Lady.” Pauline is positioned as Mario’s girlfriend in the arcade game, with the goal being to save her from DK, who’s captured her.
Cranky & Pauline’s Ages Don’t Make Any Sense
One Is Old, One Is Young
If Cranky Kong inBananzais implied to be the Donkey Kong fromDonkey Kong, thenhis apparent age doesn’t match Pauline’s apparent youth. Pauline has only recently made a comeback in theMariofranchise, with her big re-emergent role coming fromSuper Mario Odyssey, where she’s the mayor of New Donk City.
Pauline is clearly an adult inOdyssey, though – not to mention the various party games she’s appeared in, including as acharacter inMario Kart World. InDonkey Kong Bananza,Pauline is a teenager.
There’s a clear incongruity with Cranky Kong being the one who kidnapped Pauline in the original arcade game, but Pauline being younger than she was. BeyondBananza, Cranky’s age hasn’t ever made much sense in the context of theMariofranchise, where the eponymous plumber seemingly hasn’t aged.
Perhaps Kongs age very fast, or Mario ages slowly, but both speculative explanations only bring up more questions. Andneither comes close to offering an answer to why Pauline is young and Cranky Kong is old inBananza, which seemingly takes place years after the originalDonkey Kong.
Is Donkey Kong Bananza A Prequel To Super Mario Odyssey?
It’s Possible, But Unlikely
One almost completely unsubstantiated explanation could be thatBananzais a prequel toOdyssey, but, again, it only brings up more questions. This really only squares theDonkey Kong Bananzatimeline from Pauline’s perspective.
Pauline could fall into the underground, be rescued by DK, then grow up to be the mayor of New Donk City.None of this, however, ties back to the originalDonkey Kongand the conundrum surrounding Cranky Kong’s age. “Donkey Kong” seems to be some kind of title that gets passed down between Kongs, but that’s also never been explained.
Maybe various iterations of Mario, DK, and Pauline are locked in a destined struggle akin to the prophesied recurrence of the conflict between Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf inThe Legend of Zelda. Perhaps there are multiple Paulines, which could completely muddy any sort of timeline interpretation (as if it wasn’t already muddied enough).
The most likely explanation forBananza’s timeline placement is thatthere simply isn’t a set spot. Nintendo may have borrowed some characterization from Rare’sDonkey Konggames, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those games are considered canon.Bananza’s story likely exists within a vacuum, unconnected from any otherDonkey KongorMariogames, even if there are references that seem to connect.
Nintendo Probably Doesn’t Care About The Donkey Kong Bananza Timeline
Nintendo Tried A Timeline Once
The probable meta-narrative truth of the matter is thatNintendo doesn’t really bother itself with connecting games that aren’t direct sequels. The company has always approached its first-party games with a gameplay-first mindset, andBananzais no different. Alone developer’s experimentwith voxels led to the core concepts inDonkey Kong Bananza, and a story was cobbled around it.
It wouldn’t surprise me if key people at Nintendo never even gaveBananza’s timeline placement a thought. If they did, they clearly decided it didn’t matter in the slightest. I’m all too familiar with such issues from wrestling withThe Legend of Zeldatimeline.
Even a direct sequel likeTears of the Kingdomhas some incongruities with its predecessor,Breath of the Wild, like potentiallytwo Ganondorfs existing at once(an impossibility according to Gerudo lore). SinceBananza’s gameplay is the most important part – at least in Nintendo’s eyes –it doesn’t really matter if Cranky Kong is old and Pauline is young.
Especially given the originalDonkey Kongcame out so long ago, it’s understandable that its exceptionally bare-bones story – and the continuation thereof by another developer – wouldn’t be considered when designingDonkey Kong Bananza. This new game is clearly meant to signal a new era for the iconic character of Donkey Kong, and it’s best that it stands apart, even if it brings up some timeline questions that I can’t help but harp on.
Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong Bananza marks the iconic ape’s triumphant return to 3D platforming, offering players an expansive underground world to explore. In this adventure, Donkey Kong embarks on a mission to retrieve stolen golden bananas from the nefarious VoidCo. Utilizing his formidable strength, he can demolish terrain to uncover hidden paths and secrets. The game introduces a new sidekick, Odd Rock, who assists in overcoming obstacles and navigating treacherous environments.
