Donkey Kong: Bananza
July 17, 2025
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At one point, Nintendo approached Vicarious Visions about developing a new game in the Donkey Kong series for the Nintendo Switch, initially reported by fansite DK Vine and expanded upon by video game journalist Liam Robertson. The title was intended to be a 3D platformer with an emphasis on movement, with a major mechanic being the ability to grind on vines. According to Robertson, Vicarious Visions worked on the early stages of the project for only six months before it was cancelled in 2016, as their parent company Activision Blizzard shifted more focus towards the Call of Duty series. Reportedly, this was "the last straw" for Vicarious Visions founders Karthik and Guha Bala, who left the studio that year to form Velan Studios, a company that would later develop Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit for Nintendo, while Vicarious Visions would be folded into Activision Blizzard in 2021. That same year, rumors began to circulate that a new Donkey Kong game was being developed in-house by Nintendo EPD, who had previously developed Super Mario Odyssey, and would ultimately turn out to be true in 2025, when Donkey Kong Bananza was officially revealed for the Nintendo Switch 2.
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Game History Secrets - "Donkey Kong's Lost 3D Platformer & The Decay of Activision Blizzard":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJlu9g8UEAI

Article about "Freedom" (alleged codename for the project):
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/activision-studio-vicarious-visions-was-working-on-a-donkey-kong-game-its-claimed/

Article about new in-house Donkey Kong rumors:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/05/rumour_the_next_donkey_kong_is_being_developed_by_the_super_mario_odyssey_team

Donkey Kong Bananza reveal trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIddsPkdX9U

Comments (1)


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I still like to believe that this Donkey Kong game was in the works for the Switch, only to have development redone for Nintendo's next system following an incident I prefer to not speak of. Didn't seem like a good move overall with Donkey Kong Bonanza not being on the Switch, especially after all the Switch had in terms of DK's sub series was re-releases of both games developed by Retro Studios. Overall we certainly got our hopes up after King K Rool's inclusion in Ultimate made it seem like a new game where the Kremlings make a comeback was in the works, along with the Mario Movie having all those kongs.
CuriousUserX90 Apr 6, 2025, 7:15 AM
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