There is no confirmed answer that Donkey Kong Bananza takes place after every Donkey Kong Country game. Nintendo’s official story and developer materials establish the game’s premise and characters, but do not give a complete in-universe chronology or state that Bananza follows the entire Country series.
What Nintendo confirms about Bananza’s story
Nintendo’s official story page says a sudden storm sends Donkey Kong deep underground. There, he teams up with Pauline, a talented young singer, to find his bananas. Their journey leads toward the Planet Core, which is said to grant wishes. Nintendo identifies Pauline as 13 years old.
In its June 18, 2025 announcement, Nintendo described Bananza as an all-new 3D platformer for Nintendo Switch 2 and announced its July 17, 2025 release. The announcement says Donkey Kong meets Pauline in the Underground World and notes appearances by familiar characters including Cranky Kong and Rambi. It does not place the story after the Donkey Kong Country games.
Do familiar characters establish where it fits?
No. The presence of Cranky Kong, Rambi, or other familiar characters connects Bananza to the wider Donkey Kong cast, but their appearances alone do not establish when the story happens relative to each Country game. A character returning is not the same as Nintendo confirming a specific sequence of events.
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- Explore a vast underground world—by smashing your way through it!
- A brand-new 3D platforming action adventure starring Donkey Kong and Pauline
- Bash through just about anything in groundbreaking exploration! Crash through walls and carve tunnels—the more you smash, the more areas open up to you
- Pair up with Pauline to use Bananza Transformations: smash through obstacles with the raw strength of Kong form, gallop with incredible speed as a Zebra, and more
- Team up with a friend in two-player co-op as Donkey Kong and Pauline! Blast foes and terrain alike with Pauline’s voice as you explore together
The same distinction applies to references the game may make to earlier adventures: an allusion can suggest continuity, but it does not by itself amount to a publisher-confirmed timeline covering every game in the series.
Why Super Mario Odyssey is not a timeline clue
Nintendo’s developer interview connects Bananza’s production to the period after Super Mario Odyssey. Co-director Wataru Tanaka said: “Shortly after Super Mario Odyssey was released, we started running technical experiments with the idea of, ‘What kind of game do you get if everything in the environment is destructible?’”
Rank #2
![Donkey Kong Bananza Standard - Nintendo Switch 2 [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Xv8olm5RL._SL160_.jpg)
- Uncover a wide variety of environments, like forest, canyon, and lagoon, as you delve underground
- Reshape the world as you tear through it, with the help of…an Odd Rock?
That is a statement about how the developers began exploring the game’s technology, not when Bananza’s fictional story takes place. The interview also discusses development moving from Nintendo Switch toward Switch 2 around 2021; production history should not be mistaken for an in-universe chronology.
Is Bananza’s Pauline the same Pauline as in Odyssey?
That relationship is also unresolved in reported developer comments. Nintendo Life and GamesRadar both reported answers from producer Kenta Motokura leaving it to readers’ or the interviewer’s imagination whether Bananza’s 13-year-old Pauline is the same person associated with Super Mario Odyssey. Those remarks do not prove or disprove that Bananza comes after the Country games; they leave a separate continuity question open.
Rank #3
![Donkey Kong Bananza Bundle (game + DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC) Standard - Nintendo Switch 2 [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51N7IcgPIEL._SL160_.jpg)
- WARNING: If you have epilepsy or have had seizures or other unusual reactions to flashing lights or patterns, consult a doctor before playing video games. All users should read the Health and Safety Information available in the system settings before using this software. A Nintendo Switch Online membership (sold separately) is required for Save Data Cloud backup. Nintendo.
What can be said about Bananza’s place in the series?
The careful conclusion is that Nintendo has not confirmed the broad claim that Bananza takes place after all Donkey Kong Country games. Its official materials establish the premise and familiar cast, but the sources cited here provide no complete official chronology covering each Country release. Unless Nintendo makes a direct statement or the game supplies an explicit timeline, claims about its exact placement remain interpretation.
Quick Recap
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- The next evolution of Nintendo Switch
- One system, three play modes: TV, Tabletop, and Handheld
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- Explore a vast underground world—by smashing your way through it!
- A brand-new 3D platforming action adventure starring Donkey Kong and Pauline
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- Embark on a brand-new Donkey Kong adventure exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2.
- Explore the Underground World with dynamic environments and hidden secrets.
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- Recover the Golden Bananas across thrilling, action-packed levels.
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