Donkey Kong Bananza developer confirmed as Super Mario Odyssey team
Nintendo has confirmed the development team behind the upcoming Switch 2 exclusive Donkey Kong Bananza, revealing that the game is coming from Nintendo EPD Tokyo, the same studio and team as Super Mario Odyssey.
Further details on who the game director or lead designers are have not been confirmed at this time, but this is an indication of just how highly Nintendo regards this game to put it in the hands of such a revered team. That DK Bananza is coming out right around the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch, just over six weeks after, also makes this game hugely important as a launch window exclusive.
Given how tight-lipped Nintendo usually is over their development teams, and who is working on what games, this will actually only increase speculation over when we might expect to see the next Mario-led 3D platformer. Since the release of Super Mario Odyssey in 2017, the only other 3D Mario action that we’ve seen was the Bowser’s Fury expansion for the Switch port of Super Mario 3D World in 2021. At the time, this was seen by many as being a potential glimpse of the next era of Mario platformer… but that wait could be lengthened if the whole studio is working on DK Bananza, without the workforce having been split to foster multiple game concepts.
Still, this greatly increases the expectations that we all have for Donkey Kong Bananza. We said, of Super Mario Odyssey in 2017, “[It] is bursting at the seams with creativity, as Nintendo play with new ideas while also paying homage to their long history. Cappy’s abilities are a perfect compliment to Mario’s own, and there’s a wonderful silliness and humour to their adventure as they visit a string of contrasting kingdoms that just beg you to find the secrets hidden around every corner. Simply put, Super Mario Odyssey is a masterpiece.”
I’ve also been hands on with an extended preview of Donkey Kong Bananza, saying “while some elements like just how chaotic and frenzied the screen can get while digging with complete abandon still feel a little unlike Nintendo, playing for longer reveals a lot more of what this team are trying to do and how the inventiveness that’s been a core part of this studio’s games for so long can really shine through.”
Source: Nintendo UK
