Key Takeaways:
- Donkey Kong Bananza positions itself as a prequel with a 13-year-old Pauline.
- Cranky, Diddy, and Dixie’s presence throws the timeline into further disarray.
- Nintendo may not offer a clear answer — and that’s probably the point.
Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza for Switch 2 is reigniting debate over one of gaming’s most notoriously confusing timelines. With its reveal that Pauline is just 13 years old in this new entry, the franchise may finally be addressing — or deliberately deepening — decades of lore contradictions
The Donkey Kong Timeline Is a Barrel of Confusion
Since Donkey Kong’s debut in 1981, Nintendo has played fast and loose with continuity. What began as a simple arcade game starring Jumpman (aka Mario) and a giant ape has ballooned into a lore web spanning generations. Games like Yoshi’s Island DS introduced Baby Donkey Kong, while Donkey Kong Country reinvented the franchise with a new Donkey Kong — supposedly the grandson of the original, now dubbed Cranky Kong.
Yet contradictions abound. Some sources, like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, maintain that Cranky is Donkey Kong’s grandfather. Others, like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, present Cranky as his father. And don’t forget that Baby DK and adult DK coexist in Mario Super Sluggers. It’s chaos — delightful chaos, but chaos nonetheless.
Also read: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is Brilliant—But It Badly Needs a Quest Log
Pauline’s Age in Bananza Hints at a Prequel
Donkey Kong Bananza adds a curious twist: Pauline is explicitly 13 years old. In the original arcade game, she’s an adult. This places Bananza sometime before 1981’s Donkey Kong, and possibly even before Donkey Kong Circus or Donkey Kong Jr. — assuming those events are still canon.
This youthful version of Pauline might finally offer a chronological anchor for the timeline. However, things get muddy again when you realize that characters from Donkey Kong Country — such as Cranky, Diddy, and Dixie — are also present, despite their existence being tied to later generations.
Time Travel and “Just Go With It” Are Nintendo’s Hallmarks
Given Nintendo’s playful attitude toward canon — where Baby Mario races adult Mario in Mario Kart without explanation — it’s likely Bananza will embrace the chaos rather than clean it up. After all, The Legend of Zelda required an official timeline to sort out its mess, and even that feels more like retroactive patchwork.
Whether Donkey Kong Bananza clears things up or revels in paradoxes, it’s clearly aware of its legacy and quirks. Even DK’s redesign in Bananza leans into nostalgia, evoking his original appearance with modern polish.
Conclusion: Donkey Kong Bananza Teases Answers, But Embraces the Chaos
Donkey Kong Bananza might never fully untangle the franchise’s tangled timeline, but by spotlighting a teenage Pauline and mixing characters from different eras, it’s set to be the most lore-inviting Donkey Kong game yet. Whether it’s a fix or a flex on how absurd canon can be, fans of DK’s deep cuts will want to pay attention.
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