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BigBadShadow25 With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg. from Basement at the Alamo (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Desperate
With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg.
#1301: Jul 4th 2025 at 7:19:42 PM

[up]Magic de-aging like in the game supposedly? Or just make her old Pauline’s daughter?

You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#1302: Jul 4th 2025 at 8:07:24 PM

Yeah, we might get a new Donkey Kong in several years but a new 3D Donkey Kong? They had to pull the Mario Odyssey team to make this thing. You can bet they'll make a new 3D Mario next and I'm not sure another team could make something of the same caliber so easily.

diddyknux (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#1303: Jul 5th 2025 at 3:11:00 AM

Donkey Kong wasn't really meant to have a gap like this though, it was just a variety of factors that unfortunately caused it to be so long.

ThriceCharming Since: Nov, 2013
#1304: Jul 7th 2025 at 6:38:27 PM

I'm tired of being scolded for "caring too much about story" in Bananza. I'm so ready for the broader Nintendo fandom to finally love DK as much as I do, and then crap like this happens. It's honestly pretty demoralizing.

There's even YouTube "comedy" on it:

I realize this is a lot of casual fans' first brush with mainline DK, but these games have always had continuity. Unlike most Mario games, they reference past events and tend not to contradict each other. If Pauline really is a kid without explanation because "the story doesn't matter," that's a pretty substantial break from tradition! It's not weird that people are asking questions!

Sorry for venting, I just wish I could look forward to a new game in my favorite franchise without days (or months) of negativity, hit pieces and fandom drama for once. I know this'll all blow over when the game comes out and Pauline turns back into an adult in the end. Which is what's definitely going to happen, by the way.

ShinyCottonCandy Everyone's friend Malamar from Lumiose City (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Everyone's friend Malamar
#1305: Jul 7th 2025 at 7:17:06 PM

[up]Speaking from experience, it’s best not to get too attached to plot predictions.

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Ookamikun This is going to be so much fun. (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
This is going to be so much fun.
#1306: Jul 7th 2025 at 7:32:16 PM

[up][up]tbf Pauline never interacted with DKC continuity.

ThriceCharming Since: Nov, 2013
#1307: Jul 7th 2025 at 8:10:56 PM

The DKC games take place after the arcade games and Donkey Kong '94, where Pauline is an adult kidnappee and the Donkey Kongs are younger.

Like, Nintendo may not "care about the story," but if they made a game where Mario is a baby but Luigi, Peach and Bowser are adults, no one would call you a cringe nerd for thinking there's an in-story explanation.

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#1308: Jul 7th 2025 at 8:14:37 PM

[up] This.

It's not that Nintendo's about to start making deep lore for the franchise, so much as them making a point of having Pauline in the game and having her be a kid for the first time in franchise history is, in itself, a move that implies there's a story there to explain it.

Even if it's a story completely contained within this one game.

ShinyCottonCandy Everyone's friend Malamar from Lumiose City (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Everyone's friend Malamar
#1309: Jul 8th 2025 at 2:30:43 AM

Yeah, there's definitely a story. I just think it's not gonna be the most obvious possible story knowing Nintendo.

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NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#1310: Jul 8th 2025 at 12:54:06 PM

"You should care about DK lore" imbeciles when the Tot K doesn't fit neatly in any Zelda branch: RAAAAAAAAGE!

Marchen Too hot (Hot damn) from Somewhere Out in Space (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
Too hot (Hot damn)
#1311: Jul 8th 2025 at 1:00:27 PM

[up] Is... that not what they're doing? It sounds like you're describing the same phenomenon?

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randomness4 Ghost '11 from The Land of Inconvenience Since: Sep, 2011
Ghost '11
#1312: Jul 8th 2025 at 1:44:02 PM

Caring about lore isn't the same as caring about story...

It's a fanatic phenom, people place the history of a world above anything else.

Even in a series like Mario where nothing like that really matters.

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Marchen Too hot (Hot damn) from Somewhere Out in Space (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: It's not my fault I'm not popular!
Too hot (Hot damn)
#1313: Jul 8th 2025 at 2:14:12 PM

I mean, the comment I reacted to seemed to me to treat people who care about DK lore being hypocritical because they also (theoretically) care about Zelda lore. Which whether it's, like, right or not, seems to not be very contradictory. Besides, didn't this whole diversion start because people were going "you care too much about the lore. The story doesn't matter, why are you thinking about it"?

Either way, ever wondered how many Bananas there are in Donkey Kong Country?

The answer? About eighty-six million bananas. (Edit: To be clear, this video is about the number of bananas in Donkey Kong Country)

Edited by Marchen on Jul 8th 2025 at 11:15:26 AM

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GAP Formerly G.G. from Who Knows? Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: In love with love
Formerly G.G.
#1314: Jul 9th 2025 at 4:08:16 PM

Speaking of DK Lore, where does Pauline fit into the new lore?

Edited by GAP on Jul 9th 2025 at 7:56:28 AM

"Fan, a Mega Man character."
KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#1315: Jul 9th 2025 at 4:28:45 PM

We'll find out when Bananza comes out.

ThriceCharming Since: Nov, 2013
#1316: Jul 9th 2025 at 11:31:01 PM

We don't even know if there is new lore yet. Remember, Cranky says (or at least implies) he's the original Donkey Kong. That's why I think Pauline's been magically de-aged; if Nintendo wanted Bananza to be the beginning of a new timeline with a new, younger Pauline, they probably wouldn't keep that shockingly persistent bit of Rare-era lore. It would make much more sense to conflate classic and modern DK into a singular character again.

[up][up][up] I'm pretty sure that was a typo? Like, the people goofing on DK fans for taking the lore seriously probably take Zelda lore seriously.

I'm not sure it's accurate, since the huge glut of new fans that got into Zelda via BotW don't really care about anything prior to BotW and the old guard that cares about timelines does get clowned on. A better comparison may be the Pikmin fans that didn't like that Pikmin 4 retconned some stuff from the first game. I've seen zero backlash to that (not that I think there should be any).

randomness4 Ghost '11 from The Land of Inconvenience Since: Sep, 2011
Ghost '11
#1317: Jul 10th 2025 at 12:59:38 AM

Saying this elsewhere...

Cranky's existence and dialogue are meta, he can say what he says without the actual context being relevant.

He's a self-aware character referring to the overall history of the franchise, not the actual story.

Like, that's his whole character originally.

Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.
diddyknux (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#1318: Jul 10th 2025 at 3:19:29 AM

Sure, but that kind of supports the idea that Donkey Kong arcade still happened as it happened. Because there's a history of the franchise to talk about. No history without a genesis.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#1319: Jul 10th 2025 at 3:23:23 AM

What's even weirder is that Cranky's the only one who has visibly aged while Mario and Pauline have not.

But I've already pointed out the weirdness of the Mario + Donkey Kong verses and timelines.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#1320: Jul 10th 2025 at 4:28:11 AM

I'm in the "this is not a prequel" camp, and weird shenanigans is going on with the Young Pauline walking around.

Is that a basic bitch stance to take? Yes, yes it is.

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
Avenger09 Since: May, 2014
Ego-Man25 Since: Mar, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
#1322: Jul 10th 2025 at 5:26:37 AM

You know what, I'm about it. I am liking the idea of Young Pauline joining DK and Diddy for simian shenanigans, she feels like a good fit… also drama queen K. Rool is the best.

Self-professed Wild Card who thinks cynicism isn't so bad.
Ookamikun This is going to be so much fun. (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
This is going to be so much fun.
#1323: Jul 10th 2025 at 6:27:47 AM

Kenta Motokura is the producer of the game while Kazuya Takahashi is the director. Motokura directed Odyssey while Takahashi is new blood. They also made separate articles like how how Koizumi asked the Odyssey team for a 3D Donkey Kong game.

Edited by Ookamikun on Jul 10th 2025 at 6:29:03 AM

Eisner 🏳‍⚧she/they pronouns please🏳‍⚧ from the Deepsea Metro (Private) Relationship Status: Chat, is this real?
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#1324: Jul 10th 2025 at 6:33:32 AM

ok but what if

WHAT IF

this is not DK, or DK Jr

but instead

an entirely separate branch of the Kong family that just HAPPENED to give the character the same name as Cranky's original name, and his son's, and his grandson's.

AND

what if this Kong is actually directly related to Diddy rather than being his uncle/really good friend

...idk i just like the concept of two entirely separate Donkey Kongs running around LMAO

Welcome, my little friend! Or should I say...friends?
BigBadShadow25 With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg. from Basement at the Alamo (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Desperate
With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg.
#1325: Jul 10th 2025 at 6:59:37 AM

IGN also has an interview with the developers saying that there is a reason Pauline is 13 in the games and they want players to solve the puzzle themselves.

https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-wont-say-why-donkey-kong-bananzas-pauline-is-13-years-old-specifically-wants-players-to-puzzle-out-the-answer-themselves

You’re Gonna Carry That Weight.

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