Nintendo tested arms on a Goomba before settling on Donkey Kong Bananza

Before the launch of Donkey Kong Bananza, Nintendo shared a new edition of “Ask the Developer” featuring insights about this latest platformer. In this publication, the creators of Donkey Kong Bananza share their journey, and it’s interesting to learn that before Donkey Kong started wrecking terrain and partnering with Pauline, Nintendo initially experimented by equipping a Goomba with arms.

In the 19th issue of “Ask the Developer”, Wataru Tanaka (from Entertainment Planning) and Kenta Motokura (producer) disclosed that right after Super Mario Odyssey was launched, they started exploring the concept of a game featuring destructible environments. To experiment, they combined the arms from the Knucklotec boss in Odyssey onto a Goomba character. They even captured footage, and it shows a Goomba using its newfound arms to break holes into cave walls.

In Donkey Kong Bananza, the primary gameplay concept was inspired by a technical exploration where the limbs of a Super Mario Odyssey boss character were attached to a Goomba, enabling it to destroy the environment!

— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) July 15, 2025

According to Motokura, the test outcomes indicated that destructive gameplay would be effective, and it seemed ideal for Donkey Kong’s immense power. We believed that the idea and fundamental mechanics were well-aligned.

Afterward, Nintendo commenced development on the game that ultimately evolved into Donkey Kong Blitz. In this episode of Developer Insights, the team delves into the background of Pauline’s presence in Donkey Kong Blitz, as well as the integration of voxel technology within the game.

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2025-07-15 19:28