Even thoughDonkey Kong Bananzahas given DK a divisive new design,Nintendohas still managed to pay some respect toRare’s version of the character.
When Nintendo first revealed Donkey Kong Bananza, it was very clear to us all that this version of DK was trying to move away from the days of Rare’sDonkey Kong Countryto have a fresh start.Even with DK’s design being so radically different, Bananza still seems to have a lot of love for what Rare did with the series.
Since the recent Donkey Kong Bananza Direct, we’ve seen plenty of references to Donkey Kong Country,from Cranky, Diddy, Dixie, and Rambi returningto Expresso’s sneakers being worn by one of the elders. That’s not all, though, as a new easter egg appears to canonise one of Rare’s most well-known contributions to Donkey Kong.
The DK Rap Is More Than Just A Song In Donkey Kong Bananza
Cranky Kong’s Dropping Lore Bombs
Earlier this week, media previews of Donkey Kong Bananza dropped (including one from TheGamer which you should totally check out), which gave us a ton of new gameplay footage to deep dive into.VGC’s Andy Robinson shared a cheeky easter egg from a conversation with Cranky Kongthat has someinterestingimplications for Bananza’s timeline.
As you’re able to see from Robinson’s tweet, a conversation with Cranky Kong shows him calling DK the “so-called leader of the bunch”,which is a direct nod to the DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64. This suggests that the DK Rap and its accompanying music video are a canon part of the Donkey Kong universe, which is a scenario I can’t stop picturing.
The DK Rap is getting quite a lot of special treatment in Bananza,as it also appears as an unlockable song. If only Lanky and Candy were around to hear it…
Nintendo has already made it clear that canon isn’t the most important part of Donkey Kong Bananzaso this is likely just an easter egg, but it does imply that Bananza takes place long after Donkey Kong 64. Of course,Pauline being so young makes things a lot more confusing, but it’s even clearer that Bananza isn’t a prequel.
