Pauline is stepping back into the spotlight inDonkey Kong Bananza, and she is bringing with her a clever nod to her first appearance over four decades ago. When the early trailers and promotional materials forDonkey Kong Bananzafirst appeared, fans spotted a girl who resembled Pauline tagging along with DK. Sure enough, a younger version of her is on hand inDonkey Kong Bananzato guide the great ape and assist with her musical abilities. Pauline finds herself trapped in the underground world of Ingot Isle and hopes to return to the surface by having a wish granted at the planet’s core.
Longtime Nintendofans might know that Pauline has a rich history stretching back to the originalDonkey Kongarcade game, where she served as Mario’s original love interest whom he had to rescue from a then-antagonistic DK. Once Princess Peach was introduced into the franchise, Pauline would only make sporadic appearances until her full return in2017’sSuper Mario Odyssey. After this, Pauline started showing up in moreMariogames, with her most recent outing being as a playable character inMario Kart World.
Some fans, like Reddit user MRampo, have noticed an interesting callback to Pauline’s early days inDonkey Kong Bananza. At one point in one of the latestDonkey Kong Bananzatrailers, Pauline can be seen on stage performing a dance similar to the one her older self does inSuper Mario Odyssey, which itself is a nod to her sprite’s movements in the originalDonkey Konggame. Some users note that this might be due toDonkey Kong Bananzabeing developed by the same studiobehindSuper Mario Odyssey.
Donkey Kong Bananza’s Pauline Dance Calls Back to the Original DK Game
As mentioned before,Donkey Kong Bananza’s version of Pauline is much younger than the one fans are used to seeing, and she comes with a host of musical abilities to aid DK on his quest to recover the legendary Golden Bananas. As shown inpreviousDonkey Kong Bananzagameplay footage, Pauline can use her songs to transform DK into powerful new forms and even guide the simian hero toward his next objective.
Donkey Kong Bananzawill launch on July 17, meaning that Nintendo Switch 2 owners won’t have to wait too much longer to dive into the underground with DK and Pauline. There will probably be plenty more hidden nods to past games inDonkey Kong Bananza, which has already confirmed thatclassic characters like Diddy Kongand Cranky Kong will appear alongside the iconic DK Rap.
Donkey Kong Bananza
WHERE TO PLAY
The big guy is back! Donkey Kong swings onto the Nintendo Switch 2 system with a brand-new action adventure.Help Donkey Kong make his way through the depths of the Underground World. The deeper he goes, the more amazing places he finds! There’s no shortage of things DK can pulverize with his powerful punches. Break on through this truly destructive adventure.Behold the golden bananas! The mysterious group, known as VoidCo, has its eyes on this prized bunch. But no one messes with DK’s favourite food!Golden bananas? The whole island was buzzing about the discovery of this tasty treasure. But then, distaster struck! During the chaos, VoidCo stole every breathtaking bunch of bananas. Now Donkey Kong must venture deep underground to get them back!
