Everything announced at the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct: Pauline officially revealed, wait, was that Diddy Kong? Plus everything else you need to know
Let's go bananas
The latest Nintendo Direct was about all things Donkey Kong Bananza.
It delivered roughly fifteen minutes of announcements related to the upcoming game, including some big reveals. The most significant was the announcement that Pauline will feature in the game as Donkey Kong's companion.
We also saw plenty of new Donkey Kong moves, plus learned that Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong will all feature in the game. We got our first look at some interesting new modes too, including DK Artist - which uses Nintendo Switch 2 mouse controls.
Donkey Kong Bananza is on track to be the ape's first original adventure in quite some time. It's also his first big 3D platformer outing since Rare's Donkey Kong 64 all the way back in 1999.
Keep reading for a full summary of everything that was announced, plus my live reactions as it happens.
Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct date, start time, and length
The Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct took place on June 18, 2025 at 6AM PT / 9AM ET / 2PM BST.
It lasted for just over 15 minutes.
How to watch the Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct
The most reliable place to catch the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct is the Nintendo YouTube channel.
Everything announced at the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct
Here's everything that was shown in the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct:
- Oddrock confirmed as companion
- Pauline revealed - Oddrock turns into Pauline
- Overview of Donkey Kong’s skills
- Punch
- Dive Punch
- Roll forward
- Hand slap
- Tear off
- Swing
- Chunk jump
- Throw
- Turf surf
- Make music (Pauline’s signing will guide you and break seals)
- Emphasis on using skills to make own routes
- Cranky Kong and Rambi confirmed
- Giant Elders who possess ancient Banaza powers - which you can learn
- Once learned, Donkey Kong can transform
- Kong Bananza
- Zebra Bananza
- Ostrich Bananza
- But they don’t last forever…
- Void Company revealed as baddies
- Grumpy Kong
- Poppy Kong
- Void Kong
- Lower layers are guarded by powerful foes
- Defeating them clears the path to the lower layers of the underground world
- Ancient ruins to explore, including challenges, from time limits to obstacle courses and side-scrolling stages!
- Skill points come from collecting gems - increase stats like health or upgrade punch or learn new skills
- Loads of collectibles elsewhere offer means to trade for items, outfits, etc
- Collectible tracker confirmed
- Music player feature
- Eelevator means to move between realms
- Photo mode feature
- 2 player local co-op
- Supports game share - only one owner needed
- Assist mode offers guidance and reduces damage
- DK Artist - stone carving mode with mice controls
- New Amiibo on the way which unlocks a dress
- Scan all the amiibos to get gold tiles
- Wait was that, Diddy!?
- Every other current Donkey Kong amiibo will be compatible
Where to pre-order
Like everything that you saw? Here's where you can pace a pre-order for the game now in the US and UK:
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Everything revealed:
Miss the stream? Here's everything major shown, in the order that it happened.
- Oddrock confirmed as companion
- Pauline revealed - Oddrock turns into Pauline
- Overview of Donkey Kong’s skills
- Punch
- Dive Punch
- Roll forward
- Hand slap
- Tear off
- Swing
- Chunk jump
- Throw
- Turf surf
- Make music (Pauline’s signing will guide you and break seals)
- Emphasis on using skills to make own routes
- Cranky Kong and Rambi confirmed
- Giant Elders who possess ancient Banaza powers - which you can learn
- Once learned, Donkey Kong can transform
- Kong Bananza
- Zebra Bananza
- Ostrich Bananza
- But they don’t last forever…
- Void Company revealed as baddies
- Grumpy Kong
- Poppy Kong
- Void Kong
- Lower layers are guarded by powerful foes
- Defeating them clears the path to the lower layers of the underground world
- Ancient ruins to explore, including challenges, from time limits to obstacle courses and side-scrolling stages!
- Skill points come from collecting gems - increase stats like health or upgrade punch or learn new skills
- Loads of collectibles elsewhere offer means to trade for items, outfits, etc
- Collectible tracker confirmed
- Music player feature
- Eelevator means to move between realms
- Photo mode feature
- 2 player local co-op
- Supports game share - only one owner needed
- Assist mode offers guidance and reduces damage
- DK Artist - stone carving mode with mice controls
- New Amiibo on the way which unlocks a dress
- Scan all the amiibos to get gold tiles
- Wait was that, Diddy!?
- Every other current Donkey Kong amiibo will be compatible
I just received a press release from Nintendo with the game's newly updated key art.
Yep, it's the one that leaked - but it's nice that it's finally official.
There will also be a new amiibo release to celebrate the game. It's coming on launch day.
Hang on, we just had a glimpse of Diddy and Dixie Kong! They're going to be in the game, apparently.
A bonus mode has also been shown off - DK Artist. It lets you use the mouse controls to carve out stones and paint them. Kind of weird, but also kind of cool.
The game will also offer some Nintendo Switch 2 features, like mouse controls and GameShare!
A photo mode has been confirmed!
We're even getting a look at the outfit system, which seems very reminiscent of Super Mario Odyssey!
There will even be a skill tree in the game! Letting you unlock new abilities and upgrade your stats and existing powers.
On top of challenge modes, there will be some side-scrolling stages too! that's great news, and I'm excited to dive back into some classic Kong action.
We've got some more details on the villains now: Grumpy Kong, Poppy Kong, and Void Kong.
Pauline will also be voice acted in cutscenes it seems. I'm not sure how to feel about this one, but I'm interested to see what the storytelling is like.
You can swap between transformations on the fly, which is a pretty cool idea!
Some more abilities now, Kong Bananza, Zebra Bananza, and Ostrich Bananza. They're very powerful but temporary and can be triggered if you collect enough gold.
We're seeing lots of NPCs, who seem eager to chat with Kong.
Cranky Kong is also going to be in the game, which is going to be huge news for all the Cranky-heads out there.
We also learned about our first Pauline ability - she can apparently sing which serves as a navigational aid as floating music notes show you the way to go.
We're seeing over more new moves now, with many focusing on how Donkey Kong can interact with his fully destructible environment.
Here are some of the highlights shown off so far...
We're seeing plenty of smashing, as you would probably expect, and plenty new moves from Donkey Kong.
That's the reveal I was predicting alright!
That little rock creature is in fact a younger Pauline, who bursts out of the rock early in the game. Pauline is apparently trying to return to the surface, and will accompany Donkey Kong on his adventure.
Our first shot of the stream here, we're seeing Donkey Kong approaching a little purple rock creature with some strangely emotional music in the background.
Are we about to get a big reveal?
The stream is beginning!
Fasten your seatbelts, the stream is starting!
This is your last chance to tune in if you don't want to miss anything, so get the YouTube page up quick.
Time check: just ten minutes left!
There is now just ten minutes to go until the stream begins. Don't worry if you won't be able to catch it live, I'll be bringing you a steady stream of live reactions right here in text form...
Plot details are scarce (expect this to change soon), but we do know a little bit about the villains in Donkey Kong Bananza.
They're a group called Voidco and seem to be some kind of mining company. We've seen three members so far, each with unique designs, that will presumably be in-game bosses that you will have to defeat.
The core conflict of the game comes from Voidco's theft of some newly discovered golden banana gems. The events of the game see Kong attempting to get them back and if there's one thing I've learned throughout the Donkey Kong series, it's that messing with Kong's bananas is a very bad idea.
We could see some new cover art
Following on from my predictions about the reveal of a Pauline character in this stream, I also think we will likely see some new cover art for the game.
I'm not expecting anything drastic, but right now there is a conspicuous blank spot above Donkey Kong's left shoulder on the box.
It's occupied by this small purple rock creature, but I suspect that that's just a placeholder for Pauline. This would line up with the leaked image from Korea and, honestly, make for a more attractive looking package.
Time check: just 45 minutes to go!
Time is passing and the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct is getting nearer, with just 45 minutes left to go.
Now is the time to make sure that you have done everything that you need to ahead of the event.
I would normally recommend stocking up on drinks and snacks for the stream, but given this one is so short at just 15 minutes I don't think that will be necessary this time around. Still, a little glass of water definitely won't hurt - so do grab one now if you're feeling thirsty.
If you're simply desperate to play Donkey Kong Bananza, then you'll likely be pleased to hear that the game is already up for pre-order!
It costs $69.99 / £64.95 at Amazon right now for a physical copy. I'd recommend picking it up if you already know that you want the game, and want to maximise your chances of having it in your hands on the release day.
If you pre-order at Amazon in the US or UK, you will be covered by the pre-order price guarantee - which basically means that you will pay the lowest possible price if it changes ahead of the release day.
You can see the full terms and conditions on the site.
When is Donkey Kong Bananza coming out?
Donkey Kong Bananza is set to release on July 17, 2025.
The game is going to be a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive title, so those still using a Nintendo Switch console will not be able to play it unless they upgrade.
Time check: just 75 minutes to go
The stream is set to begin at 6AM PT / 9AM ET / 2PM BST. This means that there is just one hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes total) to go until it's underway.
We know that the stream is only going to be 15 minutes long, so make sure to keep an eye on the time if you don't want to miss it!
How about some unfiltered gameplay?
Trailers are all well and good, but Nintendo has also released a lengthy gameplay video showing off the game. It was part of the Nintendo Treehouse: Live stream, and lets you see the very start of the game.
Catch up with the previous trailer
Haven't seen much of Donkey Kong Bananza so far?
You should definitely take a look at the latest trailer, which was shown off back in the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct.
It gives you a good idea of what to expect from the game, which seems very similar to Super Mario Odyssey in structure.
We see plenty of Donkey Kong smashing all kinds of objects, so expect destruction to be a very big focus.
But what kind of role could this young Pauline play?
My personal prediction is that she might be a companion character, potentially following Donkey Kong around and assisting in his adventure.
Her younger appearance might be a sign that she will take on an almost Diddy Kong-like role, riding around on Donkey Kong's back and maybe even granting the player a few abilities when she's there.
Users on the forum spotted that she is wearing a bracelet made of purple rocks in the banner's artwork. This will probably be part of the game's plot, which we already know will prominently feature rocks and a mining motif.
Will we see Pauline?
You might have missed this, but the Nintendo Korea page may have accidentally leaked something about the game weeks ago.
Some key art was visible on a website banner, showing Donkey Kong and what looked like a younger version of Super Mario character Pauline. This was quickly replaced by a version that lines up with the game's regular cover art (where the Pauline character is replaced by a purple rock creature) but not before users on the forum ResetEra spotted it.
This has prompted a fair amount of speculation that Pauline will feature prominently in the game. If you remember the original Super Mario Odyssey reveal, Nintendo deliberately kept the character Cappy hidden - revealing them at a later date.
This could also be the case here, with Pauline potentially revealed as part of the stream today.
Save the stream in advance
Here's a top tip that applies to basically any event that is streamed live.
Generally, YouTube allows you to wait for the broadcast a few hours before it begins - which is perfect if you want to keep it open in a separate browser window so that you definitely don't miss it.
Alternatively, you could bookmark the page in advance and come back later when the start time arrives.
I've embedded today's stream below, so that you can do just that.
Hello and welcome to the start of my live coverage of the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza Direct.
There's not long to go until the stream begins now, so sit back as I deliver a steady of updates, predictions, and everything that you need to know in the build-up to the event!