The Super Mario Odyssey Team Developed Donkey Kong Bananza

I recently traveled to New York for another hands-on session with the upcoming Switch 2 title, Donkey Kong Bananza. Before I was handed a controller, Nintendo vice president of player and product experience Bill Trinen introduced the title remotely via the Switch 2's GameChat feature. During his statements, he confirmed one key piece of Donkey Kong Bananza information fans have been speculating on since its April 2 reveal: the development team behind the game.

As many people speculated based on the design, visual aesthetic, and UI of Donkey Kong Bananza, the same team that produced Super Mario Odyssey in 2017 is also responsible for Donkey Kong Bananza. Though Nintendo often delivers high-quality titles, Super Mario Odyssey was one of the highest-reviewed games of 2017, earning a 9.75 out of 10 from Game Informer, which has given that team a particularly strong reputation. However, it's been nearly eight years since the release of Super Mario Odyssey, and fans have been speculating about when we can expect a new release from this team. 

Knowing it's that team undoubtedly instills a sense of confidence from the fanbase, but it also raises the question of when we'll see another 3D Super Mario game. It's entirely possible another team is working on the next 3D Mario game, or even that the next 3D Mario game was developed in parallel with Donkey Kong Bananza. While Donkey Kong Bananza certainly plays like a Super Mario Odyssey successor, longtime fans of Nintendo's flagship franchise may have a bit longer to wait before Mario is back in action. Still, for those excited for Donkey Kong Bananza, this is undoubtedly good news for the quality ceiling of the first 3D DK platformer in more than a quarter-century.

Donkey Kong Bananza arrives on Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17. For more, check out our most recent hands-on impressions here.