Donkey Kong Bananza existed by Producer's insistence

The game Donkey Kong Bananza, a platform title released for the Wii in December 2008, had its existence guaranteed only by the insistence of Kenta Motokura, producer of Super Mario Odyssey. The revelation shows how crucial decisions behind the scenes can shape the Nintendo game catalog, highlighting the importance of key individuals' vision in a scenario where projects could easily be discarded.

The story of Donkey Kong Bananza highlights the influence of producers at Nintendo, ensuring the survival of projects that might not see the light of day.

The documentary Iwata Asks revealed that the Donkey Kong Bananza team was in a creative dilemma, unable to define a clear direction for the game. It was at this moment that Kenta Motokura, who had joined the development team, demonstrated remarkable persistence. He refused to give up on the project, even when the team was stuck, and his insistence was crucial for the game not to be canceled and eventually released on the Wii.

"He really didn't want to give up, which is typical of his personality," one of the developers said in the documentary. This characteristic was crucial to the fate of Donkey Kong Bananza.

Kenta Motokura is an important figure at Nintendo, known for his work as director on titles like Super Mario 3D World and, most notably, as producer of Super Mario Odyssey, released in October 2017 for the Nintendo Switch. The influence of producers like Motokura at Nintendo is often underestimated but essential to the quality and diversity of the company's games.

Donkey Kong Bananza was a gamble by Nintendo to bring the gorilla back into the spotlight, especially after the success of Donkey Kong Country Returns, released in November 2010, also for the Wii. Although Bananza did not have the same impact as Returns, its existence is a testament to the importance of giving projects facing initial difficulties a chance.

This story also serves as a reminder of the complexities of game development, where the vision and persistence of individuals can save projects from cancellation. Nintendo, despite its reputation for quality, also faces challenges in development, such as the recent admission that risks in the process have increased, which may lead to longer production periods for future titles, including those for the anticipated Nintendo Switch 2.