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Donkey Kong Bananza features a young Pauline, immediately raising lore implications and many questions about the very serious DK timeline

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Turns out Pauline was the Odd Rock after all

Screenshot of Donkey Kong and Pauline in Donkey Kong Bananza.
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Donkey Kong Bananza's mysterious "Odd Rock" companion isn't actually a rock at all, Nintendo has now confirmed, as DK will actually be accompanied by a young Pauline in the Switch 2 adventure.

Some leaked official art for Bananza previously pictured Donkey Kong alongside a young brunette girl, who many pointed out looked an awful lot like Pauline, who'd been pulled back into the spotlight since Super Mario Odyssey. Now, thanks to today's Donkey Kong Bananza Direct, Pauline's involvement is finally confirmed, as it turns out she and DK are on an adventure together, with Pauline wanting to escape the underground of Ingot Isle and get back to her home on the surface.

To get her out, however, the two will actually be headed deeper underground first, chasing the rumor of their wishes being granted by reaching the planet's core.

Pauline is a fully voiced character here, and you'll be able to dress her and DK up with a whole host of fun costumes. The game also includes two-player local co-op, which will allow a friend to take control of Pauline herself, firing out "vocal blasts" from atop Donkey Kong's shoulders by using the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls.

One mystery remains, however – why is Pauline so much younger here? Perhaps that's something that'll be answered when the full game launches, but for now, there are some big questions over the very serious, very important Donkey Kong timeline. How is Cranky Kong the same age here as he was in the Donkey Kong Country games while Pauline isn't a grown adult? How does any of this lead to her getting kidnapped as an adult in the Donkey Kong arcade game? Much to ponder.

The Donkey Kong Bananza Direct has really shown off how huge Nintendo's next big Switch 2 game is, but for now, we'll just have to sit tight until July 17 when we can finally dive in.

For now, be sure to check out our roundup of the best Switch 2 games you can play right away.

See more Nintendo Switch 2 News
Catherine Lewis
Catherine Lewis
Deputy News Editor

I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

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