No one knows whether there will be more 3D Donkey Kong games, and Nintendo refuses to confirm one way or the other, but Donkey Kong Bananza producer Kenta Motokura has suggested the latest outing's positive reception helps him sell Nintendo on the great ape's potential.
Of course, Donkey Kong is a Nintendo icon right up there alongside Mario and Zelda, but unlike those heroes, he's been largely confined to the 2D space even in modern entries like the fantastic Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze. That changed with 2025 GOTY contender Donkey Kong Bananza, and thank goodness it did, as it sounds like it could be the reason we get more games like it.
"I guess maybe what stands out to me is the idea, first of all, that Donkey Kong, as a character – and this is true for Mario as well – really are a part of Nintendo," Motokura tells Game Informer. "And so, for us, it's almost like we're borrowing them to create software with.
"For me, being able to see people have fun once again with the character of Donkey Kong helps me communicate the potential for that character. I have a sense of relief knowing that's something that people can enjoy in the future as well."
Naturally, Motokura declines to get into "any specifics of future plans," but if I'm picking up what he's putting down, 3D Donkey Kong hopefuls have good reason to be optimistic. Either way, he recently told GamesRadar+ that "some ideas from Donkey Kong Bananza" could help shape Nintendo's next big project, which sounds like great news.
