Nintendo has announced a special Direct presentation focused solely on the upcoming Switch 2 exclusive, Donkey Kong Bananza. It's scheduled for this Wednesday, June 18, at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST.
The news first broke via the Nintendo Today! app, which also confirmed the Direct will be a concise 15-minute showcase.
With the Switch 2 now officially launched, Nintendo is shifting its focus to upcoming platform exclusives. Next on the roster is Donkey Kong Bananza, launching on July 17. According to Nintendo, this Direct will be dedicated entirely to this new 3D platforming adventure, meaning no other announced or unannounced Switch 2 titles will be featured during the stream.
Donkey Kong sports a fresh new look in Bananza, following his cinematic redesign in the blockbuster *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*. In a recent IGN interview, legendary Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto explained the reasoning behind the ape's visual overhaul.
"I remain actively involved in character creation and development," Miyamoto stated. "Looking back at the original Donkey Kong Country, we collaborated with Rare to bring that game to life.
"When we began discussing how to evolve Donkey Kong for new projects, we developed Jungle Beat. For that, we worked alongside the team behind the 3D Mario games. The technology available at the time allowed us to make Donkey Kong far more expressive. We revisited the original Rare design, asking ourselves what we could adjust to enhance his expressiveness further. This updated design is what we ultimately moved forward with for the film."
For more details, read IGN's hands-on preview of Donkey Kong Bananza.
The release of Bananza will help bolster the Switch 2's current lineup of exclusive titles, which includes launch games like Mario Kart World and Welcome Tour. Other confirmed exclusives for the platform are Survival Kids, the forthcoming Kirby Air Riders, and the recently revealed Splatoon Raiders.
