Nintendo Lets Players Puzzle Out Pauline's Age in Donkey Kong

A few weeks back, Nintendo confirmed an unusual lore detail: Pauline is 13 years old in Donkey Kong Bananza.

This was a surprising move for Nintendo. The company rarely provides specific character ages in official materials. It won't even clarify if Waluigi is Wario's brother, friend, rival, or foe.

So when we interviewed the game's producer, Kenta Motokura, and director, Kazuya Takahashi, we had to ask. Why specify her age? And why is she depicted as so young in this game when she's clearly an adult in Super Mario Odyssey and other appearances?

We didn't get a definitive answer, but Takahashi did shed some light on Pauline's role in Bananza and why she isn't simply a direct continuation of her Odyssey character.

"We knew this character needed to serve an important purpose: accompanying Donkey Kong on his journey and sometimes acting as a narrator," Takahashi explained.

"Considering we'd have both newcomers experiencing a Donkey Kong game for the first time and long-time fans, we saw a chance to feature a character familiar to veterans, but with a fresh look that could intrigue new players. We carefully consider the setting of the world and each character, focusing on how it ultimately enhances the player's enjoyment."

He concluded with a tease: "As for why we specifically chose age 13, that's something we want players to figure out and ponder for themselves as they play."

Intrigued, I pressed further, though the answers remained elusive. I asked if the team would confirm Donkey Kong's age. Motokura replied, "That's another point that's probably good material for player theories."

Admittedly, that was a bit of a joke question. But here's a serious one: Does this establish an official Donkey Kong series timeline? Is Bananza a prequel to Super Mario Odyssey?

"Many team members also worked on Super Mario Odyssey, so there are similarities in how we approach character settings for both games. However, we can't explain everything now. We need to leave some elements for players to discover and think about as they play," Takahashi offered cryptically.

So, it seems Pauline's age is relevant to the story, and Nintendo is keeping details under wraps, letting the game itself reveal the narrative. We'll have to wait and see when the game launches next week.

We discussed several other topics with Motokura and Takahashi about Bananza, including its initial conception and the decision to release it on the Nintendo Switch 2. You can read our full interview here and check out our hands-on preview of the game here.