Nintendo's confirmation of Pauline's age in Donkey Kong Bananza has sparked fan debates about timeline consistency, particularly regarding how this fresh take aligns with past games where Donkey Kong famously kidnapped Pauline.
A Younger Pauline Emerges
The Japanese website for Donkey Kong Bananza profiles Pauline as "a 13-year-old aspiring singer who mysteriously found herself underground - transformed into living rock." This youthful portrayal during the recent Nintendo Direct strongly connects her to Odyssey's grown-up Mayor Pauline who fronts a popular band.
The gaming community is buzzing about how Bananza's friendly partnership between DK and Pauline contrasts starkly with their traditional kidnapper-captive dynamic. What twist could explain DK's villainous turn in earlier titles? Could decades of DK lore need reevaluation?
Bananza's premise shows the unlikely duo collaborating to return teenage Pauline to the surface world where she can chase her musical dreams - ambitions we know she achieves based on her Odyssey persona. Yet while this suggests Bananza precedes Odyssey, Nintendo's never clarified Pauline's age in other appearances, leaving chronological gaps.
Contradictory History
Pauline's kidnapping history includes multiple DK abductions: the original arcade classic, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 series entries where she's snatched twice (first for choosing Mario's gift, then when DK misses a theme park event). Later Mario vs. Donkey Kong titles softened their relationship, showing them co-hosting minigames and planning parties.
Donkey Kong Bananza Direct Screenshots
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Bananza might rewrite franchise history altogether - could DK's villainous reputation stem from Mario misunderstanding their friendship? Perhaps Pauline wasn't kidnapped all those times, but willingly spending time with DK until Mario intervened?
The mystery deepens when considering Odyssey Pauline describing her DK kidnapping as "traumatic" - how does this reconcile with Bananza's apparent camaraderie? Does Bananza conclude with a falling out that turns DK against Pauline?
Answers may arrive when Donkey Kong Bananza launches as a Switch 2 exclusive July 17, 2025, potentially reframing decades of Mario universe lore.
