Nintendo has announced a Direct showcase dedicated to the upcoming Switch 2 exclusive Donkey Kong Bananza. The event is scheduled for this Wednesday, June 18, starting at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm UK time.
The announcement first appeared in the Nintendo Today! app, revealing that the Direct will run for 15 minutes.
Now that the Switch 2 has launched, Nintendo is shifting its focus to upcoming exclusive titles, with Donkey Kong Bananza next in line, set for release on July 17. According to Nintendo, this Direct will be entirely devoted to the 3D platforming adventure, so no other Switch 2 games—announced or unannounced—will be featured during the livestream.
Donkey Kong sports a fresh new look in Bananza, following his redesign in the blockbuster The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In a recent IGN interview, Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto explained the reasoning behind the ape's updated appearance.
"I continue to play an active role in character creation and development," he stated. "Looking back at the original Donkey Kong Country, we collaborated with Rare on its creation.
"As we explored ways to evolve the character, we developed Jungle Beat. Our team worked alongside the group behind the 3D Mario titles, using the technology available at the time to give Donkey Kong more expressiveness. We revisited the original Rare design and asked: how can we enhance it for greater expression? Ultimately, for the film, we decided to move forward with this new generation design for Donkey Kong."
For further details, check out IGN's hands-on preview of Donkey Kong Bananza.
Bananza's release will help strengthen the Switch 2's exclusive lineup, which includes launch titles Mario Kart World and Welcome Tour. Other exclusives for the system include Survival Kids, the upcoming Kirby Air Riders, and the recently revealed Splatoon Raiders.
