Summary
- Pauline appears on Donkey Kong Bananza cover art, but only on the Korean Nintendo website.
- It has since been taken down, but not before it was spotted online.
- This version of Pauline looks much younger, suggesting the game is a prequel.
Donkey Kong Bananza had a huge showing at the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, with previews coming out shortly after. However, it looks like there’s something being held back from both fans and those who got to play the game early.
As spotted by ResetEra user NotLiquid, the Korean Nintendo website featured slightly different artwork for Donkey Kong Bananza. Perhaps accidentally, the Switch 2 page on the Korean website used artwork that shows another character in the game, and they look a whole lot like Pauline. In fact, she looks like she could be a younger version of Pauline, suggesting that not only will she have a cameo, but Bananza is a prequel.
Pauline Has Been Spotted On The Donkey Kong Bananza Cover Art
But only on the Korean Nintendo website
As you can see, the major difference between the two images is that a character who appears to be a younger Pauline is in one of them. She replaces a purple rock creature, known as Odd Rock, suggesting that this might actually be her, and Nintendo is keeping this under wraps.
The artwork has since been removed from the Korean site, but can still be viewed using the Wayback Machine. Oddly enough, the Pauline render was not used in an earlier version of the site, so it was seemingly added in after the game’s announcement – much too early, it would appear. So, it does seem that her involvement will be revealed at some point before launch, but Nintendo was hoping to keep this a secret a while longer.
In any case, it won’t be long until we find out for sure. Donkey Kong Bananza will launch on July 17, 2025, a month and a bit after the launch of its platform, the Nintendo Switch 2.
Action
Adventure
Platformer
- Released
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July 17, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ // Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo