Donkey Kong Bananza: A Deep Dive into Voxel Tech and Destructible Worlds

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2026, Nintendo developers Kenta Motokura and Tatsuya Kurihara revealed the design origins of Donkey Kong Bananza, the critically acclaimed game for the Nintendo Switch 2. The discussion centered on how the team fused voxel technology with destruction-based gameplay, building upon lessons learned from the development of Super Mario Odyssey.

From Super Mario Odyssey to Destructible Environments

The journey to Donkey Kong Bananza’s unique gameplay began during the development of Super Mario Odyssey. Motokura, a producer at Nintendo, recounted the team’s initial experiments with a destructible rock. The goal was to create a more dynamic interaction than simply hitting a specific point on an object. Early iterations involved a rock that cracked with each hit from Mario’s hammer, visually changing as it was damaged.

However, Motokura felt this wasn’t impactful enough. He drew inspiration from the iconic first underground level (world 1-2) of the original Super Mario Bros. “I’ve loved this scene since I was a kid,” Motokura shared. “You can interact with almost everything on the screen, and, depending on how you go about that, there are multiple ways to proceed.” The level’s breakable bricks and crackable ceilings demonstrated the potential for environmental interaction and hidden pathways.

The Super Mario Odyssey team refined the concept, allowing players to chip away at a rock cube by cube with a hammer. This approach, focusing on surface interaction rather than specific points, proved pivotal. It laid the groundwork for the expansive destructible environments in Donkey Kong Bananza.

Donkey Kong Bananza: Breaking Novel Ground

Donkey Kong Bananza takes the concept of destructible environments to a new level. Players control Donkey Kong and can rip apart the terrain of massive 3D worlds, punching through walls, digging into the ground, and throwing boulders at enemies. The game was developed by a team within Nintendo previously focused on 3D Super Mario games.

The Importance of Understanding Donkey Kong

Prior to development, the team consulted with Shigeru Miyamoto, the original creator of Donkey Kong, to understand the character’s essence. They as well sought input from Yoshiaki Koizumi, who directed Donkey Kong Jungle Beat on the GameCube. Key insights included recognizing Donkey Kong’s strength and long arms, differentiating him from characters like Mario. Miyamoto highlighted the unique actions a strong character like Donkey Kong could perform, such as a hand slap or a powerful breath.

Voxel Technology and the Nintendo Switch 2

The development team leveraged voxel technology to create the game’s destructible worlds. Experiments with voxel tech on the previous Nintendo Switch console provided a foundation for the more advanced implementation in Donkey Kong Bananza on the Nintendo Switch 2. This technology allows for a high degree of environmental manipulation and destruction, contributing to the game’s dynamic gameplay.

Nintendo designers consistently showcase how their game design ideas and technological engineering converge to create innovative games, and Donkey Kong Bananza is a prime example of this approach.