The thing about lore is that it’s fun to ponder and discuss, but it should never be allowed to completely derail anyone’s ability to tell a new story or make something cool with classic characters. Donkey Kong Bananza seems like a blast. Don’t let the lore get in the way of that.

Nintendo just dropped a ton of details about the next major Switch 2 first-party game. Donkey Kong Bananza was the star of a Nintendo Direct livestream this morning and it was filled to the brim with nifty tidbits to get fans excited about the 3D platformer.

Music plays a big role in Bananza’s mechanics. Pauline appeared in Odyssey as the mayor of New Donk City and sang the game’s theme song, “Jump Up, Super Star!” Bananza, on the other hand, finds a younger Pauline, weaponizing her talents to aid Donkey Kong in his adventure.