During the recent Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct, fans could spot Diddy and Dixie Kong for a couple of seconds, confirming their appearance in the highly anticipated title. Nintendo offered fans 15 minutes of footage and information about Donkey Kong Bananza, where they could learn plenty of details before its official release on July 17.
Donkey Kong is one of Nintendo’s most iconic characters, first introduced in 1981 in an arcade game. The iconic gorilla quickly became a hit, and two more games followed: Donkey Kong Jr. And Donkey Kong 3, before Mario took over and became Nintendo’s official symbol. In 1994, the franchise saw one of its most important entries, Donkey Kong Country for the Super NES, which rebooted the series and introduced groundbreaking visuals and gameplay, becoming an even greater hit. However, the series remained quiet for more than 10 years after Tropical Freeze (2014), until the franchise's rebirth with Donkey Kong Bananza. While some details had been revealed before the recent Nintendo Direct, fans were wondering whether they would see the two primates, Diddy and Dixie Kong—and now they know the answer.
Nintendo Switch 2: 6 Things Confirmed About Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong Bananza is burrowing its way toward Nintendo fans soon.
During the recent Donkey Kong Bananza showcase, fans got a closer look at what the iconic gorilla has in store for them, and one great surprise was the appearance of Diddy and Dixie Kong, who could be spotted at various points throughout the Direct—likely meaning the primates will appear in different parts of the game. There’s actually one frame where Diddy can be seen dressed as a construction worker. Both Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong are two iconic secondary characters in the series: Diddy debuted in Donkey Kong Country, and Dixie in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest.
Donkey Kong Bananza Shows Diddy and Dixie Kong During Nintendo Direct
Among other important details revealed during the Direct is that Donkey Kong Bananza features co-op, though the experience may not be what players were expecting. While the game does support co-op for up to two players, Player 1 will control Donkey Kong and Player 2 will control Pauline, who rides on Donkey Kong's back with much more limited input. This may not be particularly exciting considering Nintendo’s great track record with fun co-op games.
Another exciting revelation is that Donkey Kong Bananza will get its own Amiibo, joining Nintendo’s toys-to-life collection when the game releases on July 17. There were plenty more features shown during the Direct, like a dedicated skill tree that allows players, for instance, to increase Donkey Kong’s health and damage. As the release date approaches, long-time fans can rest assured that Diddy and Dixie will be present in the franchise’s rebirth.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- July 17, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
