Category: Video Games

Donkey Kong Bananza spoilers are being spread online, after early copies of the game have turned up in the hands of several fans.

Story details that players will want to keep as a surprise for themselves are now circulating on the internet, as seen by IGN — though we will not be sharing them here.

Instead, we’d strongly advise Nintendo fans be careful where they click over the coming days, in the run-up to Donkey Kong Bananza’s official launch date this Thursday, July 17.

While it may seem odd to raise a note of caution over story spoilers for a Donkey Kong platformer, this new blockbuster title from key members of Nintendo’s Super Mario Odyssey development team is shaping up to be something special.

There has already been intense speculation over whether Bananza is some kind of Odyssey prequel, based on the inclusion of key character Pauline, and Nintendo’s unusual decision to detail her age in the new game.

Indeed, when IGN asked Bananza’s producer Kenta Motokura and director Kazuya Takahashi specifically about these points, the pair said that these were questions players should be considering as they played the game.

“Certainly because a lot of team members also worked on Super Mario Odyssey, there are some similarities in terms of how they think about the setting of the characters for both games,” Takahashi told IGN.

“But it’s something we really can’t explain all of for now because we need to leave something for people to consider as they’re playing the game,” he continued. It’s probably better you find out by playing it, then, rather than on a random internet forum!

We spoke to Motokura and Takahashi about a number of topics related to Bananza, including how the game was first conceived and the necessity of releasing on the Nintendo Switch 2. You can read our entire interview in full right here, and check out our hands-on preview of the game here.

And in other Donkey Kong news, a Nintendo copyright notice has been spotted for an unannounced Donkey Kong film — something which fans suspect may arrive as a spin-off from the blockbuster Super Mario Bros. Movie and its upcoming sequel.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Nintendo has filed a copyright notice for an unannounced Donkey Kong film, in collaboration with Universal Pictures.

The filing, for a “Untitled Donkey Kong Project; Motion Picture” lists Nintendo Studios LLC as the copyright holder, alongside Universal Pictures.

Nintendo Studios is of course Nintendo’s own in-house arm dedicated to turning its own franchises into big screen hits, while Universal Pictures is Nintendo’s animation partner (through its Minions-making Illumination studio) behind the box office breaking Super Mario Bros. Movie.

There have long been rumblings of a Donkey Kong-starring spin-off to Nintendo’s big screen Mario blockbuster, though it’s believed that the next Mario film is more of a straight sequel — and reportedly titled Super Mario World.

So, what’s this? Fans think that the filing, originally lodged in May this year, points to a further project due out after Nintendo’s next main Mario film. And some are even speculating that this is the start of a Nintendo Cinematic Universe, with various stars getting their own solo movies while being part of the same franchise.

The news comes just days before the launch of Nintendo’s big new Nintendo Switch 2 release, Donkey Kong Bananaza. With a more cinematic focus and hints that this game might offer more of a storyline, could the Donkey Kong movie link into elements of its narrative?

It is perhaps the most beloved intro cinematic in Warhammer 40,000 video game history, a precious relic of a bygone era that is seared into the memories of fans of Games Workshop’s grimdark setting. And woe betide anyone who dares to change it, lest the wrath of all four Chaos gods descend upon them.

That’s how I imagine the developers at Relic Entertainment felt after releasing a high quality version of Dawn of War’s iconic intro cinematic to accompany the announcement of the August 14 release date of the Definitive Edition.

The video, below, reveals the insertion of dialogue from the 2004 Dawn of War real-time strategy game into its intro cinematic, replacing some of the original audio along the way. Chief among the changes is the removal of an “iconic” (at least, for Warhammer 40,000 fans!) guttural scream bellowed by the Space Marine who leads the forces of the Blood Ravens to battle against the monstrous Orks.

In its stead is the battlecry of Gabriel Angelos, Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens, as it is heard in Dawn of War gameplay. The thing is, that’s not even Gabriel Angelos screaming in the trailer. It’s a Blood Raven sergeant. And, Dawn of War fans say, the new dialogue compares poorly to the heroic scream it replaced.

But that’s not all. Those with keen hearing and an even keener memory will notice other audio changes. The Dreadnought’s dramatic entrance is “ruined,” some say, by the addition of voice lines that distract from the heart-pumping sound of its Assault Cannon revving up and unleashing on the enemy lines. New Ork lines are inserted, too.

“THEY’VE RUINED IT! THEY REMOVED THE SERGEANT’S HOLY SCREAM!” declared one Emperor-living fanatic in the YouTube comments.

“The original sound effects were PERFECT. You didn’t need to add all those voices. I’ll be honest, they kind of ruined it,” said another devotee.

“Makes it feel less well done and not as cohesive. They just seemed so out of place and you can tell they’re just shoved on top.”

“The new audio is awful. Really takes me out of it.”

“Leaving the sergeant’s scream out is a crime against humanity, and therefore heresy.”

“Mind fixing the cinematic by restoring the original audio? The new stuff spliced in doesn’t work at all and it kinda ruins the nostalgia for us. Hopefully it can be reverted by launch,” said another, perhaps more considered worshipper.

Perhaps that’s exactly what Relic will do. I asked the developer for comment on this online complaint barrage, and its response suggested the whole thing has taken the studio by surprise.

“We decided to change the scream as the original audio was quite distorted which was notable when compared to some of the audio touch ups in the enhanced trailer. That said, we’ve heard the feedback from fans — the roar was even more beloved than we realized! Who knows, we may have something for OG roar enjoyers before long.”

So, it sounds like Relic has a solution up its sleeve, which will hopefully go some way to placating the wrath of Warhammer 40,000’s passionate fanbase. I realize, however, that for the uninitiated, all this fuss may sound like an overreaction. All we’re talking about here are a few audio changes, after all.

But there’s something unmistakingly gritty about the original intro trailer’s look, feel, and, yes, old-school audio. It reminds fans of a time in PC gaming’s history when RTS ruled the roost, the Astra Militarum were called the Imperial Guard, and Warhammer 40,000 superfan Henry Cavill had just finished filming Hellraiser: Hellworld. The original rekindles memories of hazy summer days spent hammering out Heretics, my flatmate desperately trying to outmaneuver my attacks. This new and “improved” intro cinematic is too clean, too… nice, and it will always be too recent.

None of this is to say Relic’s Dawn of War Definitive Edition is on a hiding to nothing. I’m genuinely excited to play it, and not just for a short-lived trip down memory lane. It’s a fantastic game — perhaps the greatest Warhammer 40,000 video game ever made — and I look forward to hammering out those Heretics all over again. Perhaps I’ll even convince my old flatmate to join me.

Back to the trailer! I interviewed design director Philippe Boulle back in May when the Definitive Edition was announced, and we gushed over Dawn of War’s intro cinematic. Here’s why it’s so good, according to Boulle:

“It was an amazing accomplishment at the time in terms of the fidelity. We really hadn’t seen that for 40K at that time, and it really stood up as something that would reach out and grab you and say, ‘Hey, this is awesome. You need to pay attention.’ And it will still be in the game. It will be playing in beautiful 4K.

“The thing that amazes me about it when we look back at it is the directing really holds up. That I think is the undervalued key to it. For the time the rendering was phenomenal, but what really holds up is the pacing, the drama, the ending on this guy running up the hill and getting shot, planting that flag and the drop pods coming down… that just works and that didn’t need any changing obviously. That just was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.’”

Fun fact! Dave Wilson, executive producer and supervising director of the excellent Warhammer 40,000 episode of Prime Video’s Secret Level animated anthology series, led the creation of the Dawn of War intro cinematic.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

While Prime Day may be over, there are still some great deals live at other retailers. Dozens of major video games were on sale this year, especially for Nintendo Switch. If you’re on the hunt for a new Switch game still on sale, look no further than Super Mario Odyssey. Walmart has the masterpiece available for $39.39 today, and it’s hard to beat this price, as Nintendo rarely puts its first-party games on sale.

Grab Super Mario Odyssey for $39 at Walmart

We’ve rounded up the best deals for Sunday, July 13, below, so don’t miss out on these limited-time offers.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $149