The highly anticipated Donkey Kong Bananza is set to launch in less than a week, and recent revelations from its production team suggest its development period may have surpassed even that of Grand Theft Auto 6. Originally announced as a flagship title for the Nintendo Switch 2, this adventure sees the legendary gorilla teaming up with a revitalized Pauline on a quest to reclaim the Golden Bananas from the nefarious VoidCo organization.

Observant fans have drawn parallels between Donkey Kong Bananza and 2017's Super Mario Odyssey, a connection that makes sense given the shared creative teams from Nintendo EPD and 1-Up Studio. Director Kazuya Takahashi reportedly immersed himself in every previous Donkey Kong title to ensure authenticity in this new chapter for Nintendo's iconic ape.

In a revealing interview with Spanish outlet La Vanguardia, producer Kenta Motokura disclosed that development began in 2017 immediately after Super Mario Odyssey's completion. What started as a Switch title eventually transitioned to the Switch 2 platform, mirroring the development path of Mario Kart World.

This timeline positions Donkey Kong Bananza's development cycle at approximately eight years - potentially exceeding GTA 6's production period. While Rockstar's title reportedly began serious development in 2020, Nintendo's simian adventure had already been in pre-production for three years prior.