The director of Donkey Kong Bananza recently acknowledged that the game's voxel technology, which drives its destruction-focused gameplay, "must have been an absolute nightmare for the programmers." Set to launch on July 17 exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2, this marks the franchise's first 3D platformer since Donkey Kong 64.

Developed by the team behind Super Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bananza utilizes a voxel-based engine that allows players to smash, dig, and reshape nearly every surface in the game world. Unlike traditional polygon-based 3D games, voxel technology constructs environments using tiny cubes, similar to Minecraft. However, the developers have worked meticulously to avoid the blocky aesthetic typically associated with this technology.

In Nintendo's "Ask the Developer" interview series, director Kazuya Takahashi explained how the voxel system enabled unique environmental interactions while admitting its technical challenges. Co-director Wataru Tanaka emphasized their goal to make the voxel technology invisible to players, creating seamless destruction mechanics within lush, detailed environments.

Art director Daisuke Watanabe described their approach to visual design: "We wanted players to experience genuine surprise when discovering destructible elements, rather than seeing obvious cube-based structures." The team implemented this technology early in development to fully explore its potential for innovative gameplay.

The destruction mechanic, a standout feature in trailers, originated from an experimental concept involving a Goomba character with arms inspired by Super Mario Odyssey's Knucklotec boss. As development concludes, Takahashi revealed the team studied every previous Donkey Kong game for inspiration while crafting this bold new direction for the franchise.