Pauline’s in Donkey Kong Bananza, elevating the game with musical co-op action

We already suspected that New Donk City mayor Pauline might make an appearance in Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch 2, but Nintendo just confirmed in a new Nintendo Direct the one-time-damsel-in-distress will not only show up in the game, she’ll be Donkey Kong’s co-op partner in their new adventure.

Pauline will also appear as Odd Rock, a small purple gemlike gremlin cursed by enemy apes VoidCo. But she’ll also be present in human form, albeit much younger looking than we’ve seen her before. As previously theorized, the younger Pauline in Donkey Kong Bananza would logically place DK’s new adventure in the past — seemingly before the original 1982 Donkey Kong.

Timeline questions aside, Pauline will serve as Donkey Kong’s charge and sidekick. Using the power of song, Pauline will be able to help DK (and players) spot hidden treasure using a sonar-like shout. She’ll also be able to use her voice in combat; Donkey Kong Bananza will feature a two-player co-op option, letting one player control Pauline’s voice using Switch 2’s mouse controls. Pauline can shout words like “YEAH!,” “WOW!,” and “BAM!,” words that become physical projectiles that will damage enemies and objects in the environment.

That makes Donkey Kong Bananza a… third-person shouter.

It seems that kid Pauline will bring plenty of musical flair to Donkey Kong Bananza. Nintendo’s new Direct presentation

Anyway, while Nintendo’s got some explaining to do about Pauline and Donkey Kong’s history after confirming that kid Pauline will be present and playable in Bananza, there’s a lot to look forward to, gameplay-wise, in the upcoming Switch 2 exclusive.

Donkey Kong Bananza will be released on Switch 2 on July 17.