Game enthusiasts, rejoice! The cryptic, banana-themed language found in Donkey Kong Bananza has been cracked open, revealing the secrets hidden within.
Last week, Nintendo Life reported that YouTuber 2Chrispy unveiled an intriguing breakdown of the unusual text featured in the game’s trailers, gameplay, official website, and even within the Nintendo Today app.
Inspired by what he witnessed in Donkey Kong Bananza, 2Chrispy was curious if Nintendo had embedded a hidden alphabet in the game, reminiscent of the clever secrets in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. To his delight, he found that they had indeed.
Equipped with a level of patience I can only admire and a sharp memory of the Nintendo Treehouse presentation, 2Chrispy started his decoding quest with the term ‘Chip Exchange’. Just to jog your memory, during the Treehouse stream for Donkey Kong Bananza, a message popped up when players collected a Banandium Chip: “Trade these for bananas at any Chip Exchange,” it read.
2Chrispy noticed that the symbol for the Banandium Chip appeared on-screen next to the same odd text. The plot thickened as he saw that the text matched the length of the word ‘Exchange’ and began and ended with a symbol resembling a reversed E. This sparked his journey into compiling a “Bananabet,” as he sought out recurring themes and patterns in the text, even utilizing a word finder for his decoding mission.
Among the treasures he uncovered were words like ‘Welcome’ and ‘Hint’. One particularly exciting find included an in-game sign that, according to 2Chrispy’s translations, reads:
“Message. Thank you for reading. Someone.”
This decoding achievement is nothing short of remarkable, and if you’re intrigued by the immersive world of Donkey Kong Bananza, I highly recommend diving into 2Chrispy’s video (linked below). It offers a captivating and engaging experience.
Our very own Tom has also had the chance to explore Donkey Kong Bananza, which is set to launch on Switch 2 on July 17th.
“While many might have anticipated a Mario-centric adventure, Bananza’s fierce action suits its former rival perfectly,” he remarked after his hands-on experience with the game.
