Now that Donkey Kong Bananza is finally in our destructive hands, fans think that they've figured out what's going on with the timeline and why Pauline is so young.
You wouldn't think that a new 3D platformer starring Donkey Kong would cause any confusion at all, but that hasn't been the case with Bananza. Not only have fans been confused that we're not getting the obvious sequel to Super Mario Odyssey, but they've also been scratching their heads at the implied changes to the canon.
Spoilers for Donkey Kong Bananza's ending to follow, as well as some interesting easter eggs and potential lore drops.
The joy of smashing and destructibility in Donkey Kong Bananza echoes a beloved licensed game from the past.
Although all of the game's Kongs don't seem to have aged a day and even reference older games in the series, the confusion comes from the inclusion of Pauline, who is a 13-year-old in Bananza. This is strange considering we last saw her as a grown-up mayor in Odyssey, and it's even been suggested that she's been around since the original Donkey Kong arcade game.
All of these facts combined seemed to suggest that...
