If you picked up Donkey Kong Bananza and instinctively hit the B button to jump, you’re not alone. For decades, Mario games have trained players that B means “up.” But in Bananza, B does something different; it makes Donkey Kong dig. The surprising shift didn’t happen by chance. It came directly from Shigeru Miyamoto.
Miyamoto suggested the B button for Donkey Kong Bananza’s Dig
In an interview with Nintendo Dream (translated by Nintendo Patents Watch), game director Kazuya Takahashi explained how the change happened. Miyamoto pointed out that since B is the bottom face button, it felt more natural to assign it to a downward action like digging.
“When I actually tried it, this key mapping indeed felt more intuitive,” Takahashi admitted. In short, Miyamoto suggested it, and the team quickly saw that it worked.
A nod to tradition for players who want it
Of course, not everyone will agree. For long-time Nintendo fans, pressing B to jump feels as natural as breathing. Nintendo anticipated this, so Bananza includes an option to reassign Jump back to B. That way, traditionalists can stick to muscle memory, while new players enjoy the revised mapping.
Small touches beyond controls
The interview revealed other details too. Takahashi’s team even spent time fine-tuning the sound of DK’s footsteps so they balanced neatly against the chaos of smashing and digging. It’s a reminder that behind every simple mechanic sits hours of careful design.
Digging deeper into Donkey Kong Bananza’s design
Bananza is full of these subtle choices, little tweaks that change how the game feels moment to moment. The B button switch may seem tiny, but it’s a great example of Miyamoto’s eye for intuitive design. By aligning a button’s physical placement with the action it triggers, the game becomes easier to read and more satisfying to play.
So next time you dig down instead of leaping up, thank Miyamoto. He’s still shaping how Nintendo games feel one button press at a time.
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