Switch 2 Developers Voice Concerns Over Performance Issues — Insights from Donkey Kong Bananza Director

I just came across this super interesting piece about the Nintendo Switch 2 and, seriously, it’s all over the place. I was supposed to be doing something else — more on that later, maybe — but anyway, I stumbled upon this chat with Kazuya Takahashi. He’s behind the new Donkey Kong game, which by the way, has this crazy 3D voxel tech that’s apparently making the console sweat a bit. Who would’ve thought, right? Performance dips because, well, fun and games matter more. Seems like a wild choice, but I’m kind of here for it.

Have you ever watched one of those trailers that just grab you? There’s this YouTube vid of Donkey Kong Bananza that does just that. Huge monkey fists smashing through stuff, digging like there’s no tomorrow. Weirdly satisfying, if I’m honest. But they say this game was meant for the old Switch before they pulled back and revved it up for the Switch 2, mostly because of those destructible environments. I mean, who wouldn’t want to tear off bits of scenery just because they can?

Switch 2’s catching a lot of flak for these frame dips — those pauses that just make you go, “Wait, was that supposed to happen?” Takahashi talks about them, like, yeah, those slo-mo effects are intentional. I’m sort of like, “Okay, cool,” but at the same time, wouldn’t mind a bit more smoothness. At least they’re aware there’s a chance for an update. Thank heavens for the internet, right?

Oh, and remember that voxel thing? It’s not even brand new tech. Flashback to 1992, and you’ve got PC games like Comanche: Maximum Overkill using a similar engine. Who knew that retro tech would come in handy for a modern console?

Excited? The game’s dropping this Thursday, July 17 — mark your calendars or whatever people do these days. If you’re geeky like me, maybe you’re already in line, or at least virtually waiting. I somehow got sidetracked by all this, but that’s a story for another time. Catch you later, maybe with another random thought.