Why Donkey Kong Bananza Couldn’t Run on Switch 1
▼ Summary
– Donkey Kong Bananza was originally developed for Switch 1 but was moved to Switch 2 due to technical limitations preventing its completion on the older hardware.
– The game targets 60 FPS on Switch 2, whereas on Switch 1 it struggled to maintain a stable 30 FPS, affecting gameplay feel and responsiveness.
– Developers cited tight memory capacity and difficulty in handling expansive stages and destructible objects as key constraints on Switch 1.
– Key advantages of Switch 2 include easier level design with destruction chain reactions and increased interactivity with objects, improving development flexibility.
– Technical challenges on Switch 1 involved intense voxel processing for terrain fragments and shadows, which pushed the hardware to its limits and risked making the game unfeasible.
The ambitious scope of Donkey Kong Bananza ultimately made it impossible to run on the original Nintendo Switch hardware, leading developers to transition the project to the more powerful Switch 2. While an early build was functional on the first-generation console, the team encountered severe performance barriers that prevented the game from reaching its intended quality. This decision highlights the significant technical leap between the two systems, ensuring the final product could deliver a smooth and visually rich experience.
During development, the target frame rate on the original Switch was 30 frames per second, a notable step down from the stable 60 FPS achieved on the Switch 2. However, developers struggled to maintain even that lower performance target consistently. Co-director Wataru Tanaka pointed out that the game’s foundational elements, particularly the lower layers of the environment, had not been fully constructed at that stage. He expressed concern that continuing development on the older hardware might render the project unfeasible.
In an interview with Nintendo Dream, Tanaka, artist Daisuke Watanabe, and producer Kenta Motokura elaborated on these technical hurdles. When asked if developing for the Switch 2 presented greater challenges, Tanaka clarified that the real question was whether the game could have been made for the original Switch at all. He explained that from a programming standpoint, the limited memory capacity would have severely restricted the expansive stage designs that define the final game.
The development team noticed immediate benefits after shifting to the Switch 2. Staff members celebrated the ability to target a 60 FPS frame rate, increase the number of destructible objects, and design levels that featured complex destruction chain reactions. This expansion of creative possibilities received a unanimously positive response.
Regarding the early screenshots that suggested the game was nearly complete on the original Switch, Tanaka confirmed the basic structure was similar. However, he emphasized that crucial environmental layers were missing, and the team was already questioning the project’s viability. Watanabe added that the early version suffered from an unstable frame rate, which made the gameplay feel and respond entirely differently from the polished final product.
Motokura recalled specific technical shortcomings, noting that even basic features like shadow rendering were uncertain. Moments with heavy on-screen activity, such as large quantities of gold being collected, caused the hardware to struggle significantly. He remembered being surprised, feeling the original console was being pushed to its absolute limits.
Tanaka elaborated that the primary challenge wasn’t the quantity of objects, but the intense processing required for the dynamic voxel-based terrain. When players punch or dig into the ground, the game must calculate the breakage of fragments, their physical shapes, and their scattering patterns in real-time. This behind-the-scenes computation proved too demanding for the original Switch’s capabilities, solidifying the decision to move the project to more advanced hardware.
(Source: Nintendo Everything)
