The recently released game, Donkey Kong Bananza, introduces a refreshed voice cast for its iconic characters. The game`s credits reveal that Kouji Takeda has taken on the role of Donkey Kong, marking a new era for one of Nintendo`s most prominent mascots. This isn`t Takeda`s first encounter with the powerful ape; he previously voiced Donkey Kong in the Japanese dub of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and also in last month`s Mario Kart World.
Reports indicate that Kouji Takeda steps into the shoes of Takashi Nagasako, who lent his voice to Donkey Kong for over two decades. Concurrently, Pauline also receives a new voice in Donkey Kong Bananza, with Jenny Kidd now performing the English-language role. She succeeds Kate Higgins, known for voicing Pauline in Super Mario Odyssey.
Nintendo appears to be consistently updating the voice actors for its diverse cast of characters in recent years. For example, Samantha Kelly, the voice behind Princess Peach and Toad for 18 years, was replaced in Mario Kart World. Furthermore, in 2023, Charles Martinet, who famously voiced Mario since Super Mario 64 in 1996, transitioned from the role. Last month, Martinet clarified that his decision was made to uphold the character`s `integrity,` ensuring he wouldn`t utter `weird` phrases for fans.
Beyond his new role as Donkey Kong, Kouji Takeda has a history of contributing to other major Nintendo titles. His previous voice work includes portraying Master Mummy in Arms and Daruk in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Donkey Kong Bananza launched today on the Nintendo Switch 2. The inception of the game can be traced back to Nintendo executive Yoshiaki Koizumi, who tasked the Super Mario Odyssey team with exploring the development of a 3D Donkey Kong project.