It's one thing to successfully decipher a secret in-game language, but it's quite another to do so before the game is even released – yet that's precisely what YouTuber 2Chrispy has achieved with Donkey Kong Bananza.
Much like how players unraveled the mysteries in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's secret language, 2Chrispy utilized trailers, preview footage, and the Nintendo Today app to decode the Ancient Monkey Scrolls in Kong's upcoming adventure.
"In the trailer, there were a lot of hidden details," 2Chrispy explained in an engaging video detailing his process. "But the one that stuck out most to me was the banana language. Watch to see how I decoded and deciphered every monkey letter I could find."
By cleverly identifying an in-game item named Chip Exchange, Chrispy meticulously analyzed frames to decode all but five characters in the banana alphabet, or "Bananabet," as he dubs it.
Donkey Kong Bananza's secret language has been translated. Image credit: 2Chrispy.
With his newfound transcription skills, 2Chrispy has successfully translated virtually every sign, note, and document seen in all footage released so far. To discover their meanings, be sure to check out 2Chrispy's YouTube video.
For example, in one screenshot, 2Chrispy translated an overhead sign to read "welcome," a neon sign to read "factory," and a snow level sign to read "ice." He also transcribed various notices that read "hint," "item," and a sign that stated: "Message. Thank you for reading. Someone."
A sign that reads "Message. Thank you for reading. Someone." Image credit: 2Chrispy.
"I'm excited to see what other text we'll find in the game," he added. "Could we see references to DK lore? Missing Kongs? Any mention of the Kremlings or King K. Rool?"
In our first hands-on preview of Donkey Kong Bananza, we noted, "It's on track to be one of the most visually stunning Nintendo games I’ve seen. It truly leverages the Switch 2's hardware — the environments are breathtaking and DK’s animations are wonderfully expressive, leaving me with the impression that the next generation of first-party Nintendo games has truly arrived."
With the release date and tech specs now available for the highly anticipated Switch successor, Nintendo Switch 2, along with an idea of the potential costs of first-party Nintendo games on the new system, delve into our comprehensive analysis as we consult with industry experts. For more on the Nintendo Switch 2, catch up on everything showcased at last month's Nintendo Direct. *Donkey Kong Bananza* is set to launch on July 17 for $69.99, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2.
