A hidden language has been discovered within Donkey Kong Bananza, and one dedicated fan successfully deciphered it even before the game's official launch. Discover the story behind this secret banana alphabet and the methodology used to decode it.
Donkey Kong Bananza's Secret Banana Alphabet Cracked
Ancient Monkey Manuscripts
Though Donkey Kong Bananza hasn't been released, a committed fan has already identified and cracked its secret banana alphabet. On April 27, user 2Chrispy shared a YouTube video titled "I Decoded the Ancient Monkey Scrolls of Donkey Kong Bananza," offering a detailed walkthrough of how he unraveled the "Ancient Monkey Scrolls." This mysterious script formed from banana-like letters appears consistently throughout the game’s official trailers, gameplay clips, and website.
Creating invented languages for games isn't new—Nintendo previously did this with Hylian in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. What makes this case unique is that the code was cracked before the game even hit the market.
This achievement is a testament to either the extreme dedication or the restless curiosity of Donkey Kong fans awaiting the game's release. While the accuracy of the translation hasn't been officially validated, 2Chrispy’s thorough investigation and compelling reasoning have persuaded many that his interpretation is spot-on.
A Tip from the Chip Exchange
In his video, 2Chrispy explained his initial breakthrough came from the phrase "Chip Exchange." When players pick up a Banandium Chip, an on-screen message reads: "Trade these for bananas at any Chip Exchange." Scrutinizing the trailers frame by frame, he searched for any "Chip Exchange" signage, considering it a possible starting point for decoding the symbols.
He noted that the characters on the sign aligned with the number of letters in "Exchange," with repeated letters like "e" consistent across the text. This process helped him decode other symbols across available screenshots and trailers, using a word finder tool to fill in any missing pieces.
While this remains theoretical for now, the sheer effort of combing through every released asset is undeniably impressive. With fans eagerly awaiting any news about the game, this discovery may inspire others to search for more clues hidden in the available promotional content.
Donkey Kong Bananza launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on July 17, 2025. To keep up with the latest updates, take a look at our article below!
