Donkey Kong is having a moment. This summer, not only did Mario’s original foe get his first theme park ride in the United States, but he’s also got Donkey Kong Bananza, his own mega game coming to Switch 2 later this week, and he might even be getting a movie sometime in the future.

In an interview with IGN, Donkey Kong Bananza director Kazuya Takahashi and producer Kenta Motokura ( Super Mario Odyssey ’s director) were asked why Pauline is riding on DK’s back in the game. Their answer was a perfect window into how game development often seems to work at Nintendo,

Now, a few decades later, DK is playing a different but no less pivotal role in the company’s biggest expansions, whether it’s a theme park or new console — and, just maybe, his own movie. A weekly newsletter by David Pierce designed to tell you everything you need to download,