Shikamaru Ninja
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So many of you may have spotted Nintendo's Deputy Manager Yoshiaki Koizumi wearing a retro Donkey Kong arcade shirt and handing out retro graphic DK pins. When asked about it, Koizumi said to stay tuned for news on that soon....
So what could it be? Is it an eshop Donkey Kong retro game a 'la Donkey Kong '94? Is Donkey Kong Maker headed to 3DS/Switch? Or is it DLC to cross promote Super Mario Odyssey's DK nods?
Or is Donkey Kong being developed for mobile platforms? A sequel to the retro arcade game? Well here is some evidence supporting why the project may be a cross-promotional mobile game.
1. Nintendo wants to release 2-3 mobile games a year LINK
- So for 2017 we have Animal Crossing (which may not even count since it was a spillover game from 2016), a rumored Zelda, and then what else? What IP represents an iconic top IP for the company? Donkey Kong?
2. Nintendo's Tokyo R&D hires mobile programmers LINK
- Nintendo's Tokyo R&D started hiring mobile programmers back in the Summer of 2016. Miitomo, Super Mario Run, and Animal Crossing are both handled by EPD Kyoto groups. Fire Emblem is handled by IS and EPD Kyoto. So what was EPD Tokyo mobile initiative for? Flipnote Studio? Or this this potential Donkey Kong project?
3. Koizumi and Hayashida love "retro games"
- NES Remix was conceived by Koizumi and Hayashida. The top two heads of Tokyo R&D teams. Koichi Hayashida was the Producer, Director, and Lead Programmer of NES Remix. So it seems he has a knack for retro games. Koizumi was of course the co-Producer and the man who green-lighted the idea.
4. Koizumi and Hayashida love "Donkey Kong"
- Yes, Koizumi and Hayashida put retro Donkey Kong references all over Super Mario Odyssey. But they also were the leads on Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, so they have a personally attachment to the series. Is this there attempt to get back into the franchise without crossing over to the Western derived DKC series?
So what does Koizumi's cryptic references over Donkey Kong classic mean? Well according to him, "stay tuned"