Donkey Kong Code Cracked, Secret Language Translated

Successfully deciphering an in-game secret language is impressive, but cracking it before the game even launches is another level entirely. That's precisely what YouTuber 2Chrispy has (somehow) accomplished for Donkey Kong Bananza.

Following the footsteps of players who decoded the hidden language in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, 2Chrispy used trailers, previews, and even the Nintendo Today app to translate the Ancient Monkey Scrolls in Kong's next big adventure.

"The trailer was packed with hidden details," 2Chrispy explained in a fantastic video outlining his methods. "But the banana language immediately caught my attention. Watch to see how I managed to decode and interpret every monkey letter I could find."

By cleverly identifying an official name for an in-game item—the Chip Exchange—Chrispy was able to decipher almost the entire banana alphabet through meticulous, frame-by-frame analysis. Only five characters remain unsolved in what he calls the "Bananabet."

Armed with his newfound translation skills, 2Chrispy has managed to interpret nearly every sign, note, and document shown in all publicly available footage. To discover their meanings, be sure to watch Chrispy2's YouTube video.

For example, in one screenshot, 2Chrispy translated an overhead sign reading "welcome," a neon sign saying "factory," and a snow level sign displaying "ice." He also decoded various notices that read "hint," "item," and one that stated: "Message. Thank you for reading. Someone."

"I'm excited to see what other text we'll uncover in the game," he added. "Could we find references to DK lore? Missing Kongs? Any mention of the Kremlings or King K. Rool?"

"I believe Bananza is shaping up to be one of the most visually stunning Nintendo games I’ve ever seen," we noted in our Donkey Kong Bananza first hands-on preview. "It truly leverages the Switch 2's hardware—the environments are breathtaking, DK's animations are incredibly expressive, and I came away feeling that the next generation of first-party Nintendo games has officially arrived."

Now that we finally have a release date and tech specs for the highly anticipated Switch successor, the Nintendo Switch 2—along with an idea of how much first-party Nintendo games might cost on the new console—explore our in-depth analysis featuring insights from industry experts. For more Nintendo Switch 2 updates, you can review everything shown during last month's Nintendo Direct. Donkey Kong Bananza launches on July 17 for $69.99, exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2.