Nintendo Patents Watch

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Knowledge-based discourse

Crafts-human-ship

This Ask the Developer paragraph about the sound design in Donkey Kong Bananza is exactly why generative AI cannot “make art”.

Kubo: We also poured a lot of effort into the sound effects to make the sense of destruction feel satisfying and responsive. It wasn’t just about using loud or dramatic sounds. For instance, players will hear the sound of basic materials like rocks breaking thousands of times during play. So, we aimed for sounds that are pleasant to the ears without being tiring or repetitive. To that end, we recorded sound effects by hand, capturing the textures of materials like rock and sand. Recording everyday sounds like this is often referred to as Foley. We recorded lots of variations so the sound would vary depending on how the material was destroyed, instead of always sounding the same. We also added subtle randomness through programming and fine-tuned the sounds to make sure they weren't too loud or high-pitched. Meanwhile, for special objects that show up later in the game, we emphasized fun and flashy sounds. We hope players will find them satisfying. We recorded all kinds of material sounds using Foley techniques, including those of fruits. There's even a dedicated sound for hitting a watermelon. It was about more than just making it sound hard or soft. When players hit it, we wanted it to sound delicious! (Laughs)

[Originally posted on 2025-07-15 Pacific Time]