On the 23rd, the winners of the 'CEDEC AWARDS 2026' were announced at the Japanese game developer conference 'CEDEC 2026.' This year, Nintendo's 'Donkey Kong Bonanza' swept three out of the four total categories, earning recognition for its technical achievements and game design.

The Donkey Kong Bananza development team took home top honors in Engineering, Game Design, and Visual Arts. The awards committee highly praised the team for utilizing Voxel technology—an evolution of the tech used in 'Super Mario Odyssey'—to create a 3D world where the internal structures of terrain and objects can be fully destroyed.

The game was particularly noted for maintaining stable performance at 60 FPS on the Nintendo Switch 2, while seamlessly integrating real-time physics and collision detection with destruction effects. This technical prowess was lauded for going beyond mere visual flair, resulting in a game design that perfectly integrates with Donkey Kong's signature 'smash, dig, climb, and throw' action and exploration mechanics.

The award for excellence in the Sound category went to 'Nintendo Music.' Since its surprise launch two years ago, 'Nintendo Music' has become a unique music library, continuously updating a vast collection of game soundtracks ranging from the Family Computer to the latest hardware. The selection committee noted that the app goes beyond simple music streaming; it provides a new musical experience for both users and developers by leveraging the unique characteristics of game music, including features like 'loop extension,' 'playback by current time,' and a 'spoiler prevention' function that ensures the gaming experience remains intact.

Finally, the Special Award, given to individuals who have contributed to the development of the game industry, was presented to Shuhei Yoshida, former President of SIE Worldwide Studios, who delivered the keynote address at this year's CEDEC. Yoshida, currently representing yosp, was recognized for his role in the birth of the PlayStation brand—which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary—as well as his leadership in the adoption of 3D technology and his efforts in helping numerous young creators achieve stardom.