New Donk City features copious references to the arcade game Donkey Kong, and it is implied the events of that game, where Mario had to save Pauline from Donkey Kong, are a part of the city's beginnings.

The Metro Kingdom is also the founding location of the Crazy Cap Shop chain. New Donk City is also referred to as 'The Big Banana' by a New Donker, which is a play on New York City being referred to as 'The Big Apple'. New Donk City's nickname is 'The city that never leaps', a play on New York City's nickname - 'The city that never sleeps'. New Donk City has a 1930s-1940s aesthetic as its residents are uniformly dressed in pinstripe suits and fedoras with jazz music prominent. This kingdom is notable for having humans as the main inhabitants - called ' New Donkers' (the equivalent of 'New Yorkers') - as well as Pauline as its mayor (notwithstanding).

Some street signs in New Donk City feature cycling wrong way signs that look exactly like the signs used in New York City. The way Crazy Cap has a flagship store in New Donk City is very similar to how Nintendo's flagship store is in New York City. The New Donk City Hall is based on the Empire State Building, while a pair of triangular-shaped buildings outside of it appear to be inspired by the Flatiron Building, and visible in the skyline are a building and bridge resembling the Chrysler Building and Brooklyn Bridge, respectively. The Metro Kingdom is largely based off the real world location of New York City, hence the name of the city located within it. This kingdom's main landmark is the New Donk City Hall, the tallest skyscraper located at the northern end of the kingdom. It is the greater location of New Donk City, a large city filled with skyscrapers and buildings. The Metro Kingdom is the eighth kingdom visited in Super Mario Odyssey. “Welcome to New Donk City! The Big Banana! No place like it!” - New Donker, Super Mario Odyssey Mario Golf: Super Rush (version 2.0.0) ( 2021)

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