Nintendo is making a significant shift with Donkey Kong's design, which fans first noticed during the gameplay reveal of Mario Kart 9 at the Nintendo Switch 2 event. For years, even decades, Donkey Kong has sported the same iconic look across various games, including Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis, and Donkey Kong Country Returns. However, Nintendo is now introducing a new design that many believe echoes the style seen in the successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Although this redesign was initially showcased in Mario Kart 9, Nintendo has now expanded it to a new line of Donkey Kong merchandise. As reported by Nintendo Life, user cookiemaster221 shared these products on Reddit, stating, "History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes."
History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes
by u/cookiemaster221 in donkeykong
The new products feature Donkey Kong with a more friendly appearance, highlighted by a less furrowed brow, giving him a more rounded look. In the Reddit comments, user SmallBlueSlime noted, "They're giving him the Kirby treatment, but backwards. Instead of making him angry, they're making him chill." Another user expressed a mix of nostalgia and acceptance, stating, "I'm gonna miss that eyebrow looking down. Always made DK seem both kind and strong," while another fan supported the new look, saying, "It's alright in my opinion. They probably did it to make him look more goofy and less angry."
Since the brief appearance in Mario Kart 9, where Donkey Kong was not prominently featured, fans have been eager for a clearer view of the redesign. They can anticipate an extended look at Donkey Kong in action during Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2 focused Nintendo Direct in April.
The console reveal trailer for the Switch 2 provided only a few hints about the new hardware, emphasizing its appearance. It confirmed that the Switch 2 is mostly backwards compatible, features a mysterious new button on the Joy-Cons, and supports a theory about using the controller as a mouse.
