Nintendo is making a bold move by revamping Donkey Kong's design, a change first spotted by fans in the gameplay reveal of Mario Kart 9 during the Nintendo Switch 2 event. Donkey Kong, a character with a consistent look across games like Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis, and Donkey Kong Country Returns, is now being given a makeover that echoes the style seen in the blockbuster hit, The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Although the new design has only been showcased in Mario Kart 9 to date, Nintendo has expanded the redesign to a line of Donkey Kong merchandise. This was brought to light by Nintendo Life, where user cookiemaster221 shared images of the new products on Reddit. "History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes," cookiemaster221 remarked.
History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes
The new merchandise features Donkey Kong with a softer, friendlier appearance, most notably with a less furrowed brow. Commenter SmallBlueSlime noted, "They're giving him the Kirby treatment, but backwards. Instead of making him angry, they're making him chill." Another user expressed mixed feelings about the redesign, saying, "They really are dead set on redesigning DK. I'm gonna miss that eyebrow looking down. Always made DK seem both kind and strong." Meanwhile, a fan in favor of the new look commented, "It's alright in my opinion. They probably did it to make him look more goofy and less angry."
Since the brief glimpse of Donkey Kong in Mario Kart 9, fans have been eager for a clearer view of the redesign. They won't have to wait long, as Nintendo has planned a Switch 2 focused Nintendo Direct in April, which is expected to feature an extended look at Donkey Kong in action.
The console reveal trailer for the Switch 2 offered just a few teases about the new hardware, confirming its mostly backwards compatibility and introducing a mysterious new button on the Joy-Cons. Additionally, a theory about using the controller as a mouse seems to be accurate, adding to the anticipation for the upcoming event.
