With the arrival of the next-generation console, the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo's classic character, Donkey Kong, is also getting a long-awaited design refresh.
Players first noticed Donkey Kong's updated look in a trailer for "Mario Kart World" released earlier this year. His overall style now appears closer to his design in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." As he takes center stage in the brand-new game "Donkey Kong Bananza" (ドンキーコングバナンザ), the banana-loving gorilla is once again in the spotlight.
Recently, Donkey Kong's creator and veteran Nintendo game designer, Shigeru Miyamoto, personally explained the decision to give the iconic character a new appearance during an interview with IGN.
Miyamoto stated that he remains actively involved in character design, and Donkey Kong's evolving look is the result of the team's continuous pursuit of "expressiveness" over many years.
He recalled, "From the very first 'Donkey Kong Country' (スーパードンキーコング), we collaborated with developer Rare to establish Donkey Kong's fundamental image. Later, when creating 'Jungle Beat,' we worked with the team behind 3D Mario games. At that time, technological advancements allowed us to make characters' emotions richer and more vivid."
Miyamoto further clarified that this new design isn't a complete overhaul but rather a re-examination and enhancement of the look established by Rare, adjusted to make Donkey Kong appear more expressive and lifelike.
As many fans have observed, this new design has also extended to the cinematic realm, as Miyamoto noted: "When we started working on 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie,' we decided to feature Donkey Kong with this next-generation design."
Following the reveal of the new design, former Rare artist Kevin Bayliss, who was involved in the early development of "Donkey Kong Country," also posted his support. He humorously remarked, "You can take the Kong out of 'Donkey Kong Country,' but you can't take the 'Donkey Kong Country' out of the Kong! I love the new design, if you ask me!"
via： IGN