Nintendo has taken a bold step by introducing a new design for Donkey Kong, which was first spotted by fans in the gameplay footage of Mario Kart 9 during the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event. This iconic character, who has maintained the same look across decades in games like Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis, and Donkey Kong Country Returns, is now undergoing a transformation inspired by the successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Although the revamped Donkey Kong has only been showcased in Mario Kart 9 so far, Nintendo has expanded the redesign to a new line of merchandise. As reported by Nintendo Life, user cookiemaster221 shared images of these products on Reddit, sparking a wave of reactions among fans. "History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes," cookiemaster221 remarked, capturing the sentiment of many.
History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes
byu/cookiemaster221 indonkeykong
The new merchandise highlights Donkey Kong with a more approachable appearance, notably softening his once furrowed brow. This change has led fans to comment on the shift in his demeanor. "They're giving him the Kirby treatment, but backwards," noted SmallBlueSlime on Reddit. "Instead of making him angry, they're making him chill." Other users expressed mixed feelings about the redesign. One fan lamented, "I'm gonna miss that eyebrow looking down. Always made DK seem both kind and strong," while another supported the change, suggesting, "It's alright in my opinion. They probably did it to make him look more goofy and less angry."
Since the initial glimpse in Mario Kart 9, where Donkey Kong appeared briefly and not in full detail, fans are eagerly awaiting a more comprehensive look at the character in action. This is expected to happen in April during a Nintendo Direct focused on the Nintendo Switch 2.
The console reveal trailer provided only a few hints about the Switch 2, emphasizing its design. It confirmed that the new hardware is mostly backwards compatible, introduced a mysterious new button on the Joy-Cons, and validated a theory about using the controller as a mouse. As anticipation builds, the gaming community remains keen to see how this new Donkey Kong design will play out in future games and merchandise.
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