Donkey Kong’s Creator Loves His New Look in Mario Kart Switch 2!

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Summary

  • Donkey Kong’s iconic design seems to be receiving a major makeover for the Switch 2.
  • Recent footage of an unannounced Mario Kart game for the upcoming console shows the character’s apparent redesign.
  • The artist behind Donkey Kong’s longest-running look supports the changes.

The original artist behind the enduring appearance of Donkey Kong, as seen in the classic Nintendo game, expressed his thoughts about the apparent redesign that the famous character might undergo on the Switch 2. Over the years since his debut in 1981, Donkey Kong has experienced three significant makeovers, and now respected character designer Kevin Bayliss is offering his opinions on this recent modification.

In 1987, Bayliss was employed by Rare as the lead character artist. He is renowned for creating the characters in the popular “Donkey Kong Country” series, notably revamping the title character from his villainous 8-bit image to a heroic persona on the SNES. The first game in this series was released in 1994, and while some adjustments have been made over the years to accommodate graphical advancements, Bayliss’ design has remained the iconic look for Donkey Kong for thirty years.

It appears that a new development looms for the giant ape, as Nintendo has finally unveiled the upcoming Switch 2 console following months of anticipation. A trailer released in early January primarily highlighted the console’s hardware, but also showcased clips from what seems to be an unpublished Mario Kart game, featuring a revamped Donkey Kong design. Despite this new design having rounder and more substantial features, as well as a kinder appearance compared to his 30-year-old look, Bayliss seems open to the transformation. In a Twitter response to a fan’s video comparing the changes to the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie from 1993, the designer expressed his approval: “I love it – this is funny! – Everything changes! – Change is good.

Iconic Donkey Kong Designer Loves the Character’s New Look

In 2005, following his promotion to art director, Bayliss parted ways with Rare, a company he had been associated with for over 17 years. Since then, he has been working with Playtonic, known for games like “Lil Gator Game” and the “Yooka-Laylee” series, for a decade. Yet, his iconic designs for the characters in “Donkey Kong Country” have continued to influence up until 2025, marked by the release of “Donkey Kong County Returns HD” on January 16.

The proposed redesign of Donkey Kong could be Nintendo’s strategy to link their video games with their movie productions, creating a cohesive multimedia brand. Notably, the design of Donkey Kong in the Switch 2 trailer shares similarities with the Seth Rogen-voiced character from the 2023 film “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” including a rounder brow, larger arms and fists, and expressive eyes.

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2025-01-22 21:08