Nintendo Unveils Donkey Kong Redesign for Switch 2 and Mario Kart 9

Nintendo is making a significant shift with Donkey Kong's design, as fans noticed during the Mario Kart 9 gameplay showcased at the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal event. For years, even decades, Donkey Kong has sported the same iconic look across various games like Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis, and Donkey Kong Country Returns. However, Nintendo is now embracing a new aesthetic for the character, drawing inspiration from the highly successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

While the revamped Donkey Kong design was initially spotted in Mario Kart 9, Nintendo has since unveiled a range of merchandise featuring this new look. As reported by Nintendo Life, Reddit user cookiemaster221 shared images of these products, commenting, "History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes."

History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes

byu/cookiemaster221 indonkeykong

The new merchandise showcases Donkey Kong with a more approachable appearance, characterized by a softened, less furrowed brow. In the comments, 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, 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." However, some fans are warming up to the change, with one stating, "It's alright in my opinion. They probably did it to make him look more goofy and less angry."

Since the brief glimpse in Mario Kart 9, where Donkey Kong appeared in only a few scenes and not in great detail, this merchandise offers the clearest view yet of the redesign. Fans can expect a more extended look at Donkey Kong in action during the upcoming Nintendo Direct in April, which will focus on the Switch 2.

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.