Donkey Kong’s design has been updated. The Switch 2 reveal trailer showcased a new Mario Kart, and with it a new design for Donkey Kong. Check it out below:
This design seems to match the Super Mario Bros. movie design, and…it’s alright.
It’s interesting that Nintendo chose today to unveil Donkey Kong‘s new design, since Donkey Kong Country Returns HD released the same day and could have changed DK’s design if Nintendo had wanted to, but they did not. Strange…
It’s unclear if this is DK’s permanent redesign, or if it’s a Mario Kart Tour situation where multiple character skins are available to unlock. I hope the latter is the case.
Donkey Kong fansite DK Vine had this to say about DK’s “new” design:
Now, a few things to keep in mind before you yourself make like you’re in Mario Kart and drive to the state of panic. One, this design is still effectively rooted in the one Kev Bayliss did back in 1994. Yes, it’s got a lot of Miyamoto’s “Donkey Kong ’94” in the facial region, but it’s still effectively a compromise between the two versions. No matter your feelings on how it looks or comes across, this isn’t Donkey Kong Country erasure or anything of the sort.
Two, the current design is still everywhere, and that won’t be going away anytime soon. Everything, and I mean everything, in the theme park still bears the old design, and that’s not something you can change or alter on a whim. This debate has already come up this week with the 2026 Donkey Kong Calendar, which does include an illustration that appears to be the new design on the cover, but features more traditional “modern Donkey Kong” depictions on the inside. If I had to guess, we’re starting to see a harmonization between the two, with DK’s body in the games being built like the Movie Donkey Kong, but where he’ll still pull off facial expressions more similar to the Rare design.
Are you a fan of Donkey Kong’s updated appearance? Let me know in the comments below!