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Donkey Kong's iconic design appears to be getting a major change in Switch 2.
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Recent footage from an unannounced Mario Kart game for the upcoming console shows an apparent redesign of the character.
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The artist behind Donkey Kong's longest-running look supports the change.
character designer behind donkey kongThe most enduring look shared his feelings about the apparent redesign the iconic Nintendo character will see on the Switch 2. Donkey Kong has gone through three major changes since he was introduced to the world in 1981, and respected character designer Kevin Bayliss is now weighing in on the latest changes.
Bayliss was hired by Rare in 1987 as a senior character artist. donkey kong country Characters, including a revamp of the title character from his antagonistic 8-bit role to his new heroic persona on the SNES. The series was first released in 1994, and although there have been some changes since then to keep up with graphical advancements, Bayliss' design has become Donkey Kong's standard look for three decades.

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It looks like another change is on the horizon for the great apes. After months of speculation, Nintendo has officially revealed its Switch 2 console with a trailer released in early January. Most of the trailer focused on the hardware, but it also showed some footage that appears to have not been released yet. mario kart Donkey Kong's design has changed significantly. The new look is much rounder than the 30-year-old's current appearance, featuring larger features and a more playful demeanor, but Bayliss seems very receptive to the change. The designer made his thoughts known in a Twitter response to a fan's video borrowing the live-action footage. Super Mario Bros. The 1993 film details the changes. “I love it. It’s so much fun! – Everything changes! – Change is good.” A portion of the post is read.
Iconic Donkey Kong designer loves the character's new look
Bayliss, who was promoted to art director, left Rare in 2005 after more than 17 years with the company. He worked at Playtonic, which produced games such as: lil gator games and Yucca Reilly series, over the past 10 years. However, his classic design prototype donkey kong country It was extended until 2025 with the character's release. Donkey Kong County Returns HD On January 16th.
Donkey Kong's new design could be Nintendo's attempt to bridge the gap between games and movies to form a more integrated multimedia franchise. There have been several comparisons between the version of Donkey Kong shown in the Switch 2 trailer and the Seth Rogen-voiced character from Switch 2. super mario bros movie Starting in 2023, this will include rounder eyebrows, larger biceps and fists, and more expressive eyes.