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Shigeru Miyamoto Has Finally Explained Why Now Was The Right Time To Redesign Donkey Kong

By 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Josh Coulson

Published May 21, 2025

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Summary

Shigeru Miyamoto has explained why Nintendo decided to redesign Donkey Kong.
DK's creator explained, just like when they last redesigned the character, they wanted him to look more expressive.
Donkey Kong's new design will officially make its video game debut in Mario Kart World next month.

A redesigned 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Donkey Kong will be making his video game debut via Mario Kart World next month, and then for the first time in his own game a month later in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Donkey Kong Bananza. The redesign has divided fans of the video game icon, and now the 🌄man who created him and made the call on giving him a makeover has explai𝄹ned why it was time for a change.

had the opportunity to sit down with legendary Nintendo director Shigeru Miyamoto to discuss all things Nintendo - apart from the biggest Nintendo thing of all, the Switch 2, which he wasn't allowed to talk about. He was, however, allowed to talk about Donkey Kong, touching on why the monkey has been redesigned ready for h♉is big debut on Swꦏitch 2.

Donkey Kong punching a stone in Donkey Kong Bananza.

Nintendo Says Mario Kart World And Donkey Kong Bananza "C🌱ould Not Be Rea🍷lized" On The Original Switch

"The Nintendo Switch 2 may notꦿ look like it has changed muc♔h..."

Posts 168澳洲幸运5开奖网: ♋ ဣ

Miyamoto discussed one of the last times Donkey Kong underwent a design change, noting that for GameCube's Jungle Beat, he worked with the 3D Mario team to make a more expressive DK. The aim with this 2025 redesign is very much in the same vein, with a pinch of influence from how the character looks in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Super Mario Bros. Movie thrown in for good measure.

Interesting that the 3D Mario team hel෴ped with the last DK redesign when there's a strong belief that the same team worked on Ban🐼anza.

Donkey Kong's Creator Has Explained Why He Needed To Be Redesigned

It's Long Overdue

"What can we do with the design to make it more expressive? And then, when it comes to the movie, we decided to move forward with this new generation Donkey Kong design," Miyamoto explained. Donkey Kong looks very differ🌳ent in the movie th꧟an he does in recent video games, but starting with Mario Kart World, something closer to the movie design will be the one that's also used in games moving forward.

Even though the new DK design won't officially come into effect until June 5 and will be exclusive to games in which he stars on the Switch 2, his new look has already infiltrated the original Switch. You can still have Donkey Kong as your icon on Switch, but his old design has already been r𝕴epl൩aced with the new, more expressive (Miyamoto's words, not mine) vers𝔉ion prepped and ready for its officiaꩵl arrival on Switch 2.

Donkey Kong fans are, unsurprisingly, divided on whether or not the character needed a redesign. While there are many, myself included, who believe the new look is an upgrade, some are upset that any remnants of Rare's version of Donkey Kong are now pretty much gone, something I imagine Nintendo has been conscious of throughout this change. On the bright side, for those who don't like the new DK, Diddy Kong's design appears to have been kept more or lꦬess the same for Bananaza.