With all the buzz surrounding Donkey Kong’s fresh appearance in Donkey Kong Bananza, an artist decided to take matters into their own hands. They reimagined what our beloved King of Swing might have looked like in the upcoming Switch 2 release, had Nintendo stayed true to his previous design.
“I’m not a fan of DK’s portrayal in Bananza, so I tweaked some of his more peculiar facial expressions to align them more closely with Rare’s original design,” shared Felipe Valdés in an initial X post dated April 20. They invited followers to share their thoughts.
The adjustments primarily focused on reducing Donkey Kong’s oversized mouth and giving his soft brows a sharper look.
In Bananza, Donkey Kong comes across as a playful goofball, while Valdés’ rendition brings back that classic, rugged vibe reminiscent of the Rare games like Donkey Kong Country. Personally, as someone who isn’t entirely comfortable with change, I lean towards the latter. Still, I do appreciate Nintendo’s attempt to inject some whimsical, ape-like humor into Bananza’s animations.
It’s important to keep in mind that these edits are just still images. Despite their appeal, Donkey Kong’s classic Rare design might not have meshed well with the style Nintendo aimed for in Bananza. While Valdés’ work is impressive—and the effort they dedicated to this passion project is commendable—it’s crucial not to jump to conclusions like “Nintendo, hire this person” based on a few aesthetic tweaks. Crafting a video game is a much more complex endeavor. Some of us may have a soft spot for Donkey Kong’s traditional look, but that doesn’t mean we should overlook the hard work put in by the Bananza development team. The game still looks fantastic.
