The monkey’s got a new look! The monkey looks, and looks well. That Simian Stare is… really something.
Nintendo’s new design for Donkey Kong, first appearing in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, has quickly become the new standard for everyone’s favorite gaming gorilla (Sorry, Winston.Overwatchjustisn’t the game it used to be.)
And the design, overall, is quite nice! It’s been received well by the community at large, and people are excited to see that goofy face inMario Kart Worldand Donkey Kong Bananza once the Nintendo Switch 2 releases.
But one feature of the redesign always struck me as a bit odd. I’m really not sold on those peepers of his, but a recentIGNinterview with Shigeru Miyamoto aims, in part, to settle this.
In the interview, Miyamoto explains his role in the design of Donkey Kong throughout history. The design we’re most familiar with, the one from the Rare games like Jungle Beat, was done with the day’s technology in mind.
They wanted to make something 3D, something expressive, and that same mindset is what fueled the gorilla’s new look. Expressiveness is at the heart of everything.
Going back to the design that Rare came up with, we reevaluated; 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.
It’s A New Design For Donkey Kong, But Not A New Direction
While the face may be different, the vision behind the character is the same as ever. And as spotted byEurogamer, one of the artists who worked on Rare’s Donkey Kong games has given it his stamp of approval.
Kevin Bayliss shared his thoughts, and they’re very positive - “you can’t take the Country out of the Kong!”
And you know, the ‘expressiveness’ angle does seem like a victory here. The older Donkey Kong was a bit sleeker, and a bit cooler - all great if you want something to look strong, but can be harder if you want to make a goofball.
The new design is a gorilla that does both. Some of those images for Donkey Kong Bananza make him look appropriately mighty, but the sight of him in Mario Kart World, just barely fitting into the kart and totally oblivious to how ridiculous he looks - it’s a fun effect.
Donkey Kong Bananza Handheld Performance Might Make You Go Ape
This should please those who plan to play the game on the go.
