Nintendo Clarifies Donkey Kong’s New Design: A Surprising Origin Story
Nintendo has recently made a significant statement regarding the design of Donkey Kong in its latest game, Donkey Kong Bananza. The company confirmed that this new look was actually the inspiration for Donkey Kong’s appearance in the Super Mario Bros. Movie released in 2023, rather than the other way around. This revelation has sparked a lot of discussion among fans and critics alike.
When the Nintendo Switch 2 was first unveiled with a brief glimpse of what would later be identified as Mario Kart World, many were taken aback by the redesigned Donkey Kong. Some assumed that the character had been altered to match his movie appearance. However, Nintendo has since clarified that the opposite is true. The design seen in Donkey Kong Bananza served as the foundation for the version featured in the film.
This clarification came during a new episode of Nintendo’s “Ask the Director” interview series. In it, Kenta Motokura, the producer of Donkey Kong Bananza and director of Super Mario Odyssey, and Daisuke Watanabe, the design manager, discussed the creative process behind the new look. Watanabe explained that the team aimed to capture the essence of Donkey Kong, emphasizing his unique traits and appeal.
Motokura shared insights into how the design evolved. He mentioned that the team revisited the classic Donkey Kong design from the arcade era, drawing inspiration from the original concept created by Shigeru Miyamoto. He added, “We took Miyamoto-san’s original Donkey Kong as the basis, adding design elements from Donkey Kong Bananza here and there.”
Motokura also highlighted that Donkey Kong has appeared in several other projects, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Mario Kart World. He noted that there is a consistent base design that has informed these versions of the character. When asked if this meant the movie design was influenced by Donkey Kong Bananza, Motokura confirmed, “That’s correct. Donkey Kong Bananza sparked the creation of a design which I think better conveys the new Donkey Kong.”
From a personal perspective, many fans, including myself, had suspected this connection for some time. There were rumors that the Super Mario Odyssey team had been working on a Donkey Kong game as early as 2021, when the project shifted to the Switch 2. A sudden redesign seemed to confirm those suspicions, though it could have simply been a case of overthinking—or perhaps just a fortunate coincidence.
Interestingly, this new design marks a significant step in Nintendo’s long-term plans for Donkey Kong. After 26 years since Donkey Kong 64, the company is now aiming to establish two distinct branches of the character on the Switch 2: a 2D version and a 3D version, much like how they have done with Mario. This move reflects a broader strategy to expand the Donkey Kong universe while maintaining its core identity.
For fans eager to learn more about the evolution of Nintendo’s iconic characters and games, staying tuned to updates from the company will undoubtedly provide further insight into their creative direction.
