With all the buzz surrounding Donkey Kong’s fresh appearance in “Donkey Kong Bananza,” one artist decided to take matters into their own hands. They imagined how the King of Swing might have looked in the upcoming Switch 2 game if Nintendo had retained his original design.
“I’m not a fan of how they depicted DK in Bananza, so I took some of his stranger faces and refashioned them to align more closely with Rare’s style,” shared Felipe Valdés in an X post dated April 20. They also encouraged feedback from the community.
The tweaks primarily focused on reducing the size of Donkey Kong’s large mouth and making his softer brows more defined.
In Bananza, Donkey Kong is portrayed as a lively, playful character. However, Valdés’ reinterpretation, reminiscent of games like Donkey Kong Country by Rare, gives him a rugged, classic vibe. Personally, as someone who resists change, I favor the latter, although I do appreciate Nintendo’s efforts to infuse some ape-like humor into his Bananza animations.
It’s important to point out that these are merely still images. While they look impressive, Donkey Kong’s classic Rare design might not have meshed well with the art style Nintendo envisioned for Bananza. I admire Valdés’ creativity and dedication to this passion project, but we need to avoid jumping to conclusions like “Nintendo, hire this person” over a few impressive edits. Game development is a complex, detailed process. While some might prefer the old look of Donkey Kong, it’s crucial to acknowledge the hard work of the Bananza development team. The game still looks fantastic.
