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There’s been quite the buzz around Donkey Kong’s revamped appearance in “Donkey Kong Bananza.” Amidst this chatter, an artist decided to take a creative spin on what our beloved King of Swing might have looked like if Nintendo had stuck with his classic design for the Switch 2 release.
“I’m not a fan of DK’s portrayal in Bananza, so I tweaked some of his more peculiar expressions to align more closely with Rare’s original design,” shared Felipe Valdés in an X post dated April 20. They also invited feedback from the community.
Valdés’ alterations mainly focus on reducing Donkey Kong’s oversized mouth and giving his soft brows a firmer look.
In Bananza, Donkey Kong exudes a whimsical charm, but Valdés has given him a tougher, nostalgic vibe reminiscent of Rare’s classics like “Donkey Kong Country.” Personally, as someone who tends to cling to the old ways, I favor this retro look, though I do admire Nintendo’s effort to inject more playful ape-like antics into Bananza’s animations.
It’s crucial to remember, though, that we’re talking about static images here. Despite how appealing they are, Rare’s classic design might not have meshed with the artistic direction Nintendo envisioned for Bananza. While I really appreciate Valdés’ creativity and the time invested in this passion project, let’s not hastily call for Nintendo to “hire this person” based on some striking edits. Developing a video game is an intricate, multifaceted endeavor. Even if some of us have a soft spot for Donkey Kong’s old-school look, we should still recognize and respect the hard work put in by Bananza’s development team. The game, after all, continues to look impressive.
