Amid all the chatter surrounding Donkey Kong’s fresh appearance in “Donkey Kong Bananza,” an artist decided to imagine what the iconic character might have looked like for the upcoming Switch 2 game if Nintendo had stuck with their previous designs.
“I’m not a fan of DK’s portrayal in Bananza, so I modified some of his more unusual facial expressions to align them more closely with Rare’s original design,” Felipe Valdés shared in an initial post on X dated April 20, inviting people to share their thoughts.
Valdés’ edits mainly focus on reducing the size of Donkey Kong’s new, oversized mouth and giving his softer brows a more angular look.
In Bananza, Donkey Kong comes across as a lively and goofy character. However, Valdés’ reinterpretation aims to capture the tougher, nostalgic vibe from Rare’s classics like “Donkey Kong Country.” Personally, being a bit resistant to change, I lean towards this classic style, though I can see the charm in Nintendo’s effort to inject more playful, ape-like antics into Bananza’s animations.
It’s essential to remember, though, that these edits are based on still images. As impressive as they appear, Donkey Kong’s vintage design might not mesh well with the artistic direction Nintendo envisioned for Bananza. While I admire the passion and effort Valdés put into this project, we shouldn’t rush to demand “Nintendo, hire this person” over a few appealing edits. Creating a video game involves a far more complex and nuanced process. Although some of us might have a soft spot for Donkey Kong’s old look, it’s crucial to recognize the dedication of Bananza’s development team. The game undoubtedly looks great.
