Donkey Kong has seemingly been redesigned
After the initial Nintendo Switch 2 trailer than unveiled pretty much no actual information on the console besides how it looks, we’ll have to wait until April to hear some more concrete information on the Switch’s successor. Until then, however, you can bet that there are already half hour long videos analysing every frame of this 2 minute teaser. This includes speculating about the new controllers, comparing the size of the screen to the original Switch and hyping up the new kickstand of all things. Above all, however, the thing that has the internet going crazy is the reveal of what seems to be Mario Kart 9.
Image by Nintendo
Detailed analysts have already spend combined hundreds of hours to try and extract anything they can from about 10 seconds worth of gameplay. Support for 24 player races and completely new track designs are a couple of the more interesting elements that have people talking. Above all of those, however, is the most important new detail of all: Donkey Kong’s potential redesign based on a half second of footage shown for an unannounced game. You can see this below:
Now, Donkey Kong is one of Nintendo’s most iconic characters. This big monkey has been around for far longer than the majority of the Mario cast and, as a result, has earned himself a rightful place in Nintendo history. In fact, he’s even now got himself his very own corner of Nintendo Land dedicated to bananas, barrels and minecarts. It’s no surprise, then, that a redesign of this iconic monkey would be controversial to say the least. Huge eyes, bizarrely shaped arms and a dead stare don’t seem to encapsulate our iconic monkey at all.
Image by Nintendo
As a result, there’s been quite a bit of discourse regarding Donkey Kong’s new look. It’s leaning towards the more negative side but there are some strange individuals who seem to prefer this newer design. All in all, though, we’re going to have to wait until a more detailed look into the Switch 2’s games and Mario Kart 9 before we pass judgement. For now, however, we can hope that this is some sort of Donkey Kong Jr or a long-lost brother and the monkey’s original design is still the one to be used going forward.
