When Nintendo dropped The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023, it brought along a fun, updated Donkey Kong that broke away from the old Rare design we knew for decades.
This year, the redesigned ape is going strong, popping up in Mario Kart World and his new game, Donkey Kong Bananza. That said, the retro Kong still swings by now and then.
In a recent Instagram post, Nintendo of America revealed a snapshot of Shigeru Miyamoto standing next to the Rare-designed Donkey Kong at the newly launched Super Nintendo World in Universal Orlando.
Despite the fresh opening, they chose to showcase DK’s retro style over the more recent version.
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The reason behind Donkey Kong’s appearance in the form of a retro look could lie in the design of Super Nintendo World itself, which includes a Donkey Kong Country-themed area.
Donkey Kong’s Appearance Hasn’t Disappeared
This section pays homage to the iconic 1994 SNES title developed by Rare, which defined Donkey Kong’s look for decades.
So, the use of that version in the park feels right. Not to mention, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD also dropped on Switch recently.
Miyamoto recently opened up to IGN about Donkey Kong’s transformation. “We took another look at Rare’s classic design and asked ourselves how to make it more expressive. When it came to the movie, we went ahead with this new, modern Donkey Kong,” he explained.
The original Donkey Kong costume can be experienced at Super Nintendo World, Universal Orlando.
On the other hand, the redesigned Donkey Kong is set to appear in Mario Kart World when it launches June 5, alongside the new Switch 2 console. Donkey Kong Bananza is slated for release on July 17.
Also Read: Miyamoto Shares What Prompted Donkey Kong’s Major Visual Update
