There’s been quite a buzz around Donkey Kong’s fresh appearance in “Donkey Kong Bananza.” Amidst all the chatter, an artist decided to offer their own take on how this iconic character might have looked in the upcoming Switch 2 game had Nintendo kept his previous design.
“I’m not a fan of DK’s portrayal in Bananza, so I reworked some of his more unusual expressions to stay true to Rare’s design,” Felipe Valdés shared in an initial post on X dated April 20, before inviting feedback from the community.
Valdés’s edits mainly focused on reducing the size of Donkey Kong’s oversized mouth and giving his soft brows a more defined, rigid look.
In Bananza, Donkey Kong is portrayed as a lively prankster. However, Valdés’s revision draws inspiration from the Rare days, giving DK a more classic, robust aura. Personally, the nostalgic part of me leans toward this older version. That said, I do appreciate Nintendo’s efforts to infuse more playful, ape-like charm into the Bananza animations.
It’s crucial to remember that these are just still images. Although they’re appealing, the classic Rare design might not have fit the visual style Nintendo envisioned for Bananza. While Valdés’s work is impressive and clearly a labor of love, we must recognize that creating a video game involves much more than just visual tweaks. Even if some of us prefer DK’s past design, we shouldn’t overlook the dedication of the Bananza development team. After all, the game looks fantastic.
