In response to the split among Donkey Kong fans over his appearance in Donkey Kong Bananza, his former designer has something to say to people who complain.
With the announcement of a new trailer for Mario Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World yesterday on Switch 2 Direct, we took a closer look at Donkey Kong’s new designs. When Switch 2 was first announced, we first got a glimpse of him. And, like the redesign of the beloved classic character, the responses from fans are mixed in.
Kevin Bayliss, a former rare character designer and the main artist behind Donkey Kong’s redesign of Donkey Kong Country games, discussed online responses to DK’s new look.
“People need to embrace change.”
Bayliss is clearly a fan of Gorilla’s new designs and I think it’s pretty clear that he’s better than his old ones.
…I don’t know why there is a need for discussion. It’s still a dk and looks better. People need to embrace change more!
He follows this post and states how DK will be renewed again in a similar response in 20 years, like a redesign to Mickey Mouse over the decades, saying, “Evolution is an art, with sympathy for the original, but it has to be done gradually.”
The debate over the redesign seems mostly the classic “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” but it’s part of a broader aesthetic update of the entire Super Mario franchise, which has been underway for several years.
DK’s redesign takes notes from his old designs and is clearly influenced by his appearance in the Super Mario Bros. movies. Super Mario Bros Wonder’s new look for Mario and company, Princess Peach mid-development facelift: Showtime! , and part of the general shift to making the series’ characters more massively expressive and Cartoon-like.
While Donkey Kong’s design update is more dramatic than the others, the final result of the more exaggerated look is clear in the trailer of Donkey Kong Bananza, with intentionally focusing on his face to show off how expressive he can be.
