Why Nintendo Redesigned Donkey Kong, According to Shigeru Miyamoto

Earlier this year, we received confirmation that Donkey Kong's caller fresh look wasn't conscionable for the Super Mario Bros. Movie. The Donkey Kong redesign was present to stay, per the character's appearances successful Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and more. Love it oregon hatred it, that's your business, but present Shigeru Miyamoto has yet told america wherefore the large ape got a makeover successful the archetypal place.

Miyamoto spoke to IGN astatine the unveiling of Universal’s caller Epic Universe taxable parkland successful Orlando, Florida, which brings the caller Donkey Kong Country enlargement to the U.S. for the archetypal time. In our interview, which you tin work successful afloat here, we asked Miyamoto astir the caller design, and what it was similar seeing Donkey Kong "grow up" alongside Miyamoto's vocation astatine Nintendo.

Here's his effect successful full:

"So erstwhile it comes to quality instauration and moving with characters, I inactive instrumentality an progressive relation successful that. And looking backmost to the archetypal procreation Donkey Kong Country, we worked with Rare to make Donkey Kong Country.

"When we were talking astir trying to make caller versions, evolving Donkey Kong, we created the crippled called Jungle Beat. We worked unneurotic with the squad that made 3D Mario. With the exertion that was disposable astatine the time, we were capable to marque Donkey Kong much expressive. And going backmost to the plan that Rare came up with, we reevaluated; what tin we bash with the plan to marque it much expressive? And past erstwhile it comes to the movie, we decided to determination guardant with this caller procreation Donkey Kong design."

More expressive, huh? It surely seems similar Nintendo has nailed that. Fans person pointed retired crossed societal media that the caller Donkey Kong is comparatively akin to the aged one, but has a sillier, much over-the-top look and expressiveness to him that the aged plan didn't rather capture. And it looks similar we whitethorn spot much Kong redesigns successful the aboriginal to travel him, arsenic Diddy Kong already got a precise airy redesign (he has teeth now???) arsenic well.

You tin drawback up connected our afloat interrogation with Miyamoto astatine Universal close here.

Rebekah Valentine is simply a elder newsman for IGN. You tin find her posting connected BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a communicative tip? Send it to [email protected].