With all the buzz surrounding Donkey Kong’s fresh appearance in “Donkey Kong Bananza,” one artist decided to take matters into their own hands. They imagined what the iconic character might look like in the upcoming Switch 2 game if Nintendo had retained the earlier design.
Felipe Valdés, in an X post dated April 20, expressed their feelings about DK’s portrayal in “Bananza,” saying, “I don’t like how they portray DK in Bananza, so I edited some of his stranger faces to align more closely with Rare’s design.” Valdés then invited the community to share their thoughts.
The adjustments primarily focused on reducing Donkey Kong’s oversized mouth and giving his softer brows a more defined, sturdy look.
In “Bananza,” Donkey Kong comes off as an expressive goofball, but Valdés’ reinterpretation channels the tougher, retro vibe of games like “Donkey Kong Country” from Rare. Being somewhat resistant to change myself, I naturally lean towards this classic style, even though I do see the charm in Nintendo’s playful, ape-like antics in the “Bananza” animations.
It’s crucial to remember, though, that these are static images. While visually appealing, the classic Rare design might not have meshed well with the art direction Nintendo pursued for “Bananza.” While I admire Valdés’ passion and the dedication poured into this project, we should be cautious about jumping to a “Nintendo, hire this artist” mindset after viewing a few impressive edits. Creating a video game involves a complex, intricate process. Even if some of us have a soft spot for Donkey Kong’s old look, it’s important to acknowledge and appreciate the hard work of the “Bananza” development team. The game still looks fantastic.
