Nintendo is making a significant change to Donkey Kong's iconic look, which was first spotted by fans during the gameplay reveal of Mario Kart 9 at the Nintendo Switch 2 event. For years, even decades, Donkey Kong has sported the same design across various games like Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis, and Donkey Kong Country Returns. However, Nintendo is now introducing a redesign that many believe draws inspiration from the highly successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

While this new look for Donkey Kong was initially seen only in Mario Kart 9, Nintendo has expanded the redesign to a new line of merchandise. As reported by Nintendo Life, a Reddit user named cookiemaster221 showcased the updated products, stating, "History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes."

History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes

The new merchandise features Donkey Kong with a more approachable appearance, notably his once furrowed brow now softened into a more rounded shape. Reddit user SmallBlueSlime commented, "They're giving him the Kirby treatment, but backwards. Instead of making him angry, they're making him chill." Another user expressed mixed feelings, saying, "They really are dead set on redesigning DK. I'm gonna miss that eyebrow looking down. Always made DK seem both kind and strong." Yet another fan supported the change, noting, "It's alright in my opinion. They probably did it to make him look more goofy and less angry."

Since the brief glimpse in Mario Kart 9, where Donkey Kong's appearance was not fully clear, fans have been eager for a better look at the redesign. They will likely get a more detailed view in April when Nintendo hosts a Switch 2 focused Nintendo Direct.

The console reveal trailer for the Nintendo Switch 2 offered only a few hints about the new hardware, focusing primarily on its aesthetics. It confirmed that the Switch 2 is mostly backwards compatible, introduced a new button on the Joy-Cons, and validated a theory about using the controller as a mouse.