Nintendo Reveals DK Redesign for Switch 2, Mario Kart 9

Nintendo is fully embracing Donkey Kong's dramatic redesign, first spotted by fans in Mario Kart 9 footage showcased during the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal.

For decades, Donkey Kong maintained his iconic appearance across games like Mario Kart 8, Mario Tennis, and Donkey Kong Country Returns. However, Nintendo's shift toward a fresh look draws striking parallels to the character's wildly popular depiction in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

While Mario Kart 9 offered our initial glimpse of this gaming makeover, Nintendo has since unveiled an entire merchandise line featuring the redesigned Kong. As reported by Nintendo Life, Reddit user cookiemaster221 shared these products with the prophetic statement: "History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes."

History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes
byu/cookiemaster221 indonkeykong

The new merchandise showcases a noticeably softer Kong – his trademark furrowed brow now smoothed into gentler curves. "They're applying the Kirby treatment in reverse," observed Redditor SmallBlueSlime. "Rather than intensifying his expression, they've mellowed him out."

"Nintendo seems absolutely committed to reshaping DK," remarked one commenter. Another nostalgically noted: "I'll miss that intimidating brow – it perfectly balanced kindness and strength." However, some fans welcomed the change, with one stating: "It works – they likely wanted him to appear more playful than aggressive."

These products provide our clearest examination of the redesign since Mario Kart 9's brief, blurry appearance. Fans anticipate a proper showcase this April when Nintendo hosts its Switch 2-focused Direct presentation.

The recent console teaser strategically revealed limited details about Switch 2's hardware. It confirmed backward compatibility, introduced enigmatic new Joy-Con buttons, and validated theories about mouse-like controller functionality.