Donkey Kong has looked pretty much the same since Rare put out Donkey Kong Country in 1994, but it looks like Mario Kart 9 might be a turning point for the character, as he now resembles his Super Mario Bros.

Donkey Kong’s new look arrives the same day that Nintendo is launching Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, a Switch re-release of the original Wii game. That release, notably overshadowed by the Switch 2 unveiling, makes the contrast a little more stark.

In the new Mario Kart game revealed during the Switch 2’s first trailer, players noticed a number of details, including some character redesigns.

Since his debut Donkey Kong's character design has remained fairly unchanged, but his 'new' look isn't quite as fresh as you might expect. Seemingly taking inspiration from the animated aesthetics of the 2023 Super Mario Bros.

Mario Kart 9 looks to be launching with the Switch 2, so here's all the latest news about the potential Nintendo game