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.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a remaster of a game that was on the Wii and then on the Nintendo 3DS. I played both versions, and also this newest version. Donkey Kong's a great game, but Nintendo should reconsider how it prices classics like this in the future as we approach Year 9 of the Switch Family's lifecycle.

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.

One notable change that we (and indeed, many of you) caught was the design for Donkey Kong. We knew that Nintendo had sought to recapture the character's more 'retro' look from the days of the NES in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but it seems as though this decision may well be spreading to the world of gaming, too.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fairly straightforward port that'll fill enough time on the road to the Switch 2.

Mario Kart fans are divided over the huge change to Donkey Kong's design that makes the character look like he does in the new Mario movie.

The newly unveiled Mario Kart 9 game for Nintendo Switch 2 sports the first sign of the Donkey Kong redesign from the movie.

John Linneman examines Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for Nintendo Switch. Does porting developer Forever Entertainment hit a new high point with Nintendo help?

Watch the Donkey Kong Country Returns HD launch trailer, and guide Donkey Kong and Diddy as they journey across their island home to recover the bananas from the nefarious Tiki Tak Tribe. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD will be available on Nintendo Switch on6,