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.

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

A character that Nintendo seemed to have forgotten, focusing on a very specific type of game, as seen in the Game Boy title that was released in 1994, the year in which everything would change. From the hands of British Rare,

As Nintendo fans pored over the company’s reveal trailer for Nintendo Switch 2 and its new Mario Kart game game, one small detail stood out: Donkey Kong looks different. Fans noticed that in first footage for the new Mario Kart game,

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.

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.

The Mario Kart Switch 2 footage seems to confirm at least 22 characters that will be a part of the playable roster come launch.

The Nintendo Switch 2 got a Nintendo-branded reveal this week, and what fans expect to be Mario Kart 9 showed a little bit of what's next for the franchise.