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DK Vine
@dkvine.com

I always thought redesigning Rare's Donkey Kong would be a deal breaker for me. While I'll always prefer the 1990s design, Bananza was a master class in how to roll out a huge change, reassuring you throughout that it's the same guy. By the time I got to the end, I didn't even notice the difference!

Josh@geekcritique.org

I've seen a bit of hand-wringing about it, especially in the brief period after the redesign was revealed but before we knew about Bananza, when people were worried DK was losing his identity. But no, overall they haven't kicked up even a FRACTION of the flamewars the Adventure redesigns did.

DK Vine
@dkvine.com

I said at the beginning of 2025, when the redesign was unveiled, that it was a bargain with the devil we had to accept to get consistent Donkey Kong releases from Nintendo. But as it turns out, the redesign has really grown on me! I don't mind it!

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DK Vine
@dkvine.com

That looks like the mascot on an off-brand cereal box that you'd find, slightly worn and coated in dust, on the bottom shelf of a rural gas station.