With the Switch 2 reveal briefly showing off 'Mario Kart 9,' astute viewers couldn't help but notice something *off* with Donkey Kong.
The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal almost passed with minimal controversy. We were so close. But, the internet always finds a way. So, during the Switch 2 first-look presentation, we saw a glimpse of Mario Kart 9 (maybe it'll have a different title later, but bear with me). The first thing people noticed was the appearance of 24 racers as opposed to the series' traditional 12. But the other first thing folks couldn't help but see was how "messed up" Donkey Kong looked.
I mean... ...yeah, it's clear we weren't meant to analyze things too aggressively. But, man, what did they do to you, baby? Listen, we all know this won't be the final Donkey Kong model when Mario Kart 9 actually comes out, right? But, it is funny that we got PTSDK in the background. I hope Nintendo keeps that in the game, actually. There's no better personification of what it's like when you're in first place, a blue shell icon pops up at the bottom of the screen, and you know it's going to hit you before you reach the finish line that's mere inches away from you.
"I'm surprised there's so much negativity around this. I don't care for the movie much at all but the DK design is fantastic. it's like the equivalent of old-school chunkachu vs the sleek corporate-approved Pikachu we've had for decades. This DK design has way more personality, and I love it for that," one Resetera member commented.
...You know what? The longer I look at it, the more I like the design! Mario Kart 9 should come through with alternate styles for each character. Give me 8-bit versions of all the core characters! Maybe if King Boo is present, give us OG Luigi's Mansion King Boo that had a distinctive aesthetic and wasn't just "Big Boo with a crown."
"As with all the movie designs, they're designed by artists putting expressiveness and pose above the kinda static game function Nintendo has approached them with for literal decades. Good change. Looks alot better."
...Huh. Is this what they mean by "growing up"? I feel like my intention going into this article was to be a bit more fun-mean about the design. But, I see the vision, Nintendo! Mario Kart 9, we're all ready for the races!