Love it or hate it, this new DK design is here to stay (Nintendo)The new Mario Kart wont be the only game to feature Donkey Kongs new look, if a line-up of updated merchandise is anything to go by.In the run-up to the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto revealed the great apes new design and implied that it would be used for future games as well as just the movie.That didnt appear to go anywhere since all of DKs subsequent appearances, be it in games or the Super Nintendo World theme park, stuck with the look hes had since Rares redesign in the 90s.So, its no wonder fans were caught by surprise by DKs new design showing up in the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal. And if you thought that might just be a one-time thing, for the next Mario Kart, new evidence has emerged to suggest otherwise.The Japanese Nintendo store has recently added some new Donkey Kong themed merchandise; all of which shows DK in his movie appearance, as indicated by the gentler looking eyes (which is ironic considering he was a pretty mean character at first in the movie).Theres a perfect comparison of the two designs over on Reddit since one of the new Donkey Kong bookmarks features a piece of artwork of DK and Diddy Kong thats practically identical to a previous one.Looking at the two side by side, the new design really is mostly in the eyes, although DKs face somehow seems slightly rounder than before. Diddy meanwhile is completely unchanged, so dont expect him to look too different should he appear in Mario Kart 9 or a new Donkey Kong game.In fact, all this adds to rumours that Nintendos planning to release a new Donkey Kong for the Switch 2, beyond just Mario Kart 9.More TrendingThere were rumours and speculation of this back in 2021, ahead of Donkey Kongs 40th anniversary, including talk of a new 3D game from the Super Mario Odyssey team, but thanks to the pandemic the anniversary came and went with zero fanfare.Even so, those rumours still have some credence, considering DKs prominence in the movie and the Donkey Kong Country theme park expansion. Not to mention last years Mario Vs. Donkey Kong remake and the recent re-release of Donkey Kong Country Returns.At this rate, it wouldnt be surprising if the Switch 2 showcase for April, which will highlight the first line-up of games, includes a new Donkey Kong title.A common theory is that there will be a new 3D Mario platformer for Switch 2 this year, but it and the Donkey Kong game being one and the same would be a neat surprise. Donkey Kong as he appears in the Switch 2 Mario Kart footage (YouTube) This is what Donkey Kong originally looked like, when Shigeru Miyamoto first designed him (Nintendo)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.ArrowMORE: Whats new in Mario Kart 9 for Nintendo Switch 2?GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy