Shigeru Miyamoto’s explanation is about Donkey Kong’s overall redesign, not a specific change to the shape or color of his eyes. He said Nintendo revisited the Rare-era design to ask how it could become “more expressive.” Nintendo’s later development interview explains what that meant in practice: the team wanted to bring out Donkey Kong’s defining traits and make his face readable across a wider range of expressions in a 3D game.
What Miyamoto said about the redesign
In an interview with IGN, as reported by Nintendo Life on May 21, 2025, Miyamoto described Nintendo’s reconsideration of the Rare-era Donkey Kong: “And going back to the design that Rare came up with, we reevaluated; what can we do with the design to make it more expressive?”
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Nintendo Switch | $52.20 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo Switch 2) | $69.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Mario Vs. Donkey Kong™ - US Version | $49.00 | Buy on Amazon |
That is the clearest answer to why the redesigned eyes look different: they are part of a broader effort to make Donkey Kong’s face more expressive. The reported explanation does not say Miyamoto singled out the eyes or specified a particular eye shape, size, or color as the reason for the redesign.
Why expressiveness mattered in Donkey Kong Bananza
Nintendo’s Ask the Developer interview for Donkey Kong Bananza, published July 15, 2025, gives more detail on the design goals. Art director Daisuke Watanabe said the team wanted to get to the core of Donkey Kong’s character rather than simply update his surface appearance. Nintendo notes that the interview is translated from Japanese.
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The developers considered how Donkey Kong has been portrayed over time: as a rugged jungle king and as a lovable goofball. They sought input from illustrators who had drawn him over many years, including on his body frame, facial expressions, and signature pointed hairstyle. Miyamoto emphasized characteristic actions such as slapping the ground and blowing on things; producer Yoshiaki Koizumi focused on his massive arms, strength, punches, and ability to lift heavy objects.
Testing moves with a temporary model helped the team see how large Donkey Kong looked on screen beside Mario. Watanabe said that presence made room for a wide range of facial expressions, which could work alongside powerful moves to give the game its distinct feel. The face was therefore one part of a design meant to communicate character through both expression and action.
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How the redesign relates to Donkey Kong’s history
The new look is not presented as a clean break from earlier designs. Miyamoto described reevaluating the design Rare created, while Nintendo’s developers said they were trying to preserve the character’s essential appeal and the image built up by artists over many years.
The Bananza development interview also connects the game’s design work to later versions of Donkey Kong: Nintendo says the Bananza design became the basis for recent designs, including those in the movie and Mario Kart World. Producer Kenta Motokura said Bananza “sparked the creation of a design which I think better conveys the new Donkey Kong.” The interview does not attribute the game’s design to the movie.
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Why the face is only part of what changed
The team also considered how Donkey Kong reads when viewed from behind in a 3D world. Motokura said an uninterrupted mass of brown fur could look monotonous, so the developers adjusted details such as his britches and suspenders and made his fur appear rich and thick. Those choices, like the facial work, addressed how the character would read during play rather than treating the redesign as an isolated change to his eyes.
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