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Donkey Kong Country designer says his version of the ape started life without fur, but it's still better than the "hideous" TV show version
343
Scott McCrae
2026-02-26
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Every Thursday GTA 6 O'clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts. Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon. Every Thursday The Setup Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Every Saturday The Watchlist Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! The designer behind Donkey Kong's 1994 redesign has revealed the original model had no fur while questioning the cursed cartoon's version's place in the character's evolution. Over on Twitter, an account named Video Game History posted an image showing the evolution of Donkey Kong, from his 1981 design, through to his Super Mario Bros. Movie and Donkey Kong Bananza looks. Kevin Bayliss – who is credited as designing Rare's version of the character which would become his default look from then until last year – took notice. The Donkey Kong Country render used in the tweet was actually an updated version, as Bayliss notes. "The 1994 version I created of DK didn’t have fur on, we didn’t add that for a while because the tech wasn’t there." He later added, "I feel very lucky to have been involved at a time back when there were significant changes in technology and graphics" Out of nowhere, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD gets updated with new content a year since launch After 44 years as second banana, Donkey Kong Bananza makes Nintendo's first star a mascot to rival Mario and Link in the Switch 2 era Banjo-Kazooie creator reveals that the mythical "Stop 'N' Swop" feature was originally bigger than we ever knew Now, this doesn't mean Donkey Kong was buttass naked the whole time on SNES and you just don't remember it. The original Rare renders instead had DK with weird brown sleeves (via Mario Wiki) like someone had covered him in Play-Do. The furry design wasn't implemented until later, with the first SNES sequel Diddy's Kong Quest featuring actual fur on the characters. Bayliss also took aim at the 1999 Donkey Kong Country cartoon version of the character being included in the image, saying, "I wouldn’t class the 1999 tv show version as part of his evolution. It was more a 'spin off' version." He continues, "And hideous." Pokemon Presents February 2026 time – as the Pokemon Day stream draws near, we're all hoping for a Gen 10 reveal
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