Nintendo's significant redesign of Donkey Kong, first glimpsed in the Mario Kart 9 gameplay shown during the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal, is now confirmed across a range of merchandise. This marks a departure from Donkey Kong's decades-long consistent design, seen in titles like Mario Kart 8 , Mario Tennis , and Donkey Kong Country Returns .新外观让人想起了《超级马里奥兄弟》电影中角色的刻画，引发了粉丝的大量讨论。
Reddit user cookiemaster221 shared images of the new merchandise, prompting comments like "History is being rewritten in front of our very eyes."更新的设计具有更柔软，更圆润的眉头，取代了他以前的皱纹表情。一些用户将这种变化与“ Kirby治疗”进行了比较，指出从愤怒的举止转变为更轻松的举止。 While some fans expressed nostalgia for the original design, others welcomed the change, suggesting it might make Donkey Kong appear more playful and less intimidating.
与Mario Kart 9预告片中的简短外观相比，商品对重新设计的景色更清晰。 A more comprehensive look at Donkey Kong's new design and role in Mario Kart 9 is anticipated during Nintendo's April Switch 2-focused Nintendo Direct.
Switch 2揭示了预告片本身提供了有关控制台功能的有限细节，主要集中在其美学上。 However, it did confirm backward compatibility, showcased a new button on the Joy-Cons, and validated speculation about using the controller as a mouse.
