Earlier this month, Nintendo officially revealed that a new Mario Kart game is being worked on for Switch 2, featuring an updated design for Donkey Kong.

Now, eagle-eyed fans have realized that this updated design isn’t just being used for the new Mario Kart game. As pointed out on Reddit, this new design for Donkey Kong is also being used for Nintendo’s latest merch lineup featuring the character. As you can see in the comparison shot below, the merch has DK sporting more neutral looking eyes, as well as a “philtrum groove” on his upper mouth part.

DK Gets A Model Update, From Nintendo’s Offical Store
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The new look is more in-line with Donkey Kong’s appearance prior to the Nintendo 64 titles developed by Rare. Presumably, Nintendo has been refining Donkey Kong’s design as part of a broader push for the series, be it in merch, as part of their theme park, or in new videogame titles.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.