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 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. Also, I wouldn’t class the 1999 tv show version as part of his evolution. It was more a ‘spin off’ version. And hideous 😜 https://t.co/VmnfLidsoeFebruary 23, 2026
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"
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."
To be fair, it really isn't a redesign. The series was based on the Rare trilogy, with a few weird redesigns like Candy and Funky Kong thrown in. You can actually watch the whole thing for free on YouTube to see how cursed it is, but I'll leave you with one of its many beautiful musical numbers.
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