Gaming History, Nintendo
Donkey Kong Designer Reflects on Iconic Redesign and Diddy Kong’s Origins
Kevin Bayliss, art director at Rare and designer of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, recently shared insights into the creative process behind these beloved characters. He revealed that Donkey Kong’s lack of a neck was due to his own difficulty in drawing them, leading to a design where “I just drew a head basically in his stomach.” Bayliss also noted that DK’s eyes, inspired by those of the Battletoads, made it challenging to convey expressions beyond annoyance.
How to draw ANY Kev Bayliss character… and WHY I think Nintendo have modified my OG DKC Donkey Kong design. (and quite rightly so!) 😅 #DonkeyKong #Art #Concepts pic.twitter.com/TChM3NIXnc
— Kevin Bayliss (@Kev_Bayliss) January 26, 2025
Interestingly, Diddy Kong’s design was influenced by the Coco Pops monkey, a character Bayliss admired in his youth but was denied the cereal due to its sugar content. He emphasised that effective art design hinges on conveying ideas, not just technical skill, encouraging aspiring artists to focus on their concepts.
When I was a kid I loved this character, but I wasn't allowed to have the cereal because according to my parents it was just full of sugar. (What did they know?) Who'd have guessed that many years later, that same little monkey on my TV screen inspired me to create DIDDY KONG? pic.twitter.com/3a9ErxqrQu
— Kevin Bayliss (@Kev_Bayliss) January 25, 2025
He also did a Twitch video where he shared some of the 3D models he is working on.
How to draw ANY Kev Bayliss character… and WHY I think Nintendo have modified my OG DKC Donkey Kong design. (and quite rightly so!) 😅 #DonkeyKong #Art #Concepts pic.twitter.com/TChM3NIXnc
— Kevin Bayliss (@Kev_Bayliss) January 26, 2025
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