In the latest video from YouTube’s DK Creations (via NintendoLife), longtime video game artist Kev Bayliss shows off Rare’s original sketches Donkey Kong Country, and tells how he transformed Nintendo’s original cartoon monkey from a 2D villain to a 3D rendered platform hero.
Using sketches of the character design he created while working on the 1994 Super Nintendo classic for Rare, Bayliss takes us from the original Shigeru Miyamoto Donkey Kong art that was faxed (faxed!) By Nintendo, to the heavy-headed acrobatic monkey we know and love. No offense to Miyamoto, but his design didn’t seem like the kind to kidnap Mario’s ex-girlfriend Pauline. Bayliss’ more brooding badass looks like he could be in trouble all day long.
Bayliss also shows sketches of enemies from the game, some of which didn’t make it to the final version. Check out all of his sketches in the video below.