Donkey Kong is one of the very oldest video game characters. Born in 1981, Donkey Kong is what some might call a geriatric millennial. For the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie, he received his first redesign in almost 30 years for the movie, said creator Shigeru Miyamoto in the latest Nintendo Direct dedicated to the film.
This trailer gives us a clearer look at Mario and Luigi, and our first look at Donkey Kong himself, who will be voiced by actor Seth Rogen in the film.
“It’s been over 40 years since the release of the original Donkey Kong game, which was also my debut title. We’ve also changed his design for the first time since he became a 3D model in the original Donkey Kong Country game,” Miyamoto said in comments directly after the trailer. At a glance, Donkey Kong looks quite familiar. Just like the version seen in Donkey Kong Country, he’s a big ape wearing a bright red tie with his initials in yellow letters–it’s hardly a reimagining for the character. Even the font on the tie is the same.