The disturbing Donkey Kong design flaw you'll wish you could unsee

Donkey Kong isn't really a character we've thought much about. What we do know about him is that he definitely isn't a donkey. And he has his own game. But recently a new fact about Donkey Kong has come to light, and it's not pretty. 

In Mario Kart Wii, if you look closely at Donkey Kong (DK) is on the selection screen, you'll see that DK's feet are actually the same texture as his mouth. That's right. He has red, fleshy feet. Or, at least, a red fleshy part to his feet where it looks almost as if his toes have been amputated.

Supper Mario Broth pointed this out to the world on Twitter recently, and even provided an explanation as to why this has happened. Apparently, these mouthy feet are a mapping error that mean DK's mouth texture is applied to his feet. This seems a pretty big 3D error, although in all fairness, no one appears to have really noticed until now.

To get your own textures to apply on whatever foot or mouth you like, see our free textures post. You could also check our character design tips for advice on creating memorable characters (who don't have mouthy feet). 

It seems we're not the only ones to be shocked. Some Twitter users wished they'd never been alerted to this design quirk. 

There were plenty of foot in mouth jokes...

And nor is this the only place where these mouth feet appear.

What's the lesson here? Double check your textures. And try not to put your mouth in your foot when you're creating characters. 

If you think you could do better, or you want to up your own 3D skills, don't miss our best 3D software picks.

Join us in London for our unmissable event for 2D and 3D artists, featuring workshops from over 20 professional artists from film, video games, VFX and illustration. Book now: www.vertexconf.com

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