Donkey Kong 64: Rare’s Shift From 2.5D to 3D Platformer Unveiled in New Interview

Donkey Kong 64 is celebrated as one of the most ambitious collectathon platformers on the Nintendo 64, marking a significant milestone for both developer Rare and the platform’s library.

However, the journey to its final 3D form was not as straightforward as fans might assume.

In a recent interview, Mark Stevenson, the game's former lead artist at Rare, revealed new insights into the game’s conceptual evolution—from an early 2.5D design to the expansive 3D adventure known today. Initially, Donkey Kong 64 was conceived as a 2.5D platformer, echoing the classic side-scrolling legacy established by the Donkey Kong Country series on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.

This approach, however, was abandoned midway through development as the Rare team sought to push the boundaries of the Nintendo 64 hardware and respond to the genre-defining success of titles like Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. In the interview, Stevenson reflected on the process, describing the project as a 'monumental task' that demanded tremendous effort from the development team.

He explained that after completing Donkey Kong Country 3 (DKC3), much of the team transitioned to the Donkey Kong 64 project.

"Development spanned roughly three years," Stevenson shared.

However, midway through—around the 18-month mark—the project underwent a significant reboot.

Key design and software leads were replaced, and the creative direction shifted from a production-heavy 2.5D format to the more open-ended 3D level structure popularized by Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. Stevenson noted that while the original goal was to recreate the familiar A-to-B level progression of the Donkey Kong Country series, the sheer scale made this impractical.

"The intention to design numerous linear levels simply wasn’t feasible from a production perspective," he clarified.

Instead, the team opted for interconnected, reusable 3D spaces—laying the groundwork for Donkey Kong 64’s vast, exploration-driven gameplay. Donkey Kong 64 launched exclusively on the Nintendo 64 in November 1999, quickly securing its position among Rare’s most successful releases for the system.

The game sold over two million copies worldwide and became notable for its use of the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak, enabling enhanced graphics and gameplay features. This new insight into the game's development process not only offers a deeper appreciation of Rare’s adaptive design philosophy, but also underscores the lasting impact of Donkey Kong 64 on the platformer genre and Nintendo’s legacy.

As the industry continues to revisit the classics of the Nintendo 64 era, the story behind Donkey Kong 64 stands as a testament to creative flexibility and the pursuit of technical excellence on iconic hardware.

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