July 9th, 2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the Donkey Kong franchise, following the original release of the arcade game way back in 1981 on the same day, of course. To celebrate the occasion, Donkey Kong Country artist Steve Mayles shared an artwork of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong aboard a minecart.
The artist now works at Playtonic Games, who last shipped Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair following the mediocre original. Fans seem to be quite nostalgic about the “good old days of Donkey Kong“, as they share their experiences with the franchise in response to the original tweet.
There’s still no word on the next installment in the franchise, although rumors seem to suggest that Nintendo EPD is currently working on new Donkey Kong game. The game is rumored to be a 40th-anniversary celebration, suggesting its release to be this very year. Nintendo didn’t reveal anything related to the matter during its E3 2021 Direct, so fans should keep expectations in check for now.