How'd you make a 3D Donkey Kong game?

[TomGuycott]

In reality though I don't think that cute design would lend itself well to performing the kind of things Kiddy ended up doing in DKC3. Besides, the only difference between that sketch and the actual design is that he's slightly smaller, he's crawling and the pacifier is in his mouth instead of not.

As for Chunky's species, it really does seem gorilla inspired, just with upright walking. No idea about Kiddy though, maybe he just has that Stewie Griffin thing going on with his head. In the game universe ALL the Kongs are pretty much considered the same species, even Lanky Kong who is the most obviously different and more like an Orangutan.