Donkey Kong Country Returns HD brings one of the most beloved Donkey Kong games into the modern age in this remastered version for the Nintendo Switch. The original Donkey Kong Country Returns was developed for the Nintendo Wii in 2010, and had an updated 3D port for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013. Now, this latest port to the Nintendo Switch includes the additional features found in the 3DS version, with another its graphics.

Although many Donkey Kong fans have been hoping for an announcement of a new game to hopefully herald the return of the Donkey Kong Country series, getting the remastered version of one of the best in the series is still good news. Regardless of whether this HD edition of Donkey Kong Country Returns means more DK is in the future, this is not a game to be overlooked. Not much has changed, but it could easily be argued that not much needed to be changed, which means that simply upgrading the graphics and putting it on the Switch was not a bad choice.

The Story And Gameplay Of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

A Jungle-Themed Romp To Rescue Bananas

The story of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a tale of love and loss, or the love and loss of bananas at least. The Tiki Tak Tribe of floating Tiki masks and instruments have hypnotized many beasts of the jungle to steal all of Donkey Kong's bananas. DK and Diddy Kong take off after the trail of bananas, fighting their way through levels in the jungle, beach, factory, volcano, and more.

Not much is explained in the game about the reasoning behind the banana theft, although these bananas seem to harness magical power when turned into mush, which can strengthen the Tiki Tak Tribe . Naturally, all that DK and Diddy care about is getting their precious fruit back, so they seem less interested in the reasons why.

The gameplay is what really makes Donkey Kong Country Returns HD shine. This platforming adventure takes players through 80 levels spanning nine worlds, where Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong get to fight enemies, drive rocket barrels, jump broken tracks in minecarts, and even ride Rambi the Rhino. Using typical ape-like behaviors of pounding the ground, climbing vines, and more, Donkey Kong is simply a fun character to play, which is another reason why it would be nice to have the series continue.

The controls are solid and responsive in everything from making DK bend down and blow the seeds off of a flower or driving a rocket-powered barrel through obstacles at incredible speeds. Like in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong remaster that was released in 2024, the cutscenes appear to be completely redone with beautiful graphics.

Not Much Is New For This Remaster, But It Is Still A Solid Game

Perfect For Newcomers To The Series

Anyone who has played Donkey Kong Country Returns on either the Wii or 3DS may find the $60 price tag for this HD remaster to be a bit steep. Unlike when the game was ported to the 3DS, there doesn't seem to be any new levels or features other than enhanced graphics. Everything that was added with the 3DS release is here in the Switch version, and it is certainly a beautiful and smooth game, but as far as I can tell, there is no extra content, just a clean-up of everything that was there.

The biggest change comes from the new levels, which were added with the 3DS release, now being spread throughout the worlds rather than added as a separate Cloud World. This feels much more cohesive and natural, but doesn't add anything new.

Interestingly, screenshots of the game do not look nearly as clean and smooth as the actual gameplay did.

For newcomers to the Donkey Kong Country series, this game would be a perfect entry point. Not only is it more readily available on the Nintendo Switch, but it looks and plays like a modern title. Although I have played all the DK Country games before, I can see how this would be an ideal game to get someone into the series with its basic platforming mechanics and fun story.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Has All The Extras Of 3DS Version

Although Some Things Have Changed Slightly

Despite Donkey Kong Country Returns HD not having anything shockingly new added to it, it does include everything that the Nintendo 3DS remake added. This includes having a new game mode which has been renamed in HD to be called Modern Mode. Due to the original difficulty of the game being a bit much for many players, the 3DS had New Mode that made things easier by giving DK three hearts rather than two and offered more items in Cranky Kong's shop which could be used to help players in each level.

Another feature the 3DS game added was to have the helpful pig, Professor Chops, offer players the option of using Super Guide after only five deaths rather than the nine or ten that were required in the original game. In the Switch version, it feels as though this has been made to be available even sooner, although I failed to count tries before it appeared. In Super Guide, the game can take over with a white Super Kong automatically playing the level in an effort to show players who may have gotten stuck how to get past the area. While it will get a person past a difficult level, no items collected by Super Kong are kept.

Collectibles & Puzzle Pieces - & The Golden Temple - Add To Replay Value

Reasons To Keep Playing After Beating The Game

My favorite parts of any game like this are the extra secrets and hidden collectibles that the games have to find. In Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, these collectibles are even more important because, in order to access the Golden Temple, players will have had to collect each of the letters spelling out KONG from each level to get a special orb. Alternatively, Cranky Kong does now sell the orbs, but they don't come cheap.

If players are struggling to find all the hidden puzzle pieces, there is also a parrot named Squawks in Cranky Kong's store. When Squawks is activated on a level, whenever Donkey Kong gets near an area with a puzzle piece hidden, the parrot will begin to make noise.

Final Thoughts & Review Score

Screen Rant Gives Donkey Kong Country Returns HD A 7/10

Whether this game is a sign of more Donkey Kong to come on the Switch 2 or not, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a solid remaster of an already amazing game. Graphics and gameplay are smooth and truly offer a feeling of a modern game, despite being a remastered version of a game that was originally released 15 years ago. I played the Wii version when it launched and yet still loved every second I spent in this Switch version. It brought back nostalgia while still being a truly fun experience that left me once again wanting more from the Donkey Kong Country series.

It does feel a bit overpriced, being the same cost as a brand-new game, especially as there are many people who are still actively playing games on their Nintendo 3DS systems. It would have been nice to see some new content added, but as a remaster it was not expected. Overall, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is still a fantastic addition to the Nintendo Switch lineup and is a truly enjoyable experience.

A digital code for Nintendo Switch was provided to Screen Rant for the purposes of this review.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube