Genre: 2D Platformer
Modes: Single-Player & Multiplayer
Developer: Forever Entertainment
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: January 16th 2025
Available On: Nintendo Switch
DISCLAIMER
This article is not a traditional review of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for the Switch. Just about everything in the Switch version is identical to the Wii and 3DS versions. This review will discuss how the game has aged, if a remaster was necessary and whether this version is worth investing in if you have already played or owned the Wii or 3DS version.
When it first came out, Donkey Kong Country Returns was the first game of the series not to be developed by Rare Studios. This time, the game was made by Retro Studios, the studio behind Metroid Prime, making it the first time the company made a fully-fledged platformer. Donkey Kong Country Returns came out in 2010 for the Wii. Back in the day, I loved this game, but I never finished it, most likely because of my frustration at the game's high difficulty. Now, in 2025, Forever Entertainment has released an HD remaster/port of the game, which now also features levels from the 3DS port of the game. The irony is that this is the third time that Donkey Kong Country Returns has returned. The game itself is still a blast, and I had much fun during my 11-hour playthrough. However, DKC Returns HD is as barebones as a remaster can be; it features all the content from the Wii game as well as the added world and gameplay mode from the 3DS version. The question is, is this the definitive way to play DKC Returns, and is the game worth purchasing if you already own the Wii or 3DS versions?
HOW HAS IT AGED?
Donkey Kong Country, as a series, has always had a very unique visual style. On the SNES, the game utilised Silicon Graphics Computers to create 3D character models within a 2D-level design. At the time, the visuals of the original games were jarring but stunning. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD sticks with Nintendo's stereotypical approach to porting and remastering games by updating the resolution of a game and adding a few smoother touches to the visuals. The Wii's picture quality was only 480p, so seeing DKC Returns HD in full 1080p on a TV is very satisfying; even playing at 720p in handheld mode made the game look as sharp.
The resolution has improved to make the game look as polished as it ever has, but the visual style, animations and character models are largely unchanged. The lack of change here is not necessarily a bad thing because the updated resolution enhances the game's visuals. The colours look more vibrant (especially during the Forest levels and the Volcano levels), and the backgrounds are much clearer, making the levels and the world of Donkey Kong Island feel much more alive and like a real location. The visuals are not a patch on Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, nor are they the most varied and interesting in the series (Donkey Kong Country 2 has the best and most diverse visual themes in the series). Still, they have aged better than I thought they would, considering the game is 15 years old.
Much discourse surrounds the Donkey Kong Country series about the game's controls. The heavy and slippery controls of 1994's Donkey Kong Country have not aged well in the slightest, despite the classic status of the game. Donkey Kong Country 2, my favourite of the series, got rid of the heavy controls and introduced the slick, responsive and fluid controls of Diddy Kong. Donkey Kong Country Returns brought back the heavier controls of Donkey Kong, but they were much easier to grasp than the first game of the series. Momentum is the core of Donkey Kong's controls, and his speed is absolutely perfect; he's not too fast like the original, but he's not too slow, either. In Returns, Donkey Kong's roll feels so good to use, and when you have Diddy Kong equipped as a partner, the speed and satisfaction of rolling through a part of a level is fantastic. I will always prefer the control style of DKC 2, but Returns does a good job of modernising the original's control feel.
While the standard controls of Donkey Kong feel like a natural evolution from the 1994 original, the controls of the Rocket Barrel are terrible. Throughout the game, there are stages where Donkey Kong must traverse to the end with a vehicle. The first vehicle is the Mine Cart, a staple for Donkey Kong Country. The controls of the Mine Cart are great; they are weighty but responsive, and each failed jump feels like a mistake on your part. The second vehicle is the Rocket Barrel, and every level featuring it became an unenjoyable slog because of how unpolished the controls felt. The Barrel itself has a simple control scheme; you only use one button to lift and let go of the button to drop down. Unfortunately, there is a second delay in lifting and another second delay in dropping, making the controls feel ridiculously heavy. Taking into account that many of the auto-scrolling stages featuring the Rocket Barrel have extremely tight spaces that you can only get through with precise character placements, the Rocket Barrel levels feel unfair and rage-inducing. These levels are the very definition of trial and error, but the unfair controls make the levels no fun to experiment with. I was very close to quitting the game near the end during one of the Rocket Barrel levels. After 30 minutes of attempts, I eventually made it to the end, but I hated every second of it.
Unfortunately, this is not the only time that Donkey Kong Country Returns HD's level design relies on trial and error. For the most part, the game's difficulty feels fair, and a lot of missed jumps and deaths feel like the fault of the player. However, because of the 2D level design, there are parts where enemies come flying from the right of the screen and give you hardly any time to react, and the Mine Cart levels tend to trick you by placing two possible paths for you to go down and if you go down the wrong one you die. Happily, you encounter 80% of this trial and error whilst you are going for the extra collectibles in a level. The collectibles are optional and are not a necessary mechanic to complete the game, so it is not as big a problem as it could have been. Nevertheless, trial and error still exist, and when it does occur, most often in the vehicle levels, it makes the game's difficulty curve feel inconsistent.
To conclude this section of my Donkey Kong Country Returns HD review, the game does show its age in a few areas, most notably in the Rocket Barrel controls and the inconsistent trial and error. It can make the difficulty of the game feel unfair in some areas. However, the game's visuals do hold up due to the HD upscale; Donkey Kong's controls are much more satisfying than I remember, and I like how the game's platforming focuses on momentum building. DKC Returns has dated in some areas of its gameplay, but its presentation holds up, and this is easily the best-looking iteration of the game.
DID WE REALLY NEED ANOTHER REMASTER?
Re-releasing this game again is a point of contention for many people. I was excited about Donkey Kong Country Returns HD because I had only played the Wii version, and it had been more than a decade since I last played it. I never owned a 3DS, so I never played the 3DS version. The main appeal for me in this remaster was the ability to play the game on the go. I could now play the game anywhere without certain instances where the Wii version used motion controls, like shaking the Wii remote to make Donkey Kong slam the ground. There was also a new 'Modern Mode', which makes the game easier for some players, giving you extra items and extra hearts during gameplay. These features all sounded promising, but this is the perspective of someone who never played the 3DS version, and then my thoughts came crashing down a bit.
'Modern Mode' is not a new feature; it is from the 3DS version of the game. On the 3DS, it was called 'New Mode,' and it is no different from 'Modern Mode' on the Switch version. I played the game in 'Original Mode' because I wanted to experience it as authentically as possible. I wish Forever Entertainment had added a feature where you could swap and change game modes, but there is no such thing in the game. Think of 'Modern Mode' as an easy difficulty and 'Original Mode' as the hard difficulty.
Remasters should bring forth new ideas to existing games in order to warrant their creation. Crash Bandicoot: N-Sane Trilogy takes three great games, changes the controls to make them feel more consistent with one another, adds new mechanics to certain games for more replayability and even features DLC levels. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD adds nothing new or worthwhile to the game. For anyone who wanted an updated version of the same game, it makes sense, but Forever Entertainment could have done so much more to make this game even better. The company could have added more playable characters, like previous games in the series, or even different power-ups for Donkey Kong. There are no power-ups in the game aside from the items you purchase at Cranky Kong's shop, and you only control Donkey Kong in single-player; there is no option to switch to Diddy Kong like the previous games. All of this is making me question whether it was necessary to remaster this game again because it adds nothing new to change the feel of the game. Do not get me wrong, it is still a fun game, but it has nothing new up its sleeve to surprise you.
IS THIS VERSION WORTH BUYING?:
In a nutshell, it depends on your perspective. If you have never played this game before, I recommend it. If you have played this game before but no longer have a copy for the Wii or 3DS, I still recommend giving it a go. However, if you already have a previous version of the game and can still play it on either the 3DS or Wii, the Switch version is not worth the purchase. This version has more levels than the Wii version, but paying $79.95 for this version in Australia on the Nintendo eShop is quite frankly a joke. The price of the Switch version is ridiculous, especially considering that this is a barebones remaster of a game that is 15 years old. Other Nintendo remasters like Metroid Prime: Remastered retailed at $59.95 and updated the gameplay experience much more than Returns HD has. Why is the price of this game so expensive?
DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS HD REVIEW: VERDICT
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a missed opportunity. On the surface, it is a great game that a new generation of fans can play. Below the surface, it is a remaster that lacks purpose. It does not add any new modes or gameplay ideas, nor does it change up the level design of the Wii or 3DS versions. When the game shines, it is fun to play through, and the difficulty can be very challenging but fair, but when the game falters, it can be frustrating and dated. If you have never played any version of this game before, give it a go if you want a challenging platformer. If you have already played the game before, the Switch version is not worth the high price.
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