Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a perfectly good game, but it will be Nintendo’s most underwhelming release in 2025. Those who’ve already played this platformer from Retro Studios on Wii or 3DS don’t have much reason to buy the game on Switch unless they’re itching to replay a great platformer. Like Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD and some other straightforward remasters that Nintendo launched recently, this feels like filler so that Nintendo can bide time until the launch of the Switch’s successor.
When it comes to filler, you could do much worse. Donkey Kong Country Returns is one of the Wii’s best games. Anyone checking it out for the first time through the re-release is in for an excellent platforming adventure. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the definitive version of the Wii classic, but let’s hope it’s one of the last releases of its kind for a bit rather than one that sets the stage for Nintendo’s 2025.
Still a great game
Donkey Kong Country Returns comes from an era where Nintendo platformers were light on story and very straightforward in structure. It follows Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong as they fight the Tiki Tak Tribe, magical masks that stole Donkey Kong’s bananas and mesmerized the island’s animals. This quest takes place across eight worlds that contain seven to 10 levels each and fall into themes like jungle, volcano, or factory. It’s not the most original platformer, but it feels just as good to play in 2025 as it did in 2010.
Tapping into the same game feel as Rare’s SNES Donkey Kong Country titles, Returns‘ Donkey Kong is heavier than your standard platformer character. Each jump, roll, and ground pound has heft behind it, but it’s still possible to move through levels efficiently after getting a handle on Donkey Kong’s moveset, which is enhanced with a hover if players find a Diddy Kong barrel in a level. Returns does get quite difficult toward the endgame and during barrel blast and minecart levels.
That difficulty feels earned because Returns features creative-level design, even though it works within the constraints of generic world themes. My favorite stage forced me to bob and weave between rocks to avoid life-taking waves as I slowly inched forward and scoured for collectibles. Returns HD does nothing to muck up the core game I loved on Wii. Those who haven’t played the game on Wii or 3DS before are in for a delightful platforming adventure.
While I enjoyed revisiting it, this is a humdrum re-release otherwise. Returns HD is a basic double dip; it’s more like Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD or Pikmin 1+2 than the Switch versions of Super Mario RPG or Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The widescreen and HD facelifts are welcome, but there’s a ceiling on how much better this game could make the original look. I even encountered some lag I never experienced in the original and found loading times to be surprisingly long.
The best thing the package has going for it is that motion controls aren’t forced on players, and extra content from Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is included. On Wii, players had to constantly waggle the Wiimotes if they wanted to roll or ground pound, which got tiring and made precise platforming more challenging for minimal tactile gain. Motion controls can still be toggled on if players want, but I enjoyed revisiting this adventure without shaking my Joy-Cons like crazy.
Access to the extra 3DS levels is a nice touch, considering the other new content is lackluster. That boils down to a modern mode that gives players an extra heart and adds items to Cranky’s Shop, one of which makes the barrel and minecart levels a little bit easier. Compared to the much-memed “New Funky Mode” that Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze’s Switch port received, this is a duller way to make the adventure more approachable.
I had an odd feeling after wrapping up my time with Returns HD on Switch. I had a great time, but that’s only because the Wii original was just as good. By default, it’s the best version of Returns to play now. But looking ahead toward a year that will see the release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokémon Legends Z-A, and a successor to the Nintendo Switch, I can’t help but be thoroughly whelmed by a basic re-release like this.
This simple HD port won’t be in contention for Nintendo’s best game of the year. That’s hopefully a good sign for things to come.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD launches for Nintendo Switch on January 16.
