Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

Genre: Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

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Review:

Donkey Kong Country Returns, when it first released on Wii in 2010, was widely celebrated as a glorious return to form for the beloved Platformer series. When it was ported to Nintendo 3DS in 2013 under the title Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, it was celebrated again for not only bringing the console game to handheld intact (and without the divisive motion controls of the Wii version), but also adding new levels. Now in 2025, the game is being released a third time, now on Nintendo Switch with the title Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, and this time people aren’t quite so eager to celebrate.

There are multiple reasons that the anticipation for this game has been muted this time around. The rumblings of Nintendo revealing their next major hardware are at a fever pitch, so just about any Nintendo Switch game is going to have difficulty garnering attention, let alone a remastered port of a 15 year-old game. The price tag is another major factor – at $60, Nintendo’s cynicism and greed are on full display, charging the same price as a brand-new top-tier Nintendo release. Yet another factor is that the Nintendo Switch already has this game’s much-improved sequel, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (which was similarly overpriced), making this feel very much like a step backwards. Heck, this technically isn’t even the first time this game has been in HD, with a 2019 release on the NVidia Shield in China.

Also, the Nintendo 3DS port did at least add new content to the game. This re-release does far less – this version contains the extra content from the Nintendo 3DS version, optional motion controls for Joy-Con-using players who actually want that (by default the game uses standard gamepad controls), and a new “modern” mode with more health hearts and added shop inventory. That’s about it.

The graphics haven’t exactly gotten a major overhaul either, apart from the improved resolution. Those who compare this game with the original via split-screen have found some minor improvements, but also some minor changes where the original game looked better. On balance, I feel that apart from the improved resolution, the visuals look about on par with the Wii version. And that’s… honestly not that bad, since the Wii game was and remains gorgeous, with superb animation, tons of detail in the environments and characters, and a ton of personality.

The game itself remains great too. The “blow” mechanic hasn’t aged too well – it kills the pacing, and it’s obvious to see why in retrospect this gameplay mechanic wasn’t carried into Tropical Freeze. But apart from this issue, the excellent gameplay and outstanding level design are nearly without peer in the genre… well, except of course Tropical Freeze.

If you’ve never played Donkey Kong Country Returns before, please don’t let my lack of enthusiasm dissuade you – this is an absolute must-play game that is not to be missed. The problem is that by now a sizable portion of players haven’t missed it, and this triple-dip does little to justify its bloated price tag, especially when its incredible sequel has been out on Nintendo Switch for years and is even more deserving of your time and attention. As a result, even though we’re getting a great version of a truly outstanding game here, it’s hard not to feel underwhelmed.

tl;dr – Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a solid remaster of an excellent Platformer from Wii and Nintendo 3DS, but this release doesn’t add much, and overall does little to justify its $60 price tag, especially when Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is also on Nintendo Switch and an overall superior game. By comparison, this feels a bit like taking a step backwards at this point.

Grade: B

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2025 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Most Overpriced

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The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

Genre: Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local, Local Wireless GameShare)

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Review:

I previously looked at the difference between playing Donkey Kong Country Returns HD on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, but wouldn’t you know it, Nintendo had to come out and release a game update for Nintendo Switch 2 adding improved graphics and loading times, as well as support for Nintendo Switch 2’s Game Share feature.

Well, let’s give this game another look, then!

Curiously, after the game update, game loading times on the original Nintendo Switch seem to have bloated from 15 seconds to fire up the game to 42, 13 seconds to load up a game save to 16, and 14 seconds to load into a level to 25. The update also makes it take longer to load up the game on Nintendo Switch 2, with those same times going from 6, 8, and 7 to 19, 10, and 5. Okay, that last one is shorter, and the improved visuals do justify this somewhat on Nintendo Switch, but even so, to say that this update reduces loading times is pretty misleading when it only reduces them compared to the worsened loading times the update adds to the Nintendo Switch version.

At the very least the other updates to the game on Nintendo Switch 2 are well worth the update. The improved resolution looks great, really smoothing out the already-excellent visuals of Donkey Kong Country Returns. It’s just a shame the framerates couldn’t be boosted as well. And of course, GameShare is nice to have, even if this isn’t a game I’d consider to be a great game for multiplayer.

Overall, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, but I would say it is an improvement, once again making Nintendo Switch 2 the definitive way to play this game. It still doesn’t justify the $60 price tag, but this is nevertheless still a phenomenal Platformer that’s even better (even if just a bit) on Nintendo Switch 2.

tl;dr – Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a solid remaster of an excellent Platformer from Wii and Nintendo 3DS (improved further with smoother visuals and better loading times on Nintendo Switch 2), but this release doesn’t add much, and overall does little to justify its $60 price tag, especially when Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is also on Nintendo Switch and an overall superior game. By comparison, this feels a bit like taking a step backwards at this point.

Grade: B

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