Today, I’m adding three more games to the list of games that I’ve checked to see if they’ve gotten improvements when played on Nintendo Switch 2. Let’s have a look!
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
Genre: Platformer
Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)
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Review:
Donkey Kong Country Returns already looked pretty sharp and smooth on Nintendo Switch, so what is there to even improve on Nintendo Switch 2? There’s one easy answer to this: loading times.
On Nintendo Switch, it took 15 seconds to load to the title screen, 13 to load up a game save, and 14 to get from the map screen into a level. On Nintendo Switch 2, these times were more or less halved, with the corresponding loading times now being 6, 8, and 7 seconds.
It’s not an Earth-shattering improvement, but it is an improvement, making Nintendo Switch 2 the new 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 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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Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Genre: Platformer
Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)
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Review:
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze already looked pretty sharp and smooth on Nintendo Switch, so what is there to even improve on Nintendo Switch 2? There’s one easy answer to this: loading times.
On Nintendo Switch, it took 15 seconds to load to the title screen, 11 to load up a game save, and 9 to get from the map screen into a level. On Nintendo Switch 2, these times were all reduced, with the corresponding loading times now being 8, 6, and 7 seconds.
It’s not an Earth-shattering improvement, but it is an improvement, making Nintendo Switch 2 the new definitive way to play this game. I would still argue that this game is overpriced, but it is nevertheless one of the greatest Platformers ever made, and it is now even better (even if only slightly) on Nintendo Switch 2.
tl;dr – Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is about as good as 2D platformers can get – it plays well, it looks great, and the level design is some of the best that’s ever been seen in a videogame. This is a game that should be in every Nintendo Switch owner’s collection, and every Nintendo Switch 2 owner’s collection too, for that matter.
Grade: A+
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Mario Vs. Donkey Kong
Genre: Puzzle-Platformer
Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)
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Review:
In testing out Nintendo Switch games on Nintendo Switch 2, some games have really surprised me, while others have underwhelmed. Mario Vs. Donkey Kong, however, has left me… whelmed.
In terms of graphics and performance, this game looked find on Nintendo Switch, and without a patch there’s not much room for improvement on Nintendo Switch 2. This game does see one minor improvement to the loading times – loading into a level on Nintendo Switch 2 took 5 seconds instead of 7. However, that’s one of the most minimal improvements that I’ve seen on Nintendo Switch 2 that’s still an actual improvement.
In short, I think you have just as much reason to get this game on Nintendo Switch 2 as you have to get it on Nintendo Switch, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. This is still a solid Puzzle-Platformer that looks and plays great, and it’s still absurdly overpriced. It’s your call how to take that.
tl;dr – Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is a remake of a Game Boy Advance Puzzle-Platformer that not only completely recreates the visuals and sound from scratch, but adds multiple new features and a bunch of new levels as well. This is an all-around solid remake of a solid game, which is why it’s disappointing that the price seems overly high for what’s on offer here. Still, if you’re a fan of Puzzle-Platformers this is a game you’d be advised to give it a chance if you can snag it on sale.
Grade: B
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I hope you enjoyed this latest batch of Nintendo Switch 2 Difference Mini-Reviews, and found them to be helpful! Want to see all Nintendo Switch 2 Difference comparisons? Check out this page for links to every article where I’ve included these comparisons!
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