Donkey Kong Country Returns HD review: definitive but derivative
Rareware’s Trilogy Donkey Kong Country The platformer was a major statement for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Not only is Donkey Kong back, but he’s still able to withstand the test mario He earned himself the 2D platformer crown with three brilliantly designed games released in succession between 1994 and 1996.
After fourteen years of absence, Donkey Kong Country Finally returned in 2010 Metroid Prime Developer Retro Studios took over the mantle of Rare and named it “Retro Studios” Donkey Kong Country Returns. Now fourteen years later, we’re getting the game again, but this time without the forced wobble of the Wii version or the hindered framerate of the later 3DS port, which means Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Ultimately a final version of the game – but nothing more.
Comment information
Platform review: nintendo switch
Available for: nintendo switch
release date: January 16, 2025
Admittedly, I was disappointed with the announcement of this port. It’s been over 10 years since the last game in the series – extraordinary Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze – has been with Gorilla since being demoted to a spin-off. Over the past few years, however, Nintendo seems to have been working with Donkey Kong to build something between his important role in Donkey Kong. super mario bros movie and a new theme park area in Japan. So there’s not a lot to hype about the return of a port of a 14-year-old Wii game.
Much like the 2018 Nintendo Switch port Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freezenothing new indeed Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Except for the new easy mode – which is nice, but I’m not interested in playing it. Although Tropical Freeze At least dressing up easy mode with playable Funky Kong, which is Return to HD. This might have been forgivable if it had been released at a lower price point, as if it had been significantly revised visually Metroid Prime Remastered Edition, but Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Follow last year’s Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD As a full-price game, overall, it doesn’t bring anything new and is average. Nintendo Switch Games 2025.
Oh, banana
Donkey Kong’s treasure trove of bananas has been stolen yet again – and for a tie-wearing ape, this is tantamount to killing a family member. Retro Studios ditched the iconic Kremlin armies of the SNES trilogy in favor of the Tiki Tak tribe, a group of sentient Tiki masks. While the Tikis themselves are pretty boring, their hypnotic powers make the boss fights more “intense” as the DK begins to clash with the various jungle creatures under their control. Each boss ends with a satisfying blow after each battle, evoking the feel of a GameCube classic Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.
Compared to Mario, Donkey Kong Country It is a more hardcore platform game series. Donkey Kong himself is very heavy (as you might expect from a gorilla), and this weight transfers perfectly to the platforming. Where Mario can breeze through levels with huge jumps and power-ups, Donkey Kong is more power-focused and requires strategically placed jumps and rolls to really breeze through levels, but a lot of the time it’s better to slow down a bit. Later levels become extremely difficult and require you to be the best to pass them, but that only makes the process of beating them that much more satisfying.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD It also brings back Diddy Kong as a pseudo power-up. The way to get him is just like in the SNES game, you find a DK barrel and smash it to get your friend. But unlike the SNES, you can’t switch to Diddy Kong; he mainly acts as DK’s jetpack hover while jumping, and allows you to roll infinitely. This was disappointing in 2010 and remains a disappointing aspect of the game now, especially considering that a second player can fully control Diddy Kong in the game’s co-op mode. This would have been a nice addition to the new port, but sadly, it’s not here.
jungle japanese
Developer Retro Studios has a lot of shoes to fill, and like most retro platformer returns, many of its earlier games Donkey Kong Country Returns HD It feels very much like a cover band playing the hits from the original trilogy. While the levels are good, they feel a lot like trying to recapture the magic of the original. As the game progresses, however, Retro introduces unique biomes, such as factories and volcanic worlds, which not only increase the difficulty but are also more fun to play than in the opening hours.
the best bit
Donkey Kong Country Returns As the adventure comes to an end, World 7’s factory settings really start to shine, showcasing the best that the series has to offer. This is where the difficulty really starts to ramp up, with a series of levels that are more than enough to pass with satisfaction.
One of the important things associated with this series is the collectibles. Each level contains hidden “KONG” letters to collect, as well as puzzle pieces. These are the keys to unlocking various things like concept art, music, and even bonus levels that will really test your platforming skills (including previous 3DS-exclusive levels). Luckily, the letters are easy to find the first time around, but some of these puzzles will test your eyes and platforming.
Another signature element of Donkey Kong is its unique level gimmicks. The animal friends return from the SNES trilogy, although sadly it’s limited to Lamby the Rhino here. Meanwhile, the terrifying minecart stages that test your reflexes with brutal difficulty are also back this time around, and this is one area where retro truly transcends rarity. DK’s weight in this game, vs. return the goods The physics make these jumps even more satisfying, and there are always plenty of extra avenues to add to the risk/reward factor.
Finally, there’s the rocket barrel stage, which is a similar flappy bird (Yes, it was released four years ago, but everyone knows flappy bird). Press and hold A to go up, release A to go down, and avoid various obstacles at the same time. To be honest, I never liked these stages as they were slower on track and felt like a less interesting version of the minecart stages, causing them to drag a bit.
Congolese bongo hero Banana Slamma is here
Donkey Kong Country Returns HDThe whole purpose seems to be just to make a version of the original game that brings extra content and a good control scheme from the 3DS to the console that looks good and runs at 60 frames per second (fps) like the Wii original. to this end, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Nail it; it does. However, while other ports have even minimal additional facilities, e.g. Captain Toad’s Treasure Trackingr’s Odyssey levels or Hyrule Warriors: Definitive EditionWith the addition of Breath of the Wild costumes, Donkey Kong remains the same as the previous game.
and don’t expect Metroid Prime Remastered Editionlevel visual upgrade; while quality does improve in the jump to HD, it’s not an impressive leap. although Return to HD DK was indeed upgraded to have more fur compared to his tablet Wii model, with the fur in return the goods Doesn’t seem to meet its requirements Tropical Freeze other side. However, one area where the visuals feel like a downgrade is in the lighting of the volcanic layers, which is more of a dull lava color rather than the bright orange of the Wii version.
You’re still getting a decent game here (although, this one is probably a redesign of the weakest one) Donkey Kong Country title), but it’s hard to recommend this game to someone who’s played it before; you’d be better off choosing a better (and probably cheaper) one Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. If anything, this just reaffirms how good the sequel is for me. A leap in quality Return to the Tropical Freeze Just unbelievable.
Should you play Donkey Kong Country Returns HD?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Features a new “Modern Mode” to provide a more relaxed experience for players who are not comfortable with DKC’s more hardcore platform. You’ll gain extra health from DK and Diddy, and be able to carry nine support items instead of just one in the original mode (including some Modern Mode-exclusive items like the Diddy Kong Barrel and the Green Balloon).
Other than that, the game doesn’t have many accessibility options. You have the option of swapping the roll/pound/blow buttons (X/Y) with the grab buttons (ZR/ZL), but otherwise you’ll need to remap the controls from the console settings.
What do I think about Donkey Kong Country Returns HD?
I played for about 13 hours Donkey Kong Country Returns HDduring which time I completed the main game, including collecting all KONG letters and completing optional levels. I also completed the extra levels introduced in the 3DS version of the game. In addition to trying out a few levels in “Modern” after the credits rolled, I also played the game on “Original” settings.
I mainly play games in handheld mode Nintendo Switch OLED Play some time in my docked mode using Joy-Con controllers Samsung Q60D TV and Samsung HW-T450 sound bar Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and CKRD Neo S Controller.
First review December 2024/January 2025
