Believe it or not, but this is the third time Donkey Kong Country has returned. The latest Donkey Kong Country Returns HD marks the third release for the same game from Nintendo, and I can’t help but wonder why? Why doesn’t Nintendo respect its other games the same way? Where is Super Mario Galaxy 2? Where is Pokémon Black and White?
The heartache gets worse when you realise that Donkey Kong has had only two new games in the last 15 years, but they have been released five different ways. Thankfully, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD still makes for a good time even if you’re playing the game for the countless times.
The game is a remaster of the Wii platformer, which was then ported to the Nintendo 3DS. So you can see how far down the Nintendo hole this latest Donkey Kong game goes. With all that being said, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD still provides dozens of hours of enjoyable platforming, of which I still struggle to find in the industry.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is as traditional a platformer as it gets. The game carries over the series’ relentless perfect-timed jumps, ducks, rolls, and other movements to create an addictive and fun ride. Of course, this is quite common with Donkey Kong games. Many think the series is all colourful and cute, but under the surface, you’ll be cursing at the game’s level design well into your time with it.
But I think that is what makes the series so phenomenal. I recently played an almost copy-and-paste replica of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD called Nikodiroko. While the game is visually on another level compared to this Switch release, it lacked the platforming polish that comes with Donkey Kong.
The way the stage forms around the player. The hidden areas. The intricacies in the foreground and background level design. Mostly importantly, the way Kong moves feels almost masterful. The more you fail in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, the more you learn how bad you are at the game. Most of my deaths in Nikodiriko were due to the game’s clumsy design.
Essentially, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD doesn’t change much compared to the Nintendo 3DS port. If anything, the game simply comes with the additions of the 3DS version. This includes a new difficulty mode called Modern Mode. This mode starts with Kong having more hearts than the Original Mode.
More hearts mean you can withstand more damage, but that doesn’t solve falling off cliffs and being squashed by giant screaming pillars of stone. Modern Mode also gives you more inventory space so you can carry more items. These items include Squawks the parrot who can set off to find puzzle pieces that you might have missed in previous levels. Barrels that spawn Diddy Kong with additional hearts and his gliding jetpack.
Modern Mode is the easier mode in this regard. Original Mode is the mode you’ll want to play if you want the original experience. That comes with fewer items and hearts. Apart from that, the gameplay and its content have remained the same.
This means that Donkey Kong Country Returns HD includes the added 3DS levels across the Cloud area as well as the Gallery mode where you can look at artwork and listen to music. All these items are locked behind finding puzzle pieces throughout the game.
So while there’s nothing “new” to see here, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is still a fun game. It sees Kong venture across the island trying to stop evil Tiki creatures from stealing all of the bananas. The island spans various biomes from factories, beaches, jungles, mines, and more. Each and every level offers a unique style and one-of-a-kind design. This helped carry me through the game’s toughest and more tedious areas.
Some levels come with surprises. Kong can ride a rocket across the ocean while dodging enemies and cannons from a ship. The mine cart stages are likely the most iconic. These had me railing across a mine shaft timing my jumps and ducks. Not to mention that every level also has hidden KONG letters to find and puzzle pieces that are hidden away. Some of these take a bit more than a keen eye to find.
The entire game is also playable in co-op, which is great for the Switch. Each player can use a single Joy-Con. In past games, players would need a separate 3DS to enjoy the game.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a good game. Sure, it is the same game again, but I don’t see how a remaster can take anything away from the Switch. It offers the best way to play the classic platformer. Is it the refreshing Switch game we need right now? I don’t think so, but fans and new players should definitely give it a go. Let’s just hope Nintendo has a new Donkey Kong game in the works… please!
This Donkey Kong Country Returns HD review is based on a code sent to us by Nintendo. The game launches on 16 January only on Nintendo Switch. It is available from R1,185.
Summary
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the third time Donkey Kong has returned with the same game. While this might a simple remaster, it holds up as one killer platformer on the Switch. It goes to show how unrivalled the series is even 15 years later.