Okay, so I always try my best to be completely honest, even if it means throwing myself under the bus, and that’s precisely what I’m about to do. When Nintendo announced Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, its third attempt at peddling a 2010 Wii classic, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
Not only is this the third Switch re-release for Donkey Kong, but we’re also well into a No-New-Donkey-Kong-Games era that’s lasted over a decade. Yet, I was hooked within moments of sprinting through an upgraded Donkey Kong Island.
Here’s the thing: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is an absolute gem. It’s easily one of the best 2D platformers Nintendo has ever served up. With tight controls, deviously clever level design, and abundant secrets, it’s a prime banana in the Switch’s platformer collection. Sure, the remaster doesn’t bring much beyond a visual facelift, but it’s still the definitive way to experience this modern classic.
Playing Donkey Kong Country Returns HD feels like unearthing a dusty SNES cartridge in a treasure chest. In a world where platformers like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Astro Bot dazzle with theme park-like spectacle, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD stands apart by doubling down on skill-based, rewarding gameplay. The game demands mastery of its mechanics, rolling, jumping, and swinging, through tough-as-nails challenges.
Donkey Kong isn’t just a big ape; he’s a big ape with a deeply gratifying sense of weight and momentum. Pulling off an advanced roll-jump – where you roll off a ledge and leap mid-air – feels as satisfying as executing a perfect combo in Super Smash Bros. When you add Diddy Kong’s jetpack to the mix, you’ve got a dynamic duo capable of tackling even the trickiest platforming gauntlets.
Modern Mode offers a welcome lifeline for those wary of its old-school difficulty. A remix of the 3DS version’s “New Mode,” it introduces extra health, an expanded inventory at Cranky Kong’s shop, and lifesaving tools like Green Balloons. And for players truly stumped, Super Kong makes a return – Nintendo’s built-in “I give up” button that lets you breeze through troublesome stages.
Of course, no Donkey Kong game would be complete without its infamous minecart levels. Equal parts exhilarating and infuriating, these stages lean heavily on trial-and-error gameplay, where success depends on memorizing enemy patterns and environmental traps.
They’re a completionist’s banana-flavoured nightmare, with hidden collectables adding an extra layer of challenge. While fun, the one-hit-kill mechanic feels dated compared to Tropical Freeze’s more forgiving vehicle health bars.
Similarly, boss battles swing between epic and exasperating. Their designs are brilliant, but the lack of mid-battle checkpoints means one mistake in a later phase sends you back to square one.
Local co-op is a nice touch, with Player 2 stepping into Diddy Kong’s shoes. However, the tight camera focus can leave one player scrambling to keep up, and many levels feel designed for solo play. Still, with a patient partner, or a sibling happy to tag along, it’s a fun way to share the adventure.
Its meticulous attention to detail sets Donkey Kong Country Returns HD apart. Each platform feels like a natural extension of the environment, with no floating question blocks to break immersion.
Sure, the game’s insistence on pushing its, and yes, this will sound wrong, “blow everything to find secrets” mechanic can feel outdated, but the sheer density of hidden collectables and post-credits content makes up for it.
Ultimately, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a love letter to an era of platforming where challenge was fierce, secrets were plentiful, and every leap felt like a calculated risk.
