Donkey Kong Country Returns HD has been remastered by Nintendo following the release of Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD last year. The game originally debuted on the Nintendo Wii and was later ported to the Nintendo 3DS. This new version appears to be based on the Nintendo 3DS release, including its new difficulty modes, levels, and quality-of-life features. However, it loses the charm of the 3DS release, which was impressive on the handheld’s 3D mode.
Given that Nintendo has already released a sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns, it’s a bit surprising to see this prequel brought back so many years later. The sequel, Tropical Freeze, was first released on the Nintendo Wii U and then on the Nintendo Switch. It is considered one of the finest platformers of this generation, setting a high benchmark. Thankfully, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a solid game and serves as a stepping stone towards the more ambitious sequel.
The biggest hurdle here lies in the pricing for this remaster. Nintendo is releasing it as a full-priced game, which is a tough ask considering there are no major improvements aside from the jump to a full HD resolution, and there aren’t any noticeable extras either. Donkey Kong Country Returns was a proper showcase for the Nintendo 3DS due to its 3D depth, which blended nicely with its background and foreground gameplay elements. This is not the case with the Nintendo Switch release. However, there are some positives too.
The jump in visual fidelity is quite noticeable. It is not a great looking game in terms of technical upgrades, but the art style is great. I particularly love the boss design, even though I find Tropical Freeze better in the gameplay aspect. Donkey Kong Country HD marked a great return to form for Retro, who has since gone on to make games like Metroid Prime Remastered and collaborate with Nintendo on other projects. It is a classic platformer with collectibles that feel rewarding when you go the distance to find them. The difficulty is not that hard on the new Modern mode, but the classic Wii mode is a good starting point if you have played it before.
Donkey Kong Country HD reminds me of Ubisoft’s Rayman Origins series. It is a side-scrolling platformer that uses 3D to blend the background and foreground closely. The barrels scattered across the levels act as jumping points. There are bonuses hidden throughout each level which add to the collectibles counted at the end of each level. While the game doesn’t offer many secrets, it does take a good chunk of time, and there is added replay value with the ability to play in co-op.
The platforming is quite solid and the performance is noticeable, especially if you’ve played the game on the Nintendo 3DS before. The jump to 60 FPS clears up a lot of smaller issues and leads to smoother controller response. While there are minor performance issues, particularly during boss fights, my biggest concern is the load times. They are longer than on either the Wii or 3DS versions, which doesn’t make much sense. I understand that the textures and other assets have increased due to the jump to 1080p HD resolution, but the load times are still longer than usual, making the wait between levels a bit troublesome.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is an excellent platformer that might be outshined by its sequel at this point. However, for those looking for a new game to play on the Nintendo Switch, and who missed the previous release of this game, it can still be enjoyable. Hopefully, Nintendo is developing something new for fans of the Donkey Kong franchise so that they can get their fix once they are done with this game.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Remastered Game Information
- Price: $59.99
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Forever Entertainment
- Platform: Switch (Reviewed)
- Disclaimer: A review code was given by the publisher
