REVIEW: ‘Donkey Kong Country Returns HD’ Is Just Enough (Switch)

Donkey Kong Country Returns was originally released in 2010 for the Nintendo Wii. Developed by Retro Studios, the 2D platformer was the first entry in the series since 1996 and was the first developed without the original studio, Rare. Now, Donkey Kong Country Returns, well, returns for the Nintendo Switch in the remaster, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, ported by Forever Entertainment.

When players start a new game save in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD they are prompted with one of the remaster’s few changes: modern or classic mode. While the game does not give players much information on what the difference is, modern mode is effectively an easy mode that gives players one extra heart, a significantly larger inventory to work with, and additional items in shops that players can purchase to make things even easier. While it is nice to have the accessibility option of an easier difficulty mode, it is a strange move to label it as the “modern” experience while also poorly defining what it all entails.

Once the game mode is chosen, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD starts in earnest and the mixed bag of its remastering is almost immediately clear to those familiar with the original. Most of the remaster’s efforts are focused on updating textures and character models so that they look better on high-resolution screens. On that level the remaster looks solid, but numerous head-scratching smaller issues pop up throughout a playthrough, too.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is littered with small, head-scratching issues.

For starters, various effects have been toned down from the original game here like reduced particle effects on moves or less lighting in cutscenes. Numerous animations look choppy enough to be distracting. Especially bad is how barrels explode when they launch the player and that happens all of the time. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD also has much longer load times than the original on the Wii and occasionally will chug and drop frames during larger set pieces, which was extremely rare in the original.

All of the technical issues come together to mar what would otherwise be a solid remaster. While none of the issues are deal breakers, they cheapen the package in aggregate. And they feel all the worse when considering that Donkey Kong Country Returns‘s sequel, Tropical Freeze from the Wii U, already has a remaster on the Switch for the same price and without any of these issues.

Outside of its mixed bag of technical changes, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is still the fantastic platformer from the Wii, albeit with the 3DS port’s additional levels thrown in for good measure. Donkey Kong Country Returns was and still is a fantastic 2D platformer that is filled with charm, inventiveness, and fun. With eighty levels to run through, there is plenty of content here, especially if you’re dedicated enough to hunt down collectibles or want to bring a friend along for the ride as well.

Despite its issues, Donkey Kong Country Returns is still a great 2D platformer.

What stands out in the game’s levels is the variety between them and how alive they feel as you play. Each level brings new challenges and themes, from the series’ classic minecart challenges to jumping across platforms as they slowly sink into lava. There is always something new around the corner that keeps a first playthrough fresh throughout and helps going back for collectibles as fun as it is rewarding.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD also offers the ability to play through the game in its entirety through local co-op. This adds a fun layer of cooperation to the game’s levels, but on top of not offering any online play at all, playing with a friend adds some irritating changes. The first is that both players can no longer bounce off the same enemy like they could in the original version. This can frequently lead to one player dying on later levels, where they have to bounce off enemies to make jumps.

A more frequent issue is that the run and the combine action—where Diddy Kong jumps on Donkey Kong’s back—are both mapped to the same button. This leads to one player frequently grabbing the other and throwing them on their back, which can be frustrating on top of occasionally resulting in both players dying.

With all of this in consideration, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a bit of a hard sell at full price, especially if you still have a Wii with a copy of the original lying around. Its visual improvements are welcome but are marred by enough inconsistencies and technical setbacks that fans may find themselves dreaming of what could have been. But the game’s tight levels and satisfying platforming are good enough to make it well worth a playthrough, especially if you’ve already run through Tropical Freeze.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is available now on Nintendo Switch.