After a 14-year hiatus from Donkey Kong Country 3 on SNES, Donkey Kong Country Returns launched in 2010 for the Wii, and new masked adversaries known as the Tiki Tak Tribe brainwashed Kong Island inhabitants (outside the Kongs themselves) in order to steal the Kong family’s prized banana collection. Now, another 15 years later Donkey Kong Country Returns has… well, returned again in a port to the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch version of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the penultimate edition of the title, adding fresh updated visuals and control schemes to 2D platforming excellence.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD brings all the flavour of the 2010 original to the Nintendo Switch, and the port doesn’t skip a beat. Unlike other HD ports to the Switch (looking at you, Tales of Symphonia HD) it’s readily apparent the developers at Forever Entertainment kept development as close to the original as possible while revamping the entire control scheme to move away from motion controls and two-screen functionality.
The story remains identical to the 2010 version, a perfect reason to give players an excuse to explore the Country and triumph over incredibly precise platforming sequences. While the Tiki Tak Tribe serves as an antagonist, King K. Rool is sorely missed since his last appearance in DK: Jungle Climb for the Nintendo DS, along with his larger-than-life appearance (and small crown). Every ounce of King K. Rool as a villain felt purposeful, but Donkey Kong Country Returns HD‘s masked antagonists feel more like a means to an end than a genuine villain. While the antagonists of DKC Returns HD are devoid of personality and the King of Kremlings is missed, the rest of the title remains immaculate.
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This port adds a lot more to the platforming formula than just a lacklustre antagonist. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD has excellent 2D platforming worthy of its name. Like the original SNES trilogy, DKC Returns HD deploys many sharp mechanics the series is known for. Donkey Kong can roll off a ledge and jump in midair to perform a long jump, and this works almost all the time and far better than when deployed in the earlier games. Donkey Kong can leap massive distances with this nifty trick and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD leans into these mechanics instead of asking the player to figure them out.
“Donkey Kong Country Returns HD has excellent 2D platforming worthy of its name.”
These simple returns not only wrap a player familiar with the originals in nostalgia, but they challenge the player to break platforming sequence by going faster and skipping steps. Diddy Kong plays support in Returns HD, and while it is a bummer the smaller Kong is unplayable in his own right his supporting role gives the whole spotlight to the titular character, and I dig it. No gimmicky Kong control is present like in the sequel Tropical Freeze (although playable Cranky Kong is a delight), it’s just the player with relatively simple controls against an excellently designed level like the Kong Gods intended. This is platforming excellence.
Each level is littered with collectibles. KONG letters populate the landscape and will net the player a completion bonus on the level list, but in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, small puzzle pieces are better hidden to collect. When collecting all of a level’s puzzle pieces (a new collectible introduced to the series in 2010), the player earns a piece of artwork from the gallery. This is a solid reward for besting a level’s scavenger hunt, and gives the player insight on game development. Earning extra rewards for completion is a great addition, and gives Donkey Kong Country Returns HD an extra notch in its belt for replay ability.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD brings back two animal companions for this Country visit. Rambi and Squawks return, and while Rambi remains a grey-coloured Rhino, wrecking levels with a horn and speedy charges, Squawks is relegated to a mercenary support role and his assistance can be purchased for Kong coins to help scavenge levels for collectibles. While finding collectibles on your own is rewarding, Squawks helps immensely. Rambi plays excellently, and he features more animations that make him laced with character. Welcome additions to the cast of characters.
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Donkey Kong Country Returns HD brings some of the strongest level design in the series’ history. Swinging vines will turn into timed barrel shots, rolling down a hill will smartly deploy a spiky enemy (or hazard) at the bottom to keep players vigilant. The all too familiar “one more try” was always at the forefront of my mind when dealing with a particularly hard level (like every single mine cart level), and while DKCR HD demands perfection from the player, Nintendo essentially delivers it with level design, so the request isn’t as crazy as it seems.
Unlike the 2010 original (and like the 3DS version), after losing multiple lives (eight lives, I counted) to the same level, a pig with a graduate cap appears to give the player lessons on completing the stage. This is humiliating, and the character design is funny, but this gives a level of accessibility outside of finding a friend to ‘beat this level’. With the Wish.com Porky Pig in tow, any level can be completed by any player with enough failure. Of course this option is always optional, players will never be forced to deploy the smartest pig on Kong Island, but the opportunity is a great touch for players not as experienced in platforming.
“Donkey Kong Country Returns HD brings some of the strongest level design in the series’ history.”
Donkey Kong Country is basically platforming Dark Souls when compared to the rest of the genre, and Returns HD is no different. Levels are incredibly hard, but when you triumph over a particularly hard sequence, the victory is much sweeter. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD brings back adrenaline-inducing mine cart platforming levels where timing is key, and these are an absolute blast. Completing the hardest of the levels for the first time is akin to the VICTORY ACHIEVED screen in FromSoftware’s titles, pure euphoria.
What isn’t euphoric is the repetitive bonus stages hidden in each level. At first, finding a bonus stage was great, and getting all the collectibles nets the player a puzzle piece to boot so these stages are essential for completion. But, these bonuses have almost no variance aside from background changes and positioning. One stage has a trampoline on the bottom with a time limit to collect all bananas on screen, another has a cannon that shoots DK toward bananas with the same objective, and that’s pretty much it. Former titles in the series featured varied bonus stages, and it would’ve been a solid inclusion here.
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Music is a hallmark of every Donkey Kong Country title, and legendary composers David Wise and Eveline Fischer are responsible for some of the most iconic tracks in gaming history. For Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, composer Kenji Yamamoto remixed the original tracks using more upbeat baselines and arrangement adjustments, with an occasional original peppered in. These tracks lend themselves to the experience perfectly and encapsulate the spirit of the originals.
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After beating a stage, I was able to return to it in a Time Trial mode where you can earn Bronze, Silver and Gold medals for beating the times listed. I tried this on a Kart level and ran the level without errors and was given a Silver medal. While gold medals are possible with true perfection, only Kong masters will be able to earn them adding more replay ability to the formula. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the right way to return to the Country.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a burnout breaker. In a gaming landscape rife with open world sandboxes, and nearly a decade of development time, sometimes what fans could use is a solid vacation to the Country. Under Forever Entertainment, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD brings everything good from both the Wii and 3DS versions of the title to the Nintendo Switch, including the extra levels included in the 3DS version. But if fans have finished the 3DS version, they may not find a good enough reason to grab this one at the premium game price of $59.99 USD ($79.99 CAD) for updated visuals. Platforming genre diehards will ‘go bananas’ for this title especially newcomers regardless.