Retro Studios News Articles
Thursday13th Jun 2013
News Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Slips Onto Wii U This November
One for the Winter months
Among previously announced titles such as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD and The Wonderful 101 being shown during the Nintendo Direct broadcast this week, the company revealed Retro Studios' new title in development, Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze. It was
News Retro Studios: "After Donkey Kong Country Returns We Had A Lot Of Gas Left In The Tank"
Developer reveals why it chose to make another Donkey Kong Country title
Nintendo finally announced Retro Studios' latest game during its E3 Nintendo Direct with the reveal of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. As previously reported, the developer chose a Donkey Kong title over a Metroid one and many people have been wondering why this is...
Tuesday11th Jun 2013
News David Wise Returns To Compose The Soundtrack To Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
The legendary Rare composer is back
Nintendo announced Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze during today's E3 Nintendo Direct presentation. It's the direct sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns but also sits in with the entire series which dates back to the Super Nintendo era when Donkey Kong Country emerged. David Wise composed all three of the...
News Retro Chose Donkey Kong Over Metroid as Its First Wii U Title
Metroid wasn't the prime choice
Are you happy about Retro's return to the Donkey Kong franchise with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, or would you have preferred something different — a fresh IP or a new entry into the world of Metroid, perhaps? According to Retro Studios president and CEO Michael Kelbaugh, the developer chose to work on a...
News Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Hopping To Wii U This Year
Kong's first HD adventure
Nintendo has announced Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze during today's Nintendo Direct broadcast. Kong's first HD outing, Tropical Freeze introduces a new enemy - bloodthirsty Vikings. Kong's island paradise is invaded by these sea-going foes, forcing him to journey to five other islands to defeat them. The game will...
Friday7th Jun 2013
News Armature Studios Gains Another Ex-Retro Staff Member
Donkey Kong Country Returns designer Tom Ivey moves on
As we all know, Armature is a company founded by former Retro Studios staff members — and it would appear that they've added another to their ranks. According to his CV on LinkedIn, Tom Ivey — who was one of the designers on Donkey Kong Country Returns, which was recently ported to the 3DS...
Wednesday29th May 2013
Rumour Retro's Wii U Title Is An Entirely New IP
IGN starts the hype
Retro Studios is one of Nintendo's most valuable assets right now, having delivered smash hits in the form of the Metroid Prime Trilogy and Donkey Kong Country Returns. We all know that the company is working on something for the Wii U, and we'll no doubt see what that is at this year's E3. However, no one seems to know exactly...
Tuesday30th Apr 2013
News Nintendo To Reveal Retro's New Wii U Game "In The Not So Distant Future"
Counting down the days
Are you dying to know what Retro Studios is working on right now? Well you won't have to wait much longer, because Nintendo's Hiro Yamada has told Official Nintendo Magazine that the company will be lifting the lid on the new Wii U title soon. Retro moved to larger offices last year, presumably to enlarge its workforce for...
Saturday6th Apr 2013
News Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Has Local Co-op Play And An Easy Mode
There's also a "brand new surprise" in store
Back in February, Nintendo announced the popular Wii game Donkey Kong Country Returns is being remade for the 3DS. The upcoming title - appropriately named Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D - is being developed by Monster Games and will largely be the same game but with the inclusion of 3D visuals. However,...
Friday28th Sep 2012
News Reggie: Big Guns Focusing on Future Wii U Projects
To appear at E3 2013, or earlier if we're lucky
Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime recently conducted an interview with gametrailers.com, talking about all things Wii U and no doubt mentioned that "it's all about the experience" on at least one occasion. When asked about future Wii U projects, Fils-Aime stated that arguably Nintendo's...
Saturday5th May 2012
Rumour Retro Studios Preparing Star Fox Wii U Reveal
It's an E3 rumour, prepare the salt
With E3 now only one month away we should prepare ourselves for plenty of rumours, some genuine and well-sourced and others that are more questionable. Today we give you — Retro Studios preparing a Wii U reveal of Star Fox at next month's video game industry spectacular. We'd class this rumour as one that's...
Wednesday6th Jul 2011
News Check Out Retro's Unreleased American Football Game
Life before Metroid
Before there was Metroid Prime, Retro Studios hadn't had a bona fide hit, and several of the studio's games were cancelled before seeing the light of day. One such title was this unnamed American football game, recently featured by prominent site Unseen64. The animation shown below is undoubtedly impressive, particularly...
Monday30th May 2011
News How Retro Studios Achieved Backing from Nintendo
Simple in theory, anything but in practice
Nintendo has a brand image that's as solid as a rock, so what does it take for an independant studio to get backing from the company and the opportunity to develop games based on its IPs for its consoles? Retro Studios president Michael Kelbaugh highlights a few qualities needed to do just that. During a...
Monday31st Jan 2011
News Donkey Kong Country Returns Sells Over 4 Million in a Month
Worldwide sales as strong as DK's ground pounding
It hasn't been out for long when compared to the other big sellers of last year, but that hasn't stopped Donkey Kong Country Returns from flying off the shelves. The return of the Donkey Kong franchise by way of Retro Studios has been selling like hot cakes ripe bananas since its North American...
Thursday6th Jan 2011
News Drool Over This Donkey Kong Country Returns Concept Art
Then throw a barrel maybe
The art style in Donkey Kong Country Returns is pitch-perfect, showing respect to the gorilla's history and containing countless tiny references to his previous outings as well as other Retro Studios titles. The concept art that went into producing this unique art style is every bit as impressive as you'd expect,...
Friday3rd Dec 2010
News Latest Iwata Asks Opens Eyes to Nintendo's Tough Standards
Retro Studios in the hot seat
Donkey Kong Country Returns developer Retro Studios recently sat down with Nintendo top man Satoru Iwata to discuss the game's development and the difficulties of long-distance relationships. The Texas-based studio spoke of the inherent troubles of 5am teleconferences with Japanese producer Risa Tabata, who often would...
Wednesday1st Dec 2010
News You Can Buy Donkey Kong Country Returns with Bananas
Strange but true
Gamers in the UK wanting to get Donkey Kong Country Returns for a steal might want to head down to selected Gamestation stores this Friday where the game will cost them... a bunch of bananas. The first 20 customers in line at Game Oxford Street, Game Merry Hill or Gamestation Hull can exchange a bunch of the yellow fruit for a brand...
Thursday18th Nov 2010
News UK Gamers, Choose Your Donkey Kong Pre-Order Bonus Now
T-shirts, figures, in-store credit and more
North America gets a banana, whilst Australian gamers receive a plush DK, but UK gamers have the luxury of choice when it comes to their free pre-order item. Stick your name down against Donkey Kong Country Returns at
Wednesday17th Nov 2010
News Ant and Dec's Jungle Romp Kick Starts Donkey Kong Campaign
In multiplayer they're both Diddy
Diminutive Geordie rascals Ant and Dec have been a staple of Nintendo's advertising campaigns for a while now, so it's no surprise to see them turn up again to promote Donkey Kong Country Returns with a series of web videos. With the latest series of jungle-based endurance test (for all concerned) I'm A Celebrity,...
Tuesday16th Nov 2010
News Lots of Monkey Business in New Donkey Kong Country Returns Trailer
Ape escapade
It's not long until Donkey Kong Country Returns bashes its way into the paths of Wii owners, riding their hearts like a minecart through a cave filled with nostalgic memories. This new trailer should help to stir up recollections of those 16-bit glory days, filled as it is with 2D platforming capers, catchy music and the series'...
Tuesday9th Nov 2010
News If Donkey Kong Country Returns is Too Hard, Use Super Guide
Like the Force, only more monkey-like
Remember the controversial Super Guide from New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2? If not, it's one of Nintendo's newest software features to keep gamers interested by allowing them to proceed past difficult parts of stages if they lose too many lives there. Whether you liked it or not it's here to...
Thursday28th Oct 2010
News New Donkey Kong Country Returns Trailer Shows Mine Cart Madness
And plenty of other madness too, in fact
Two gorillas walking on a whale, hopping on hippos and riding a rocket barrel: it's all here in this new trailer for Donkey Kong Country Returns. Retro Studio's upcoming revival is looking pretty sweet, and it's not long until gamers can tussle with the apes: Donkey Kong returns on November 21st in North...
Saturday16th Oct 2010
News This Plush Donkey Kong Can Be Yours Down Under
For a price, of course
Live in Australia? Excited about Donkey Kong Country Returns? Of course you are. If you want your excitement rewarded in the form of a cuddly Donkey Kong plush, it might be time to visit your nearest GameTraders and plonk down a pre-order. Yes, soon you can gaze wistfully into the ape's eyes, though how soon we do not know as...
Thursday14th Oct 2010
News New Donkey Kong Country Returns Screenshots Beat their Chests
Ape action incoming
Donkey Kong Country Returns is Retro Studio's take on the graceful gorilla's platforming antics, and judging from our E3 First Impressions it's going to be a cracker. These new screenshots from Nintendo certainly prove it won't be a slouch in the graphics department too. The shots show off the game's two-player co-operative mode,...
Tuesday28th Sep 2010
News A Thumping December Euro Release for Donkey Kong Country Returns
Slipping behind North America by only a couple of weeks
It's always encouraging to see anticipated games make it to retail before the Christmas period as it can obviously be a helpful boost for sales, and we're glad that Retro Studios' upcoming Donkey Kong Country Returns will be launching before the holidays on both sides of the Atlantic. Nintendo...
Friday24th Sep 2010
News Have a Banana When You Pre-order Donkey Kong Country Returns
Slip your controller in there
If you were to pre-order Super Scribblenauts, Sonic Colours and Nine Hours, Nine Doors, Nine Persons from Gamestop you'd have enough items of clothing to walk the streets as a headphone-wearing Sonic the Hedgehog with a metal watch. If that's not your idea of value for your pre-order money, Gamestop has something a bit...
Sunday20th Jun 2010
E3 2010 First Impressions: Donkey Kong Country Returns
Nintendo's famous ape is back and better than ever!
When Rare developed the original Donkey Kong Country title for the Super Nintendo console, many were in awe of the impressively-rendered graphics they had managed to syphon out of the Super Nintendo's 16-bit hardware. Now with Rare a part of Microsoft, Nintendo needed someone to reignite the series...
Tuesday15th Jun 2010
E3 2010 Donkey Kong Country Returns This Fall
Retro revival on horizon for DK (updated with trailer)
Nintendo's E3 conference proved last weekend's rumours true, as viewers saw a trailer for a Retro Studios-developed DK game. Donkey Kong Country Returns for Wii looks to be a sidescrolling affair in the style of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat or New Super Mario Bros. Wii. As the name suggests, Retro...
Sunday13th Jun 2010
Rumour Retro Bringing Back Donkey Kong
Maybe he's finally coming back to kick some tail
Most famous for its Metroid Prime series of course, Retro Studios has been rather quiet since completing work on Samus's first person odyssey, with nary a snifter of information slipping from its Texan headquarters. Here's an intriguing rumour courtesy of IGN, however: the studio is working on...
Thursday24th Dec 2009
News Metroid is the Citizen Kane of Games
Comparison confuses design director
Outside of the gaming media, videogames rarely find much airspace, and at times suffer large-scale ‘video nasty’ shock stories. However, when ABC News ran a favourable webcast, comparing Metroid Prime Trilogy to Orson Welles' renowned cinematic classic Citizen Kane, Mark Pacini, the series' design director,...
