Donkey Kong Country Returns Switch Dev Appears To Have Been Revealed

Hmm. Thought it'd be Monster Games. They did the porting work for the 3DS version and co-developed Tropical Freeze.

I'm honestly glad Nintendo has a new partner for upscaled ports like this. It frees up other companies like Grezzo to be able to work on other projects.

It was a disappointment to me. I saw the DK cabin and got my hopes for a new game up, but no, they did it again: a new remaster/remake and DKC Returns itself. Sorry, but I already have it on two different systems.

Surely there is a 3D donkey Kong coming. 2d games are quicker to make and release before 3D in the franchise. Metroid dread before Metroid reremaster. Mario wonder before new 3D Mario on switch 2. Mario bros U on switch before odyssey. Links awakening before skyward for the switch

@MalibuGaGa That logic doesn't hold up. Also, Odyssey came out well before NSMBU on Switch.

@MalibuGaGa : Link's Awakening was a full remake, and I'd put money on that taking a lot longer to develop than Skyward Sword HD, which was a mere Wii port.

Even the Metroid Prime enhanced port should have taken far less time to develop than a brand-new game like Dread.

So uninspiring,
meanwhile Mario 3D Land and Kid Icarus Uprising remain stuck on 3DS.

Even Woolly World would have been better;
we already have a good DK game on Switch.

@Uncle_Franklin and you have many, many, many good Mario games on Switch.

I would be over the moon if “switch 2” launched with a proper 3d dk (or if it releases quickly). Bring back the crocodile, with a charming hub world, beautiful levels and solve the issues that dk 64 had with backtracking and collecting (Although I still love this game so much).

@CazSonOfCaz

But no good Yoshi games on Switch.

Kid Icarus and 3D Land would be above Returns as that game has already been ported before.

Considering Forever's spotty track record with full remakes, giving them very basic remasters seems like a safe way for Nintendo to leverage their resources while ensuring the end results are solid and giving their other partners more leeway to work on other projects.

I mean, I think it's reasonable to let Retro off the hook on this one. Have you SEEN Prime 4? It looks INCREDIBLE!
...then again I'm not really a DK guy myself.

While it's great to have this game on the Switch, I was hoping for a new entry in the DKCR series. What a letdown...

@SillyG I generally agree to your arguments. However, remaking all the assets (polygonal models + textures) was probably a huge effort.

I will buy this but not at full price. Played and completed this game on wii already and from what i recall it wasnt as good as TF. Would have much rather have seen an updated version of the origional DKC trilogy.

@Uncle_Franklin The really annoying thing was that they removed multiplayer on the 3DS version of Yoshi's wooly world. Meanwhile in crafted world, if you try to play co-op you just get stuck on each other's backs half the time. I don't think it's as bad as you indicated as a game, but it's got a lot of issues, and honestly it's kind of the same issues that DKC returns has. Collectibles feel more like a chore, and if you miss one you have to replay the whole level to get it. Or kill yourself to start over at a checkpoint.

Why are we told who's developing this but not Mario and Luigi? That's more important

@Poodlestargenerica

I like the game,
it's Crafted World I don't like.

@Uncle_Franklin Yeah that's what I meant, crafted world isnt THAT bad, on a scale of games, but the collectible aspect are a chore and you have to kill yourself if you miss one. I think (similar to dkcr) the 2.5d system was cool, but didn't live up to it's promise. It's no wooly world though. And none of them come close to Yoshi's Island.

Look guys, I know this isn’t the new DK game we want. But it’s better than nothing.

But this release shows that Nintendo hasn’t forgotten DK. This port is to test to see if there is still an audience for DK and also for the upcoming theme park expansion based on DKC Returns iirc.

If we all support this port, we will get a new DK game. Whether a 2D or 3D, we will get a new one, one day. Retro Studios is busy with Metroid Prime 4, so it will take some time for a new DK to come out.

If we don’t support this port, then that sends a message to Nintendo that we don’t want DK.

Okay Mr. Nintendo, but can you please tell us WHO IS MAKING THE MARIO AND LUIGI GAME?
The wait is killing me!

I do want a new DK game and was a bit let down it was this but it’s such a good game and I don’t have it anymore. This release does include some 3ds levels I never got a chance at either so that sweetens things a bit.

Fair play to Forever; started the Switch generation as a bit of a shovelware factory and ending it with a Donkey Kong game. Not bad!

Thank you, strangely transparent Polish tax laws

I'm just... So happy they did something. It's been 6 years since the tropical freeze port, and DKC felt forgotten. I've seen many people disappointed, but personally, I wasn't even expecting anything DK, so I will certainly take it.

As much as I love Tropical Freeze, I actually prefer Returns. It's my favourite DKC game. So this is great news to me.

Haven't played this so I'm excited as hell for this!

So... this is a remaster, not a remake. Yes, this is the 3rd launch of the game, but I'm so happy that I will be able to play DKCR again... My favorite franchise is complete on the Switch!
(Well... give me the DKL games and the DKC-GBA ports 🤓)

@Clyde_Radcliffe Probably because M&L is in-house, most of AlphaDream works for Nintendo now after all.

Since Forever is involved, people should automatically be concerned about middling performance and a soulless feel. As a Switch owner of Panzer Dragoon Remake, even after all of the updates, it feels like a half-hearted attempt by people who only watched videos of the original. The initial release of PDR was so riddled with bugs and performance problems that it felt like they were selling a first iteration beta before anyone had playtested it.

That Dragoon remake was poopoo. How did that earn them the chance to work with Nintendo?

@Kilroy This is a direct port though with some graphical updates rather than a remake so nothing about the feel of the game will be different to the original. Plus I really doubt Nintendo would let a Wii port release with middling performance. It’ll be fine

I love this series. I'm glad they brought the "superior" 3DS edition with it's extra levels.

@link3710 Do you have a source for this? Genuinely curious, I was under the assumption they would have scattered rather than Nintendo hiring most of the developers.

@Nua I'm sure I could find one, but I do know a lot of the staff has been seen in credits of other Nintendo games during the Switch era. I saw a master post on Twitter at some point of someone matching people up but dunno if it even still exists. Most people were either at Nintendo or Sega from what I recall, with a handful likely having left the industry.

Some examples: Hiroyuki Kabota was recently in the ToTK credits (I think he's working for Monolith Soft), Yoshihiko Maekawa was involved with Mario RPG remake, Koichi Fuzakawa is at Sega.

Not sure if anyone else knows where to find that master post tho

So this is not a wii game port, its a 3ds game port.

@Hyrulewarrior I don't think Forever Entertainment has the expertise to make a new DKC game. Them releasing a new DKC game soon would have been great, but this specifically should not have been that.

Hoping for funky and pro controller support

Really need a new DK game badly. I have DK withdrawals.

I see Forever Entertainment has risen up the ranks.

forever entertainment does not have a good track record. their work has been passable at best. very surprising that nintendo would put them in charge of such a great game that is deserving of a perfect remaster.

@Porco Well this does seem pretty passable, not that I'm complaining.

@Porco @Yodalovesu Remember when MercurySteam released Castlevania: Mirror of Fate in 2013, the third (and so far final) game in the rebooted universe? It had middling reviews from actual players and I personally thought it was the shallowest, blandest, most uncreative metroidvania I had ever played in my then 25 years of gaming.

And yet, Nintendo gave them the reigns to remake Metroid II. It ended up being a great decision because they made Dread, but Samus Returns wasn't exactly perfect.

@Kilroy i see your point, although i'd argue its not an even comparison since the original castlevania reboot, lords of Shadow (2010) was a very solid game and the breakout title of the studio. of course, kojima productions was also involved in its development and that likely went a long way to ensuring its quality. mercury steam showed a lot of promise and needed some direction i suppose.

forever entertainment's work on the other hand has been so uninspired and by the numbers in my opinion (front mission and dragoon remakes). lacking in polish and spirit is probably the best way to describe their work. in either case, we all know nintendo's level of quality control goes above and beyond in most cases and they won't let this remaster get released unless it is meets their standards (hopefully). there is potential for forever entertainment to grow and improve, it's just that nintendo doesn't usually rely on unproven developers with its first party IP so it is quite an unusual circumstance.

@nua - Okay saw a post with more actual data. ILCA appears to be the place the greatest number of employees have settled. P sure the earlier post I saw was misinfo, though the senior staff being involved with Nintendo is definitely true (that's verifiable via credits).
https://twitter.com/Lizard_yyy/status/1804057463294931197

I hope these Polish can polish, now that they have some Nintendo cash to spend. Their House of the Dead remake was lifeless.