It’s not unfair to say that the gaming landscape was somewhat different when Donkey Kong Country Returns first fell into our laps in 2010; 2D platformers were a rare breed, and ol’ DK himself hadn’t arguably had a mainline entry in his series since 2004’s Jungle Beat. Back then, the title said it all: not only was Donkey Kong back, but Donkey Kong Country had indeed returned. That’s not quite the world we’re living in 15 years later.
Having said that, just like the original, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD explains everything you need to know about it in the title: it’s Donkey Kong Country Returns in HD, and unfortunately, it’s not much more than that. This is that same great game from the Wii era tarted up a bit here and there.

The Tiki Tak Tribe – a set of manipulative, sentient instruments, naturally – have stolen DK’s beloved banana horde for their own purposes, and have hypnotised the local fauna into turning on our simian superhero. Either that or the wildlife has always bemoaned DK’s sense of self-importance, the game doesn’t specify one way or another. Armed with his sidekick of debated relation in Diddy Kong, you’re going to need to make the titular ape run, roll, jump, slam, and (sadly) blow his way through a swathe of environs that are worryingly close to one another given their extreme weather differences.
Let’s nip the moveset in the bud quickly: for 99% of your playtime DK handles brilliantly. His physics and momentum are a little strange compared to a typical platformer, but once you get it down, you can see why it is the way it is, and for the most part it fits well with the level design. Gone is the need to waggle the Wii Remote and/or Nunchuk to roll, instead everything is controlled with buttons and sticks, just like Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D on the 3DS. If you’re hankering for some tethered shaking action you can enable motion controls in the options menu, which we wouldn’t recommend in a month of Sundays, but it’s nice that it's included regardless. Options are good.
But there’s one mechanic that lets things down, and that’s blowing. By holding down on the D-Pad or left stick and hitting the action button, DK will crouch and gently blow something he could probably slam with his palms. You can use this to blow out fire, interact with background objects and a few other things, and it’s a bloody nuisance, frankly. It kills the pace whenever you’re required to use it, is direction-sensitive, and is tellingly not present in the sequel, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. We would never expect a remaster to remove a mechanic like this (although it’s nice to wish), but forcing the blow on us after all these years reminded us why we were so happy to give it up.

Luckily, it’s rarely required if you’re not aiming for 100% completion, although the number of times we’ve killed our speed to blow on a suspicious-looking reed only for it to frustratingly wither away and yield nothing in return is higher than we’d like. It was about four times, but that’s four times too many.
But enough about hangups. The game as a whole is great, a real testament to Retro Studio's strides to bring something new to an all-but-dormant genre. In truth, some things have aged more than others: boss fights continue to be an exercise in tedium, for example, while nowadays, we’re spoiled with platformers that are standing on DK’s shoulders. Fortunately, there's still plenty of examples of great level design, expressive animation, and surprises for new players and those without concerningly accurate memories of video games.
Not all levels are created equal, however. Some started and seemed to end in the blink of an eye, and others have difficulty spikes that will likely put off more casual players. Thankfully, Cranky Kong’s Shop sells a variety of different useful items that can help you reach the goal in those trickier segments, and this is even expanded in the new ‘Modern’ difficulty that is very reminiscent of the ‘New’ mode from Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. DK and Diddy both get an extra hit point as well, which should ease the frustration for levels that don’t rely on insta-death for their challenge.

But in terms of what's actually new in this HD remaster? Well, as we suggested above, it’s a slim list. The additional levels from the 3DS version are present, and some of the visuals have had a bit of a bump. DK and Diddy have new, higher-poly models, and they even boast a bit of the ol’ ‘Conker Fur’, which probably has a less Rare-focused name by now. Truth be told, you’ll probably only notice this at the end of levels and during in-engine cutscenes, but it’s something. The timing window for bouncing on the heads of enemies also appears to be a bit more generous to our feel.
But in all honesty, that’s about it. There’s nothing standout about this HD version that sets it apart from the other two besides its resolution. All the new inclusions are piecemeal, and even worse there are some new (extremely minor) blemishes that weren’t previously present.
Firstly, the sound mixing is a bit… all over the place. Certain cutscenes are whisper-quiet, but the loading screen music is far too loud in our opinion; it’s more reminiscent of the 3DS version but louder still to our ear.
Donkey Kong rises with his balloon strangely quickly when you lose a life, and the animation that plays just before is oddly stretched, as though the original hadn’t been intended for widescreen displays, which it actually was. Don’t get us wrong, these are all incredibly insignificant complaints, but they’re all symptoms of what feels like a lacklustre remastering of a beloved game.

The real clincher, however, is performance. For an overwhelming majority of the time, the game runs at a solid 60fps, but there are instances where dropped frames occur, even in small sections of entire levels when the game appears to be struggling, such as the Beach world's boss fight. It’s infrequent enough that it doesn’t spoil the fun, but this is a Wii game at its heart, the Switch should have absolutely zero issues running it flawlessly, and given the full retail price tag, we’d expect that from a first-party release.
The broad feeling around the game is one of missed opportunity, this was a chance to create the definitive version of Donkey Kong’s fabulous 2010 return; instead, Forever Entertainment has delivered a product that is good enough rather than what Retro Studio’s classic revival deserves. It’s still the same great game at its core, but it’s lacking the love that the original had poured into it, a fact which is capped off by the original developers' names being entirely absent from the credits beyond a cursory 'Based on the work of the original development staff'.
Conclusion
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fine way to play the 2010 original, but it’s also lacking any real reason for fans to double-dip beyond waggle-free controls. It’s less of a remaster and more of a port, to be honest, which would be all well and good if it wasn’t being sold at such a premium. There's plenty of fun to be had, but we can't help but walk away from it with a slightly sour taste in our mouths. Our advice? Grab the superior Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze instead.
Comments 173
Donkey Kong Country Returns For The Third Time
if its the same as the 2010 one how can it be a 7/10.
anyways I'm salty the didn't fix all the graphical issues, so I likely not gonna buy it
Hopefully we get a new Donkey Kong game with King K. Rool on Switch 2. But for now, I’m excited to revisit this game.
FIFA legacy edition 0/10. Justification…It’s the same game!!!And here we are with a Nintendo release at full price and sure why not 7/10. That makes sense.
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can't wait for Tropical Freeze re-remaster on Switch 2
I can’t wait to play this one again for my birthday. I’m in a gaming slump at the moment and honestly, I think this will just make me feel happy playing it. When I get it for my birthday later this month. Manifesting it. Someone will get it for me. Manifesting!
Thanks for reminding me to finish Tropical Freeze. And heck, I might replay my favorite one Donkey Kong Country 2.
not a donkey kong fan but ik they have been thirsty for new content so glad for them the graphics look like some of the best on switch! rly hoping for backwards compatible games on Switch 2 to get an upgrade haha 😸
@sixrings I bought what I see as the same game on 3DS for £8 the other day. Seems hard for them to justify the cost for this "HD" version.
Oh, I see that we've got a similar situation with the credits that plagued Metroid Prime Remastered? What a shame to not credit the OG team properly.
I might get this one eventually at a hefty discount. But ONLY if the new Donkey Kong Country series gets a third instalment announcement.
It's. Exactly. The. Same. Game. For. $60.
Any quibbles about the blow mechanic are minor enough to not warrant a mention, let alone two very forced paragraphs. I'll take it as a testament to the original game's greatness, though.
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@sixrings
That's a false equivalance.
FIFA legacy releases were identical to prior releases from years past on the same platform.
This is the first time Donkey Kong Country Returns has been playable on any HD home console.
For what the package offers though, the asking price is definitely too high when you consider the price point of Metroid Prime Remastered, which had substantially more polish and even had a shadow drop.
NO WAY DK Tropical Freeze got a 9/10 here being THE SAME game as the 2014 WiiU game (and being even more expensive than the original), and this one, having improved DRASTICALLY the graphics and controls, and even being (imo) a better game, got a 7/10...
Simply ridiculous.
They should've made it 40€ like Metroid Prime Remastered was, and I could overlook small imperfections.
Those screenshots look terrible. I'm sure it looks better in motion but those screens.... They don't do the game justice.
If you haven't played this I would recommend it easily but wait for a Sale. 60 euros/dollars or 50 pounds is just too steep. If they added more Content like Funky Kong I don't think I would mind but as it is now it's just not worth it to me personally. Again I've played it if you haven't then obviously you're going to feel differently.
It costs significantly more than the original wii game at launch! Pass.
They’ve got to stop doing this “based on the work of…” nonsense with the credits. It’s pretty insulting to the original team/s that actually put the work into the level designs and content.
A full remake I could perhaps understand, but a port with tweaks does not make it “your work” much in the same way that tracing over a picture and adding a few tweaks doesn’t.
@Erigen Yep, like the Switch version of DK: Tropical Freeze. And everyone praised that game.
@Sonicka I see people on DeviantART tracing pictures all the time and they claim it as their own and it really annoys me.
I won‘t buy it. I just play it on my 3DS. But it‘s a nice game though.
I'm definitely not going to be supporting this.
Such a 'late in the console life' game port it's hard to be mad it's not adding much to the package
@the_beaver A lot people complained about Tropical Freeze's pricing and lack of new content as well. So much so that it turned into the whole "new Funky mode" meme.
Anyway, I think Tropical Freeze is by far the better game. The Switch version, while not a massive upgrade, is at least very stable and free of bugs (as far as I can tell, anyway).
Nintendo are just filling gaps in the Switch release schedule now with subpar efforts - to be expected as the big devs will all have been working likely years now on Switch 2 games
I want a new Donkey Kong game, but not a Country game. Something new and a 3D entry. Many years ago somebody on here suggested the idea of a Donkey Kong game in the gameplay style of Mirror's Edge which sounded like an interesting idea.
This one I have on 3DS so I doubt I will pick it up.
I would have skipped this but I am currently recovering from a longterm illness, so have ordered it cheer me up, hopefully it does that!
P. S. If you live in the UK you can get it from Curry's for £36 with a discount code, which makes it a lot less ridiculous
If you're on the fence about getting it NL did give this a perfect 10 back in the day so you will like it if you put yourself in the shoes of the Wii era. (That being said I personally like the originals and Tropical Freeze better but everyone has different tastes.)
With no additions to justify the double dip, I'm happy with my Wii and 3DS versions. But asking full price is criminal. For people who didn't own it already, it's fine, but really: why not releasing it years ago? This doesn't give the Switch a sales boost in the end of its life.
Yes, to double dip or triple dip it really needed the funky mode as I could then justify the price tag and it could then be played by all of our family and their ability not just me.
Sorry I’ll pass this time Nintendo.
I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who actually never got round to playing this so looking forward to it!
@YoshiTails Nice one on the Curry's tip, and I wish you a speedy and comfortable recovery, and am glad this game will bring you something fun to distract yourself with.
From what I've seen of this game in the trailer though, I'm going to wait this one out until I can get it for £20, used or otherwise. Doesn't look they've done enough to upgrade this visually, so having already got both Wii and 3DS versions, I'm not in the mood for supporting full price for this.
Should be 40 Euro tops.
@YoshiTails hope you have a speedy recovery my friend!
@the_beaver
The key difference is that Returns is/still is available on two best-selling consoles and sold incredibly well. This new one has virtually nothing new aside from graphics, with some effects missing.
Tropical Freeze was on a failed console with a smaller installer base. Though it was a port on the Switch, included a unique feature completely lacking from the original, and giving the game a second chance to be experienced by a far larger audience.
Already preloaded onto the Switch and ready to go. Can't wait to jump back into this one. I haven't played it since the release of the original Wii game.
@Erigen I understand that's the reason why most people looked forward for that game instead of this one, but that's NOT enough reason to get a much higher score... This whole thing doesn't make any sense to me.
The final advice is really idiotic. Saying grab the superior Tropical Freeze, is like saying do not play Breath of the Wild, grab the superior Tears of the Kingdom. Why would you deny yourself the original just because there is a sequel that improve whatever is wrong. The correct advice would be, buy Return then play Tropical Freeze or wait for a sale buy Return and then buy Tropical Freeze.
This game is still a 10/10.
@KoopaTheGamer That might be true, but I'm just complaining about the score they both got here in Nintendolife. One gets a 9 while the other gets a 7, and I honestly believe they've worked more to port this one to the Switch.
Which one is best is a matter of tastes. I prefer Returns thanks to the levels being much shorter, so it has higher replayability (and the second one played it too safe, imo), but both games are great.
Original Wii game got a 10/10... Switch remake that is "basically the original game" gets a 7/10.
Strangely the same game can get a drastically lower score. This to me feels more that NLife is prioritizing more flashy new games than enjoying classic games. And for a site that once reviewed every Wii Virtual Console game, this feels off.
@jcgonzmo I actually do think that anyone who hasn't played Breath of the Wild should just play Totk instead, but that's because I do think that Totk is just better Botw.
This is different though, because at least the level designs are different.
@the_beaver
Why Tropical Freeze has higher scores is irrelevant to Returns' re-release.
But if you really must know; it was the timing of the original Tropical Freeze's release. It was not the right game at the right time for the WiiU, during a period when Nintendo fans desperately needed a game-changer only to get a game too similar to the previous one.
With the Wii U dead and gone, and the gloomy cloud gone from Nintendo hopefuls. It was then welcomed for what it is, an overall great game that is an improvement from the previous game.
That's the reason why nearly every Wii U port for the Switch was generally more welcomed.
Full price? Jog on Nintendo.
@sanderev They aren't just reviewing the gameplay but also the whole package taking the context in which it is released into consideration. I don't think NL is suggesting that the gameplay is worse than before just that the overall package does not rise to the standards of an 8-10 score. I have this pre-ordered and am very excited to play it for the first time but I do understand why it's getting a lower score. It seems as though this was a somewhat lazy effort which is a shame.
More Simpsons taglines, please.
Ya not at that price
"Armed with his sidekick of debated relation in Diddy Kong,"
Can we debate it? What is he? I always thought he was his Nephew I think?
This game just looks so awful, I don’t know how anyone could justify getting this for this outlandish price
The fact that we weren't charged full price for Prime Remastered continues to be one of the most contradictory things Nintendo has done.
Can't wait for fresh releases from internal studios again!
This game primarily targets a younger audience which wasn’t gaming (or not being born yet) in 2010 and newer played the inferior 3DS version.
So most of us in the comments here - and in the NL team as well - are NOT the main audience.
And still I am happy to play this game with the extra levels and mostly smooth 60 fps on the go! The price is acceptable for me.
Who played it before = they won´t buy.
Who never played it before = they´ll buy Tropical Freeze instead (same price)
It’s an undeniable shame they took the Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD route with almost zero new content at full price, but I’m a DK fan who hasn’t returned to Returns in a long time. Playing on the big screen without waggle controls should be a pro. This should clearly be better than playing on the little, ol’ 3DS unless one cares about the 3D. And I’d like my Switch (and my future Switch) to become like a hub for the DK series. So I have valid reasons for triple-dipping, more than my double dip for Luigi.
Yes, Tropical Freeze is superior in every way, but Returns is a great game with lots of action-packed levels, so it’s still worth it for both fans and newcomers alike.
@IceClimbersMain In addition to what you are saying. The levels and music are different. You can experiment both easily.
Thanks for the review, looking forward to finally playing Country Returns (eventually got it on 3DS, but haven't played it yet) when my discounted physical copy arrives - that said, fingers crossed the performance and the minor oversights get fixed through patches and/or Switch's successor (I doubt the credits will ever be changed unfortunately)!
Looking at the screen shots I just remembered how much I loathe that chicken boss.
@contractcooker But taking 3 whole points off for a "remaster" being a remaster? That's just seems not right to me. Then either the original reviewscore was too high or this one is too low.
And seeing the quality of reviews and articles on Nintendolife lately.. well.. I am going with the latter.
Fun fact: it was Shigeru Miyamoto's idea to add in the blowing mechanism, the development team couldn't say no. You can tell it doesn't belong in game as it completely breaks the flow as Alex points out.
I have bought it first time on Wii some weeks after release day. Then I bought it again on 3DS some years later for the amazing stereoscopic 3D and those lovely extra levels etc. So a Big NO for this HD version.I don't need it for third time.
@sanderev it's not running at a locked 60fps which for a remake of a wii game is really a poor showing, they haven't done much other than a few higher res assets. It's just not a great showing especially when they are expecting full retail price. Maybe 3 points is too much maybe it isn't. After all a review is simply one person's perspective taken at a specific moment in time.
Really makes me wonder if this will sell well at all.
It’s wild to me they re released these two games rather than just making a third. I mean I appreciate having them and all. I guess the premium cost of it for such an easy release makes sense from a quick cash aspect. Disappointing to me though.
I'm triple dipping and will still have a lot of fun re-playing it after many years, but it does sound like a lazy port :/
Props for the Simpsons reference! I'll never understand Tropical Freeze being so vaunted. It's at best an even match to this game. Which is to say a mostly soulless continuation of the series which lost its soul somewhere in DKC3 with those dead eyed bears. But this one has that shadowy beach level at least. No reason to play either when DKC 1 and 2 are on NSO. I'd play the DKL games before these. Based on the work of is a pretty funny line though, it's almost like someone at big N had their marching orders, knew how bunged up people get about this stuff and just went for broke to bait the righteous indignation.
@sanderev I get your point, however just giving a game the same score as the original isn't fair to todays standards, especially when they ask full price of a new game with barely any difference to the original. That would mean they can release ocarina of time each generation with minor tweaks and get an instant 10/10 just because it got that score in 1998.
Certainly not on removing the original devs from the credits.
Wonder why Mario vs DK was retailed at $50 (among others, I believe?) but this one gets the full 60. Probably a pass for me here, sale or not
I'll be honest, this is the best platformer ever made for me, and this version has both good controls (hated the motion on Wii) and with a decent grip with the controller (playing on 3DS give me cramps, too small and uncomfortable).
So this is the perfect version in my eyes, a must have and I'll gladly triple dip.
Noticing an inconsistent standard. Prime Remastered didn't show the original developers, and you commented on it, and that makes sense
TTYD HD didn't show the original devs, and you guys said nothing about it
Now DKCR HD doesn't mention it, and you are docking points again. Are you just adding those observations arbitrarily, or do you forget to make that observation sometimes?
It's a fantastic game but it's too expensive. And I rarely complain about prices.
This is a hard NO for me. Full price for what seems like a quick port and only a resolution bump? Nah. I'll stick with my 3DS version.
Even Prime Remastered was overpriced given that the whole Trilogy was £18 on Wii U. This is just taking the mick.
@KritterXD Or different reviewers. Or they took into consideration that after people mentioned it. It's important that people understand that they are humans and sometimes they might end up not noticing something or simply don't care as much as other people about some things. As objective as reviews try to be, they are still based on an opinion.
I get that some of you are mad about Retro not being shown on the credits ot this game, i fail to see why it should affect the score 🤔
Is there a control option to move DK with the D-Pad? What I couldn't stand with the 3DS version was if you wanted to use D-Pad for movement, the controls for ABYX and LR would swap. There was no middle ground. I absolutely cannot play a 2D platform with a control strick. Give me the option to play with the D-Pad with my prefered buttons!
Obviously it's just a HD port, as the title implies, and in contrast to Metroid Prime Remastered. I own it on 3DS so it's a pointless purchase. I can't remember doing the blow while playing it. How interesting!
I'm currently playing Super Mario Galaxy for the first time and while it's a great game in and of itself, SMG2, which I played on Wii U, took all the lessons learned and improved upon the level design to such a degree that it makes its predecessor redundant, at least in terms of gameplay.
This review is giving me a similar feeling. If you already played the sequel, there's little reason to go back.
But @Max_the_German is right. This game is targeted at younger players who may never have played a DK game. I'm assuming this one is easier than Tropical Freeze overall?
@Mana_Knight It does seem to be the common consensus that DK is Diddy Kong's uncle, though some family trees do list hem as cousins. The justification of this is unclear.
@Qwiff I don't know if I agree. I actually played tropical freeze first and then Returns, and I found things to like about both. Tropical Freeze offers far more level variety and intricate level design, but Returns is far more challenging. I would hardly say there is little reason to go back.
For those who've already played Tropical Freeze and are looking for more DKC-like action, I actually recommend Kaze and the Wild Masks.
@Bigmanfan I'm going by this review. But you're not the first on this forum to say that Returns is still worth playing, so I'll keep an open mind.
It is an excellent game make no mistake about that. It just sucks that Nintendo always jacks up prices of games just because of a little HD polish and acts like it's a totally new 60 dollar game. Oh well. If you've never played it do not hesitate. Get it! Otherwise wait for a sale.
I find this comparisons with Tropical Freeze unfair! The 2010 DKCR got a „Outstanding 10/10“ from Nintendo Life. And now, with more levels, better controls and better graphics, it‘s only a „Good 7/10“. Okay, different reviewer, but the core game is the same, and standards for precision platformers didn’t change to much in the last 15 years, TF was an evolution, not a revolution of this original formula.
TF is great, yes, but DKCR as well!
That’s a nope from me, which is a shame, because I love Tropical Freeze and have never played this one, but I can’t in good conscience support this game as a practice or as a purchasing decision.
Looking forward to this. Stupid waggle controls ruined the Wii version and the awful 3DS screen put me off the 3DS one so I have my copy preordered.
And now I'm even more convinced to stick with my 3DS copy. Thanks for the review!
It really feels like Nintendo wants Donkey Kong to fail.
None of the ports/remasters get the treatment they deserve, they end up having poor sales, and it takes 5 or more years for Nintendo to do something with the franchise.
"Our advice? Grab the superior Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze instead."
(question: any version of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (as part of this advice))
Vowed I wouldn’t buy this, and just rediscovered it on 3DS, but also reminded how uncomfortable the 3DS can be for long play sessions. Got it for just over £36 so will give it a whirl then pass it on without losing too much.
Donkey Kong Country Returns on Wii is still my favorite Donkey Kong game of all time and I prefer it over Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (slightly) for having boss death cutscenes and more worlds, but this port is going to be a "later buy" for me and even then, the unsteady 60 fps is a bit baffling to me and I hope that gets fixed.
60 dollars no thanks..
People really need to chill with the comments about it not scoring the same grade as the original when it's a different reviewer.
Anyway, I'll personally take an upgrade like this over what they did to Paper Mario TTYD where they cut the frame rate in half in favor of upgraded visuals for a game that already looked great to begin with in its original incarnation. Not worth it in my opinion.
I still have the wii version. It's an excellent game, not enough incentive for another rebuy. If it came bundled with Tropical Freeze, I would bite. Maybe if/when it goes on sale.
Anyway, I'd love to see a DK: Jungle Beat remaster. I need to go find those bongos.
RE: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fine way to play the 2010 original, but it’s also lacking any real reason for fans to double-dip beyond waggle-free controls. <snip> Our advice? Grab the superior Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze instead.
IMHO, I think this might be missing a point . . .
I think it is great that Nintendo is bringing old games to the Switch. It means that anyone that doesn't have (and maybe never had) a Wii, Wii U or 3DS can have access to this game.
And if they have already played DKC Tropical Freeze, then they get another chance to explore the DKC universe.
NOTE: Although I agree if this is a double-dip. LOL. I haven't double-dipped most of the games that are repeats from Wii or Wii U games I already have. A big exception being Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Cheers for the review. For me it still reads like a solid 8 but that's just gamer reader perception I guess. I played the Wii version and then replayed it on the 3DS (the game is downloaded onto the device). So it's just the 3DS game content HD'fied? For that price? Think I'll wait fo a big discount before triple dipping then.
Ouch, it's disappointing that this remaster can't even run at a steady 60 FPS.
So it is a waste of money,
good to know.
The drop from a 10/10 to a 7/10 is quite bizarre. The game is just as fun as back in the day.
I get that a minor penalty might be applied because of how little it adds, but a severe drop like this is a bit extreme imo…
Sure am glad this is out right before my birthday, because I'd otherwise wait for a price drop (which are more common than people think for Nintendo games - Woot! in particular's been pretty decent, bringing Luigi's Mansion 2 HD down to $45 for weeks now). I do think Nintendo's current pricing strategy is going to backfire on them more and more, though - the value proposition is just lacking with a release like this. $40 at most would've been acceptable. But the 30fps in Returns 3D was frustrating enough by the end to make me drop the game compared to the buttery smooth Tropical Freeze, and I don't want to play the Wii version and deal with waggle, so I've had this at the top of my birthday list.
I do get the feeling that Nintendo's deal with Forever Entertainment, if it doesn't fall through, is going to just lead to them being put on late Switch ports of games that generally aren't that cared about (even if they are well-liked). Stuff like, say, Excitebots, Battalion Wars, and FlingSmash. And once whatever their contract is wraps up, I hope they take their business elsewhere. It takes talent to be a go-to Nintendo partner, and they could easily find other studios that can do much better jobs akin to Tantalus and Grezzo
The review talks about aspects that are lesser than the original release,
and also mentions some things not ageing well;
so that's your reduced score, put the straw away, stop making that scarecrow.
This feels like deja vu with the Mario vs. DK game early last year. Unglamorous filler titles while Nintendo's main teams are focusing on greater things. I preordered the games anyway, since I'd hadn't played either previously and thinking they'd be a decent time. I wish they reviewed a little better - on the backlog you go!
But over 2 years later we're still feeling spoiled by the pricing on Metroid Prime Remastered. That game there should have been a full $60.00 release, and this one reduced to $40.00. Why was MP so inexpensive? I guess just because it was a one-off proof of concept for Retro to get ready for MP4. For that reason, I doubt we'll see the same care given to MP 2 and 3.
Honestly 7/10 is a score I'm more inclined to give Returns in the first place. It's always been good, I did buy the Switch version for a reason and all, but it's always had its structural issues and Tropical Freeze has always been a massive glow-up compared to it.
@roy130390 I do get that, but they are supposed to be professionals at the end of the day. I'm leaving a critique so that they can be more aware of it and try to be more consistent. That said, you are right, it could just be different reviewers who look out for certain things that others don't
You can get the same game right now on Wii or 3DS for £8 out of CEX. Even the £36 Curry's are charging for this is more than 4x the price for the same game. Not worth it.
@Archius9 guess you’ll be disappointed…? Tropical Freeze is already on the Switch, that version will work with the new device. Whether there’ll be a new patch or DLC, that could be up for debate if Nintendo will charge for it or not.
It's just really weird that Nintendo priced this at twice the cost of METROID PRIME: REMASTERED. All I can think is that they believe DK has a broader appeal across the Switch's install base and so they can convince people that it's a "new" experience for their Switch. Seriously, though, I can't believe this is $60.00 USD. I really thought it would have been $40 to $50, tops. Of course, PRINCESS PEACH: SHOWTIME launched at $60, so maybe I don't just understand, lol.
@Mana_Knight @Bigmanfan Looking at it literally, DK is a gorilla and Diddy is a monkey. As fictional characters, though, Nintendo can have fun with their mascot stories. 😊
I will say this, it is hard to go back to the small screens of the 3DS after playing Switch. Guess my eyes are also getting older. 🤓
"Our advice? Grab the superior Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze instead."
I would imagine most people that want to play this already have played Tropical Freeze.
And for those that have not - why not play both? (If they can afford them.)
@AlexOlney
"But there’s one mechanic that lets things down, and that’s blowing. By holding down on the D-Pad or left stick and hitting the action button, DK will crouch and gently blow something he could probably slam with his palms. You can use this to blow out fire, interact with background objects and a few other things, and it’s a bloody nuisance, frankly. It kills the pace whenever you’re required to use it, is direction-sensitive, and is tellingly not present in the sequel, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. We would never expect a remaster to remove a mechanic like this (although it’s nice to wish), but forcing the blow on us after all these years reminded us why we were so happy to give it up.
Luckily, it’s rarely required if you’re not aiming for 100% completion, although the number of times we’ve killed our speed to blow on a suspicious-looking reed only for it to frustratingly wither away and yield nothing in return is higher than we’d like. It was about four times, but that’s four times too many."
For those that did not know - Shigeru Miyamoto came up with the blowing:
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/09/random_donkey_kong_blows_of_course_and_its_all_down_to_shigeru_miyamoto
@progx yeah, I wasn’t being serious.
@betterman Me too, triple dipping so I can complete it again myself and use the added benefit of the easier difficulty for my young nephew to try it out as he has a Switch too.
For me it will be worth it, and for those on the fence, with it being a Nintendo first party title it will hold it's value, so it's well worth trying out in my opinion, even if you sell it later on.
Now that this is releasing, maybe we will get DK 64 and DK ‘94 on the NSO apps. 😊🤞
@AlexOlney
"and even worse there are some new (extremely minor) blemishes that weren’t previously present.
Firstly, the sound mixing is a bit… all over the place. Certain cutscenes are whisper-quiet, but the loading screen music is far too loud in our opinion; it’s more reminiscent of the 3DS version but louder still to our ear.
Donkey Kong rises with his balloon strangely quickly when you lose a life, and the animation that plays just before is oddly stretched, as though the original hadn’t been intended for widescreen displays, which it actually was. Don’t get us wrong, these are all incredibly insignificant complaints, but they’re all symptoms of what feels like a lacklustre remastering of a beloved game.
The real clincher, however, is performance. For an overwhelming majority of the time, the game runs at a solid 60fps, but there are instances where dropped frames occur, even in small sections of entire levels when the game appears to be struggling, such as the Beach world's boss fight. It’s infrequent enough that it doesn’t spoil the fun, but this is a Wii game at its heart, the Switch should have absolutely zero issues running it flawlessly, and given the full retail price tag, we’d expect that from a first-party release.
The broad feeling around the game is one of missed opportunity, this was a chance to create the definitive version of Donkey Kong’s fabulous 2010 return; instead, Forever Entertainment has delivered a product that is good enough rather than what Retro Studio’s classic revival deserves. It’s still the same great game at its core, but it’s lacking the love that the original had poured into it, a fact which is capped off by the original developers' names being entirely absent from the credits beyond a cursory 'Based on the work of the original development staff'."
"Cons:
(...)
Well. These "extremely minor" problems could probably be fixed in a small update?
Maybe Nintendo life could contact Forever Entertainment and ask if they could fix them? https://forever-entertainment.com
@AlexOlney
"Joys:
Cons:
I agree the the original developers should be credited,
I don't agree however that it should affect the "Cons" and possibly the score of the game.
Maybe add these to the Joys: (Taken from the review.)
Never played it so will probably get it.
Tropical freeze is great and doesn't get the love it deserves.
60 for an old as game whoa Nintendo. Get a deck or other pc handheld. I’ve yet to pay over $25 for a game and sales are a plenty.
It will still sell like hot bananas. I can make that statement because I have no idea how well that would sell at all.
If I was a part of the original dev team, I wouldn't want my name associated with a BAD PORT.
"Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fine way to play the 2010 original, but it’s also lacking any real reason for fans to double-dip beyond waggle-free controls."
Well, I can think of a few more reasons to double dip apart from the option to waggle or not:
Tried Returns on 3DS, always lacked soul for me.
Will probably give Tropical Freeze a chance this year.
@KritterXD As professional reviewers, they are expected to evaluate the game in the most objective way possible, with reasoning behind their scores and knowledge on different topics like performance, gameplay and graphics. A background check on stuff like the credits, working environment, scandals and other aspects isn't required at all and shouldn't be expected from a reviewer. If they know about that and decide to include the information, that's certainly great, but personally I wouldn't question a reviewer's professionalism based on something like that.
Not having the original development team does not impact this final product in any way and should not be listed as a negative. Mention it in the review, sure - hell, why not even have an entire separate article dedicated to it?
But listing it there is pretty pathetic.
No way is this amazing platform we only a 7.
@AlexOlney
"Donkey Kong Country Returns HD explains everything you need to know about it in the title: it’s Donkey Kong Country Returns in HD, and unfortunately, it’s not much more than that. This is that same great game from the Wii era tarted up a bit here and there."
Why not add some Wii, 3DS and Switch comparison pictures and/or video to the review?
@PessitheMystic
I think you a couple words.
@KritterXD
I think the particular content and score of any review is both arbitrary and varies by author as well. 👍
@contractcooker
Yeah, just look at the review for previous wii conversion "kirbys return to dreamland deluxe" it got a 9/10 which i feel is fitting since that remaster felt like it went above and beyond in a lot of places alongside being a great version of the game wheres with this from the looks of it feels like its largely the same, and while being able to play the console version without having to use the waggle controls feels like a massive bonus for me it also sounds like theres a bunch of minor visual/performance issues which can add up to making it just not feel quite as good as it could.
would it be more advisable to play this or DK Freeze first? this is easier than DK Freeze I understand?
It is disappointing that there are so many ports/remakes that have glitches on switch (1st party games). I can think of Links Awakening/Echo’s of Wisdom/Paper Mario (half frame rate)/ this.
The Wii U games (That were ported later to switch) were at least pretty good both times.
Nintendo's getting laaazy. Full price?! This wouldn't fly 10 years ago. IMO.
"Well at least it's available" no man, demand better for yourself. Hoping to be proven wrong with the switch 2 lineup.
The screenshots ya’ll selected make it look so dark and almost like an N64 game, which is a bit off-putting for those who haven’t played it.
Luckily, I have it on 3DS and that’s where I’ll be playing it for the foreseeable future. It’s a great game worthy of any DK fan’s time!
I thought Luigi's mansion 2 HD was quite bare, even looking at the comparisons it seems that, that game got a bigger makeover compared to this game.
It doesn't look all that much better to me than previous versions of this game.
‘Somehow…Donkey Kong Country…has returned’
I’ll show myself out…
Nintendo life the reason why this game got port to the switch was in 6 months from now in May universal Studios epic universe is opening up with super Nintendo world and the donkey Kong country land, which the ride mine cart madness’s is based on this game that’s why Nintendo port this game from the Wii 3DS to the switch so that when you go to the park and you go back to your hotel room or wherever you can play this game on your switch or switch 2 I think what they did was they didn’t wanna do a full remaster so basically he just cleaned everything up so that they can get the game out quickly before the park opened up so people can play the game before going to the park in May or whenever they go that’s my opinion that’s why I think it’s not as polished people want it to be
@jojobar Agreed. Based on the text of the review, I expected a 6/10, but what do you expect from an outlet with Nintendo in their name reviewing a first party Nintendo game?
60 bucks for a straight up rehash is absurd. Are they even trying at this point or have all resources been going to switch 2 games? I thought all Nintendo produced games since TotK have been well below typical Nintendo stands and that includes Echoes of Wisdom. I love Nintendo, it's the only console I buy every few years but this is shameful.
Vote with your wallet folks...
@Qwiff I actually think it's quite more difficult. In Tropical Freeze you can use Dixie and pretty much cheese most platforming section with her personal skill. In Country Returns you at most have Diddy skill with his limited hover with the jetpack. Especially if you're going for 100% and playing the Hard Mode the difference is massive, using DK instead of Dixie is like playing on extremely Hard Mode.
@YoshiTails Hope you feel better soon
@wchandlersville90 so you’re saying they rushed it
Was going to buy it and then i remembered i actually bought it 2 years ago on 3ds and never got round to playing it. If there's not much changed from that version then i'll just play the version i have and save my money.
Sounds more or less what I thought. Not rushing out to buy this one. Might pick it up if it gets discounted enough, but I’m not losing sleep over it.
@Alpha008 Couldn’t have said it better myself! That’s how I feel about this release. I would like to revisit and play the extra levels that I missed out on the 3DS version that I didn’t play, but I don’t wanna pay the full price.
My best/worst memory about Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii was how it was my first true ‘I’m getting older’ moment. I was babysitting a relative’s kid, we were taking turns, and I was watching them play the game. Out of nowhere, completely out of the blue and compulsively, I started explaining to the kid: “You know, when I was your age, Donkey Kong Country games didn’t look like this. In fact, they were more like…” I rambled like an old-timer! Aaaggghh!!
@Glasso play this one first and then Tropical Freeze, since Freeze improves upon a lot of aspects of Returns.
I'll get this one sometime in the near future since the last time I played it was on the Wii when it first released.
I know this isn't technically the same, but I am wondering: Everyone hails DKC:TF as (and this is a quote) "The greatest 2D platformer of all time. What makes it so amazing?? I borrowed it once on Switch, played 3 levels, and gave it back because I was not enjoying it. Is it a slow starting game or something??
Tropical Freeze is better anyway.
@CaleBoi25 it’s an incredible game that just gets better as a continues. The level design, the difficulty, the music… All of that add up to one of the best platformers ever. If you didn’t like it after a few levels, then maybe platformers are not for you.
No blowing, I forget that blowing on the mic is possible on a Wii mic/speaker. Lack of old credits is sad. 2010 game as a con, uh, if different content/3DS tweaks but Wii HD, sigh. I'm half & half on this con.
I mean some people may just have wanted it ported, if it were like DK GameCube with it's Wii additional levels sure. As if other games didn't have more content to justify them.
DKC Returns is just a HD fill out this period of the year release it seems, sad.
Surprised no IR support (barely supported then again if Switch 2 removes it or doesn't put it on the front I will be disappointed) or something else Switch compatible besides just yes being toggle-able off/removed. Oh well. It's not necessary.
Though with how underused the Switch features are in Another Code or other games I'm not surprised, but what a waste of R&D or execution. DKC doesn't need it though but it still makes me question? Why? Marketing yet barely used by some 1st/3rd parties.
(I get audiences may not want them and it's understandable or DK on Wii/3DS didn't really need the features but even still), sigh.
I know Another Code (or in this case the DK HD porting team) they aren't Cing or other devs that like to use hardware features but even still, what a really generic remake and eh both slapped together.
They are a capable developer some of these remake/port studios they do the job, I can tell in their other games but wow, what a drag.
Then again getting around to some motion/HD Rumble games finally and they are....... fine..... Impulse Triggers on Xbox One are more impressive. Then again I haven't played 1-2 Switch so who knows how it varies the vibrations around it, but for the ones I'm playing yeah they are pretty weak. Still fun but hardware use weak.
Blowing wasn't ideal but even then on DS I can see why for games that did. Wii I just never paid attention when people mentioned it. 3DS of course that version didn't have it nor did it need it.
Otherwise probably a fair game like Tropical Freeze is just different and older. Nice to have. I'd have preferred other games get support but they'd have to have remakes likely.
No Disaster Day of Crisis, no Sin and Punishment Wii, no others that can be easily ported and are too niche anyway or forgotten.
DK support sure. Though the GameCube one on Switch like the Wii version would be nice and GameCube controller support even if no Bongos. DK GBA/DS would be NSO anyway.
It's a game that's fair to have this time of year and DK is big so sure. Never played but I assume it's a fine game.
I prefer other games with other mechanics, but DK games are solid just not the 'best' thing I've ever played when 2D or 3D other mechanics in other games are just better. No nostalgia either. Level design looks nice sure but eh, it doesn't appeal to me. Sure I own Tropical Freeze and it's good, I struggle at times but that's my fault then the game's as it is an old school but modern game it's part of it's design. But I've played better games with more appealing ideas I prefer of the 5-6th gen era then it's good ideas but not really mechanics that make me go wow. Just visuals and set pieces that do and that's it. Solid ideas, very typical old school design and fitting of the character, but that's it. Not the most amazing moveset I've ever played. Even if it doesn't have to be.
@eaglesfly76 Huh. Maybe I will try it out again. (I love platformers, NSMBW is literally my childhood lol, but I also have objectively bad taste in just about everything haha)
This should have been called Donkey Kong Country Boomerang. It just keeps returning! I got this for free on 3DS from Nintendo as a parting gift from the end of their much better rewards program they had back then.
Ah, Unity engine strikes again.
Nintendo had much better performance with their own engine. Everybody seems to struggle to get decent performance out of Unity, and Nintendo are no exception.
At this price point, I'm out. I bought it for the Wii and again for my 3DS. This doesn't look like much of an upgrade for 60 bucks
@Joriss
Tropical Freeze gets so dang hard, I’ve never beat it. I gotta restart and get used to the controls again
@AlexOlney You're an amazing writer! I can see that linguistics degree in action.
It would be nice for these remasters if they threw in a bonus remaster. Like if this came with the first game in HD and then maybe they offered that separately for $25 on the eshop. The Mario and Luigi remakes always came with a bonus game, and some SNES remasters would find an audience.
Obviously this game is to boost theme park visits, so the test if it's success won't just be in its sales alone. And perhaps with an upcoming movie, but it seems not as early as they've been announcing those.
Nintendo needs to have something for Black Friday deals, and they're not usually the top tier games until a few years later. This one has near future Black Friday deal written all over it.
@chardir You really can't use Nintendo's best ever MSRP (Metroid Prime Trilogy on Wii U for $20) as a benchmark.
@LEGEND_MARIOID I was expecting to see an 8 after reading it, too.
@Captaindantastic When the sign says don't feed the bears man you better not feed the bears
@mariomaster96
Somehow Donkey Kong Country Returned.
@AlexOlney I didn't expect to be an apologist for blowing, but here we are.
I just played through the first world of Tropical Freeze and you know what I noticed? The devs just replaced blowing with pulling. Tropical Freeze has a load of these incongruous handles sticking out of the ground, which you're supposed to yank on. And let me tell you, they kill the pacing at least as much as blowing and are required far more often. It's nice that—unlike blowing—pulling isn't mapped to the same button as pounding the ground, but if your complaint is that blowing kills the pace of the game, then I would think you'd be at least twice as irritated at Tropical Freeze.
And unlike pulling, which is only used on the handles, blowing interacts with the environment and creatures in fun and intuitive ways. Obviously there are little windmills and things you're supposed to blow on, but you can also extinguish most fire-based enemies by blowing on them. So even if Miyamoto did mandate this mechanic (which is obnoxious of him, I admit), the devs really seem to have made the best of it. It's another way to interact with the world, and it doesn't feel like an afterthought to me.
Also, what pace is there to break? I mean you can speedrun DKC games and indeed there's a mode specifically for it in Returns and Tropical Freeze. But these aren't Sonic games where momentum is the entire point. Poking around and finding secrets is the real meat of the games, I'd say.
One of the best 2D platformes ever done and a complete joy to play, even if its just an HD port and it costs 60$.
Something is not right in the reviewing system: the same score as Nikoderiko? I cannot agree with this.
Best regards.
I hope this port is a test for Nintendo and it sells well enough we get a third entry, preferably on Switch 2…
Does this game add online leaderboards like tropical freeze had? Still on the fence as I never played the 3ds levels but I really do love this game. I remember the long wait until we finally got a new donkey Kong country game when this finally came on WiiU. I'm not crazy about the price as it's 79.99 in Canada but I have a soft spot for this game.
To all those buying and have never played, have a great time. I know I did 😊
@Lofoten
No sour taste here. This is a very beautiful game, featuring great music and loads of fun and engaging gameplay! 💯
I don’t mind the blow mechanic, stuff like this happens when a game series is around long enough. This is the DK with the blow mechanic like, Mario sunshine is the one with the backpack or world is the one with the cape. Both things I hate about the games they are in. I like this game better then tropical freeze, which I guess makes it my favorite DK game because it was tropical freeze until yesterday.
Coming out of comment retirement to say that giving this game a 7/10 and “fans” giving it a 6 is downright idiotic. I get that it’s the third time we’ve seen this game. I get that it’s way overpriced for an up-rezzed wii game. But it still looks great and the game itself is one of the best platformers of the last 20 years. Might not be worth $60 to people that have it on other platforms but if you’ve never played it, I recommend it over MANY other games on Switch.
I haven’t played it so I won’t rate, but man that looks rough. Seems like they could at least have made those visuals a bit more appealing, with minimal effort. These games are all about colour and there’s this grey fog over everything.
i haven't played so can't rate but £50 on nintendo store for an
HD remaster!? very expensive.
wow! actually this is the 3ds version of the game and coop is broken in many levels! google for it!
Gonna be honest, I don’t think this is a very good review. I think 8/10 (8.5/10 is my rating) is where it should’ve landed. Labeling it three points lower than the original release and two points lower than the 3DS release when this version is the definitive way to play this game…just doesn’t sit right. Sure, the port work might be a bit sloppy and while I did notice some of the issues present, they weren’t enough for me to want to take an entire point off for it. But when it runs at 60 FPS for 97% of the time, has much higher resolution, infinitely better controls, true widescreen output*, and all of the content from past versions, it’s just a bit weird to me that this version rated significantly lower than the past versions.
But, different strokes for different blokes, I guess. Our opinions don’t match up perfectly, but that’s fine.
*Fun Fact: the Wii can only output 4:3 video. The “widescreen” option just crunches a 16:9 image into the 4:3 aspect ratio, which Nintendo expected to be remedied by your TV auto stretching the image.
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