Donkey Kong Country Returns HD brings a smart change

Donkey Kong Country returns in HD makes a background change by removing the Wii controller from the Donkey Kong statue and replacing it with a Switch Joy-Con. Donkey Kong Country returns in HD is the latest version of the classic Wii platformer originally released in 2010.

Donkey Kong Country returns on the Wii earned critical acclaim at the time of its release, hailed as a successful return of the beloved Donkey Kong Land subseries. The game was later ported to the Nintendo 3DS with additional features, including an easier difficulty option and eight new levels. Nintendo is now gearing up for release DKCR once again, but this time with high definition graphics on the Nintendo Switch.

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Donkey Kong Country is back HD fans are not happy with the price

Fans say the price of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, the upcoming Switch remake of Retro Studio's 2010 Wii platformer, is ridiculous.

Donkey Kong Country returns in HD is scheduled to release for the Nintendo Switch on January 16, 2025. It is expected to be virtually identical to previous versions of the game, though GameXplain noted a small but clever change. As seen in Donkey Kong Country returns in HD gameplay videos, the Donkey Kong statue seen in the background is holding a red Switch Joy-Con instead of a Wii controller. The statue held a Wii controller in the 3DS version of the game as well, so this change was made specifically for the new Switch release.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD changes background

In addition to pointing out this neat easter egg, the video seems to poke fun at the fact that footage from the Wii and Switch versions Donkey Kong Country returns in HD look almost the same. While they will offer almost 1:1 experiences in terms of gameplay, there are actually several important ways Donkey Kong Country returns in HD stands out from the Wii version. The HD graphics are the most obvious, but those who only played the Wii release and skipped the 3DS version may be tempted to pick up the Switch version for other reasons.

Donkey Kong Country returns in HD can be considered the ultimate version of the game as it includes all the new content that was released for the 3DS port, including eight new levels and easier difficulty options. Home console players will also have a chance to experience it Donkey Kong Country returns without the split motion controls that were required for the Wii release. I personally have never had a problem with it Donkey Kong Country returnsmotion controls, but it's nice to be able to play with more traditional controls. In any case, it will be interesting to see if there are any other minor changes hidden within the Switch version of the game when it launches next month.

Help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong reclaim their precious supply of bananas from the villainous Tiki Tak tribe! Stomp on enemies, shoot barrels and ride rockets and mine carts (and even Rambim the rhino) in 80 levels across nine worlds.

Play the game as it was first designed for the Wii™ system, or lower the difficulty for extra hearts and other goodies to make your journey a little easier. Visually enhanced in HD for the Nintendo Switch™ system, this barrel-filled adventure features additional levels from the Nintendo 3DS™ version!

Team up with a friend and take on the whole game as Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong

Pass the Joy-Con™ controller to a friend and take on the Tiki Tribe As DK and Diddy in a two-player local game. Scout enemies with Diddy's Peanut Popgun and levitate with his Barrel Jet, and pound baddies into submission with DK's Ground Pound—or just Barrel Roll right through them. Work together to get those bananas back!

Systems

Released

January 16, 2025

Developers

Forever Entertainment

Publishers

Nintendo

Multiplayer

Local Co-Op, Online Co-Op

ESRB

E for Everyone – Mild fantasy violence

How long to beat

11.5 hours

How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)

31 hours

Number of players

1-2

Nintendo Switch release date

January 16, 2025

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