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    Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Review – A Barrel of Fun

    Let's get bananas.

    Donkey Kong Country began on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994, offering a fresh take on the barrel-throwing gorilla. This was followed by two sequels in 1995 and 1996, with the series going dormant for 14 years. Developed by Retro Studios, Donkey Kong Country Returns marked the grand return of the beloved platformer. Codenamed “F8” to commemorate the circumstances that led to the game being greenlitReturns both respected the original trilogy while bringing a plethora of new ideas to the table.

    On Nintendo Switch, the king of the jungle has made only one appearance over the console’s life cycle. In 2018, we got an enhanced release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze that packed in Funky Kong as a new playable character. To this day, Tropical Freeze is one of my favorite platformers ever, with intricate platforming, an incredible soundtrack, and some great bosses. 

    Seven years later, Donkey Kong is back with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, the adventure that took place before Tropical Freeze. This marks the third version of DKC Returns available, with the original Wii release and a 3DS port previously released by Nintendo. If you’ve never played Returns, this HD remaster is by far the definitive experience—as long as you’re playing solo. 

    Into the Jungle

    Donkey Kong Country Returns acts as a reboot in the franchise, kicking off with a major volcano eruption on Donkey Kong Island. This eruption brings the Tiki Tak Tribe out into the wild, where they hypnotize all the animals around the island, forcing them to steal and collect all the bananas. Despite the tribe’s attempts to hypnotize Donkey Kong, they are unable to do so, making for a showdown between the Kongs and this mysterious Tiki Tak Tribe. 

    Right out of the gate, it’s hard to ignore how creative the Tiki Tak Tribe is. Each member of this group of tiki masks is based on a different instrument, which plays into the music heard in the boss fights and more. To reclaim Donkey Kong Island (and your bananas, more importantly), you’ll have to proceed through eight different worlds. There’s even a bonus world waiting once you clear all prior ones. 

    Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Screenshot

    Fifteen years later, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD still holds up with its incredible platforming, level design, and music. There are 80 different levels to discover and clear, each offering something new and fresh to experience. You’ll be able to collect a number of Puzzle Pieces and K-O-N-G Letters across every level, contributing to bonuses and unlocking secret levels in each world.

    One of my favorite unlockables has to do with the Puzzle Pieces, which can be used to unlock art in a gallery from the development team. There are even special rewards awaiting if you gather everything, including a bonus world and Mirror Mode, which reverses the levels and limits your health.

    These collectibles do wonders for replayability overall. I tried my best each time I booted up a level to earn every collectible, but sometimes I missed one or two. This gave me an opportunity to dive in and try out the level again, often looking for new ways to complete it and find every collectible available. 

    While most platformers in the genre will add a new mechanic here or there, each world in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD presents a challenge. I never once came across a level that felt similar to another—each and every time there was something fresh to discover. Even today, this is something many modern platformers struggle with, and it’s hard to beat the level variety found within DKC Returns. Each level feels well-thought-out and huge in size—something that is extremely impressive, especially considering this is a game from 2010.

    It’s been so many years since I last played Returns, and I was really surprised by just how difficult some of the levels can be at times. DKC can be brutal as a series, depending on the level, and Returns is no exception. However, while this might be frustrating for some, that’s what makes it so enjoyable for me. It’s a stark contrast to many other platformers that Nintendo offers, with many levels across each game that don’t hold their punches. Some difficulty spikes can be a bit demoralizing, but you can quickly learn the ins and outs of each level by just practicing. Even if you aren’t able to get the hang of a level, you can call Super Kong to power through it for you—just don’t expect to keep any of the rewards.

    Of course, I must mention this game’s soundtrack—it is still one of my favorites that Nintendo has put out. Although I still prefer Tropical Freeze‘s soundtrack with the return of David Wise as it had more variety, Kenji Yamamoto’s work on this game is really excellent. There is a unique composition of instruments that play well into the game’s antagonists, with tracks like ‘Fear Factory Returns’ being standouts.

    A Basic Remaster With One Major Problem

    Donkey Kong Returns HD

    It’s essential to be clear about the content of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. As this is a remaster, there will be many who played the game on previous platforms looking for new content. The new graphics look solid overall, bringing Returns up to speed at 1080p. Unfortunately, though, no new content has been added to the remaster besides a new Modern Mode, which lowers the difficulty by giving more hearts and offering more items. This way, you can have up to six hearts between Donkey Kong & Diddy Kong and nine items on a single level. While this is a welcome change for new players, it falls short of the content some might have expected with the nature of this re-release. 

    The $59.99 price point of the game has been a contention point for many online. With the game only adding Modern Mode and touching up the visuals, it’s fair to say that if you’ve had your share of Donkey Kong Country Returns before on Wii or 3DS, holding out for a sale on this one is understandable. However, if you’ve never played Returns or simply wish to replay it, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is worth every penny—if you are playing solo. 

    For the entirety of my first playthrough, I played in single-player, as I usually do with all games. However, as this is a review, I tested the co-op mode on various levels after clearing the game. I ran into a significant problem that many have seemingly overlooked. In the original Donkey Kong Country Returns, if Player 1 jumps on an enemy, Player 2 has the ability to as well for a short time thereafter. This is critical for navigating through the various chasms and ledges where jumping atop an enemy’s head is the only way to continue across the stage. In the Nintendo Switch version, Player 2 will just… fall. You’re unable to jump on an enemy after another player has jumped on it. This even goes for enemies on the ground, as Player 2 will take damage instead of bouncing off the enemy.

    This is frustrating if you are looking to play the game in co-op, as, in my opinion, this bug renders it borderline unplayable. Sadly, this is the case, especially considering that the game itself is excellent and the rest of the remaster is fine, but this is something that cannot be ignored. It was not an issue present in the Wii version, and it’s certainly not something found in Tropical Freeze on Switch. I did not play Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, so I can’t say for certain whether or not the bug was present in that version. However, since Returns HD was clearly based on the 3DS version, I would not be surprised if this is a bug dating back to that release in 2013.

    This is immediately one of the best platformers on the system, no question—but if you’re looking to play in co-op, I cannot recommend Donkey Kong Country Returns HD at all right now. If I were to guess, this should be a straightforward fix for Forever Entertainment SA to implement, and I hope that Nintendo and the developers coordinate on a fix for this. 

    Worth Every Banana – If You’re Playing Solo

    Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is far and away the best way to play this lovable 2D platformer if you’re playing solo. While there are certainly some difficulty spikes here and there that could be frustrating to some, this is overall a fantastic experience for new and returning fans alike. I do wish that Nintendo and Forever Entertainment SA added something more to this basic remaster, but the original game is so good and more content isn’t needed to make this a complete experience. However, if you want to experience the game with a friend in co-op mode, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is not in a state to do so. The current bug makes the co-op experience unplayable in my experience, and it’s in desperate need of a patch. 

    That makes Donkey Kong Country Returns HD an interesting recommendation. Even despite the basic nature of the remaster, this is one of the best platformers available on Nintendo Switch, right up there with Tropical FreezeSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, and more—as long as you are playing alone. If you’re playing in co-op, however, I think the frustrating nature of the bug will sour your experience. I adore the Donkey Kong Country series, and I hope that we’ll see a new one appear on Nintendo Switch 2 after only receiving two remasters for Switch.

    Disclaimer: Nintendo provided Final Weapon with a Nintendo Switch copy of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for review purposes.

    SUMMARY

    Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a basic remaster that's just enough to bring the game to Nintendo Switch for new players. With its intricate and creative level design, fun soundtrack, and solid replayability, this is an excellent platformer that fits right in with many others on Nintendo Switch. However, if you aim to experience the game in co-op, a frustrating bug makes the experience nothing like the original game, leaving Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in desperate need of a patch.
    Noah Hunter
    Noah Hunter
    Noah is Final Weapon’s Editor-in-Chief. He co-founded the website in June 2019 and has been writing for it ever since. In total, he has over six years of writing experience across many publications, including IGN Entertainment. His favorite series include Xeno and Final Fantasy.

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    Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a basic remaster that's just enough to bring the game to Nintendo Switch for new players. With its intricate and creative level design, fun soundtrack, and solid replayability, this is an excellent platformer that fits right in with many others on Nintendo Switch. However, if you aim to experience the game in co-op, a frustrating bug makes the experience nothing like the original game, leaving Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in desperate need of a patch.Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Review - A Barrel of Fun