Donkey Kong Country Returns HD — Great game, unneeded remaster

When Donkey Kong Country Returns HD was very first exposed last year, many individuals were quick to joke that this was, as a matter of fact, not the very first time the renowned Nintendo ape has returned. Undoubtedly, the Retro-developed platformer originally debuted on the Wii in 2010 and obtained a 3 DS port in 2013 It additionally obtained a Wii U sequel, Exotic Freeze , in 2014, which was after that remastered for the Change in 2018

Every one of that is to claim that the plain presence of Donkey Kong Nation Returns HD feels a little weird and, perhaps, unnecessary. The truth that it’s $ 79 99– an additional totally valued Nintendo remaster– makes it also worse. And so, while Donkey Kong Country Returns stays a fantastic game in 2025, this HD version, which makes limited tweaks to that original experience, is a bit of a difficult sell.

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For the inexperienced, Nation Returns is a throwback to Rare’s enormously popular side-scrolling Donkey Kong Nation video games on the SNES. In the video game, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong should collaborate once more when the bad Tiki Tak tribe hypnotizes the island’s animals to swipe their banana heap. It’s an extremely basic story also for Nintendo platformer criteria, yet obviously, that’s not why you’re playing this.

In another nod to the OG Country games, Returns isn’t an easy video game. At stated value, the colour and creative degree layout– which takes you from delicious forests and beaches to creepy tiki-filled caverns and factories with all kinds of machinery– could appear charming, but that conceals a fair bit of platforming difficulty. There’s a gratifying thrill in browsing the snugly crafted levels as you efficiently ground extra pound, slide, Diddy Kong jet pack move and mine cart ride without passing away.

That traditional perceptiveness may not gel with everyone, so fortunately, Returns HD consists of the ‘Modern Setting’ from the 3 D version that gives DK an additional heart and enables you to buy more assistive items from Cranky Kong, like additional balloons (lives) and hearts. It’s a good compromise to assist you out a bit without transforming the real degree layout.

However really, that likewise highlights among the greatest imperfections with Returns HD : the mass of the new web content it supplies over the original Wii video game originates from the 3 D version. Along with the Modern Mode, Returns HD likewise includes the bonus offer levels from the 3 DS version. For that reason, the only actual “new” feature of this Change release is that titular HD sheen. It certainly looks quite, but then, the 3 DS version likewise still holds up visually.

The lack of new material makes Donkey Kong Country Returns HD feel much less important as a total bundle, specifically for $ 80 Contrast this to, say, Nintendo’s own Super Mario 3 D Land + Bowser’s Fierceness , an additional HD remaster on Change that included a whole different project, or Metroid Prime Remastered, which is sold for $ 50 and makes a lot more considerable aesthetic and gameplay tweaks.

And so, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD isn’t really a purposeful upgrade at all. Sure, if you have actually never ever played Donkey Kong Nation Returns on either Wii or 3 DS and are absolutely clamouring for a signature Nintendo platforming experience, you can absolutely do worse than this HD variation The core experience is outstanding, equally as it remained in 2010 and 2013, and well worth playing if you’re great with the steep $ 80 access cost. Yet otherwise, you’re most likely much better off either playing the remarkable Tropical Freeze or waiting for whatever Nintendo has in store for its next console.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD will certainly launch on the Nintendo Turn On January 16 th, 2025