Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Review - Back To Kick Some Tail... Again
Indulge me in the subtitle of this review as I quote the time-honored DK Rap from 1999’s Donkey Kong 64, because the lyrics work in the description of this game, but also… I really want some more Donkey Kong 64-styled action.
Anyway, to the job at hand. Donkey Kong Country Returns was a very successful Wii title. As the grand return of an iconic 2D platforming series, and a Nintendo-developed Wii title, it was always going to do well, but somehow, Nintendo didn’t think enough people had played it (more than 6.5million copies were sold on Wii), and so the game came to the Nintendo 3DS, and then, the WIi version even got a native release on the Wii U eShop. The game was then succeeded by 2014’s Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze, and since then, silence. Despite two games in a matter of four years, and several re-releases, its now been a decade since Donkey Kong Country has received a new entry, and yet the re-releases keep coming, now in the form of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for the soon-to-be-replaced Nintendo Switch. Despite having many opportunities to play the game across many platforms, can this glossy new version kick some tail?
Donkey Kong games, like many a Nintendo platformer, are not especially known for having resonant plots. No, Donkey Kong has again had his treasured (but maybe not considering how often this happens) banana horde stolen, and he treks out with Diddy Kong in tow, to reclaim them. With a series of tikis corrupting the local wildlife, the bananas have been secured and you as the player will guide DK through eight worlds, littered with a range of diabolical challenges in order to recover the fiber and potassium-filled treats.
Mechanically, this HD re-release changes nothing from the original Wii version which itself stuck quite true to the original Donkey Kong Country formula that Rare had once defined. Left to right platforming gives players opportunities to run, jump, ride of Rambi, ride barrel rockets and minecarts and search for numerous hidden treasures from the traditional letters from the word KONG, to the puzzle pieces scattered throughout each level. 15 years removed from the game’s original release and the game still plays like a dream, though the game isn’t especially friendly to less-experienced games, even with the “modern mode” that wants you to feel like the game is easier, but the one additional heart container doesn’t add much when it’s the timing of jumps that either end well, or in death that are the biggest obstacle for the player. Prepare to get frustrated at some rapid, consecutive failures, but the game gives you plentiful opportunities to earn or buy life balloons, so the Game Over state won’t likely be reached often, if at all, despite the fact that you’ll fail often.
What Nintendo is presumably hoping will win the masses over to the point where they might consider buying the game for a third time (or more) is the HD component in the mix with this re-release. The problem, if you can call it one, is that Donkey Kong Country Returns already looked so good to begin with, largely because of the visual style employed by Retro Studios in the development of the 2010 version, and so sharpening some edges for an HD release really doesn’t add much. Of course, the game also features some iconic levels where only the silhouette of the Kongs is visible and these, no matter the platform you choose to play on ought to be hung up in a museum they look that good. The rhythmic beats of the soundtrack still capture the heart and are themselves a wonderful ode to the SNES trilogy of titles. The various audio effects all work with the visual action harmoniously.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD isn’t going to knock your socks off if you’re picking it up having already played it before. It’s the same 15-year-old game that we all adore, looking better than ever. This is a quick and easy win for Nintendo, but whether you’re an old fan or someone checking out the game for the first time, its a easy win for the player too. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a gem, and your absolutely be added to your library.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD was reviewed on Nintendo Switch with a code kindly provided by Nintendo Australia.