The Nintendo Switch is rounding the corner on its eighth birthday. We’ve seen countless ports and remasters of their first party catalog from the Wii and Wii U libraries of games. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD continues this trend in what is sure to be the Switch’s twilight year, holding fans over for the release of the Big N’s next console, the Switch 2. But does it have enough gas in the tank to bridge the gap, or does this game run on fumes?
The level design is one of the game’s strong suits.
If you’ve played any of the previous Donkey Kong Country games on the SNES, you’re already familiar with the premise of Returns HD; DK and crew are sitting cool on their island home, relaxing with their seemingly infinite hoard of bananas, when baddies (the Tik Tak Tribe this time around) come swooping in to plunder their precious potassium. Donkey Kong, ever the hero, leaps into action, exploring various biomes, finding collectibles, and taking out bosses in an attempt to thwart the evildoers. All with the help of his friends, of course.
It’s a basic formula, but it works. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD‘s biggest strength is how much it pays homage to the original SNES trilogy. From the “K-O-N-G” collectible letters, the red balloons as extra lives, and of course David Wise’s timeless, catchy soundtrack. Retro Studios absolutely nailed the vibes and feelings in their 2010 original, in turn making Returns HD feel like a true Donkey Kong Country 4 and recaptures the magic of Rare’s entries for fans who missed out on the Wii version and are discovering it for the first time.
“What makes this different from the Wii version” you ask? First and foremost, the graphical overhaul help bring this to the modern age, but the visuals still lack a bit of polish due to the Switch’s hardware limitations. The 3DS port from 2013 also came with a whole new ninth world, the Cloud, extending the run time and offering a new challenge, which is present here. And that’s it. It’s hard to justify the $60 price tag on this one, and your money may be better invested elsewhere, say, for Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, this game’s Wii U sequel that is objectively a much better experience.
Of course mine carts return.
This game unfortunately falters in a most crucial pillar; gameplay. Despite the cleverly designed levels, sometimes moody atmosphere, and fun collectibles, I have a real bone to pick with the controls and physics. Not to keep comparing it to the SNES masterpieces, but the physics in those games feel perfect – the roll jump being the most important factor. This move is back for Returns HD, but the timing and distance-judging are so wonky. You either overshoot the jump or don’t go far enough, hardly any in between. In the minecart levels, specifically where you have to duck under sharp blue crystals, jumping while ducking and judging the distance correctly is also pretty frustrating. I understand the concept of what the developers want me to do in these situations, but it feels like fitting square pegs into round holes. This and Tropical Freeze are lauded for their difficulty, offering platforming diehards a real challenge, but the issues arise in the movement and weight of the characters, not the design philosophy or intent of the developers.
Overall, my roughly ten hours with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD was more frustrating than fun, but as a veteran of the SNES titles, I can’t deny the charm of its modern soundtrack, returning companions like Rambi the rhino, and retro-style overworld map. But despite these injections of nostalgia, the game falls a bit flat in its controls and movement physics; it doesn’t feel good to control DK. Finally, this being a full-priced release is absolutely bananas. Here’s to hoping the big guy can make a better return on the Switch 2.
The Nintendo Switch is rounding the corner on its eighth birthday. We’ve seen countless ports and remasters of their first party catalog from the Wii and Wii U libraries of games. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD continues this trend in…
The Nintendo Switch is rounding the corner on its eighth birthday. We’ve seen countless ports and remasters of their first party catalog from the Wii and Wii U libraries of games. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD continues this trend in what is sure to be the Switch’s twilight year, holding fans over for the release of the Big N’s next console, the Switch 2. But does it have enough gas in the tank to bridge the gap, or does this game run on fumes?
The level design is one of the game’s strong suits.
If you’ve played any of the previous Donkey Kong Country games on the SNES, you’re already familiar with the premise of Returns HD; DK and crew are sitting cool on their island home, relaxing with their seemingly infinite hoard of bananas, when baddies (the Tik Tak Tribe this time around) come swooping in to plunder their precious potassium. Donkey Kong, ever the hero, leaps into action, exploring various biomes, finding collectibles, and taking out bosses in an attempt to thwart the evildoers. All with the help of his friends, of course.
It’s a basic formula, but it works. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD‘s biggest strength is how much it pays homage to the original SNES trilogy. From the “K-O-N-G” collectible letters, the red balloons as extra lives, and of course David Wise’s timeless, catchy soundtrack. Retro Studios absolutely nailed the vibes and feelings in their 2010 original, in turn making Returns HD feel like a true Donkey Kong Country 4 and recaptures the magic of Rare’s entries for fans who missed out on the Wii version and are discovering it for the first time.
“What makes this different from the Wii version” you ask? First and foremost, the graphical overhaul help bring this to the modern age, but the visuals still lack a bit of polish due to the Switch’s hardware limitations. The 3DS port from 2013 also came with a whole new ninth world, the Cloud, extending the run time and offering a new challenge, which is present here. And that’s it. It’s hard to justify the $60 price tag on this one, and your money may be better invested elsewhere, say, for Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, this game’s Wii U sequel that is objectively a much better experience.
Of course mine carts return.
This game unfortunately falters in a most crucial pillar; gameplay. Despite the cleverly designed levels, sometimes moody atmosphere, and fun collectibles, I have a real bone to pick with the controls and physics. Not to keep comparing it to the SNES masterpieces, but the physics in those games feel perfect – the roll jump being the most important factor. This move is back for Returns HD, but the timing and distance-judging are so wonky. You either overshoot the jump or don’t go far enough, hardly any in between. In the minecart levels, specifically where you have to duck under sharp blue crystals, jumping while ducking and judging the distance correctly is also pretty frustrating. I understand the concept of what the developers want me to do in these situations, but it feels like fitting square pegs into round holes. This and Tropical Freeze are lauded for their difficulty, offering platforming diehards a real challenge, but the issues arise in the movement and weight of the characters, not the design philosophy or intent of the developers.
Overall, my roughly ten hours with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD was more frustrating than fun, but as a veteran of the SNES titles, I can’t deny the charm of its modern soundtrack, returning companions like Rambi the rhino, and retro-style overworld map. But despite these injections of nostalgia, the game falls a bit flat in its controls and movement physics; it doesn’t feel good to control DK. Finally, this being a full-priced release is absolutely bananas. Here’s to hoping the big guy can make a better return on the Switch 2.
by Myles Obenza
