Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is an enhanced Nintendo Switch port of the Wii game Donkey Kong Country Returns, released worldwide on January 16, 2025. First announced during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, it is the second reissue of Donkey Kong Country Returns, following the Nintendo 3DS port, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, released in 2013. The game features visually remastered and updated graphics compared to the Wii and 3DS versions (greatly resembling Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze) as well as all of the new content from the 3DS version, including the New Mode and the Cloud levels.

It is the second reissue in the Donkey Kong Country series to be released for the Nintendo Switch, following the port of the Wii U game Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and the seventh reissue in the series overall. The game’s story revolves around creatures known as Tikis, which are new to the series. The different types of Tikis fill the role of the antagonists in the story, replacing the Kremlings from Donkey Kong Country. Cranky Kong, who owns shops throughout the island, is the only Kong family member that appears other than Donkey and Diddy. The story begins as the protagonists are awoken by a volcanic eruption on Donkey Kong Island.

After a group of evil Tikis known as the Tiki Tak Tribe arrive and play music to hypnotize the animals into stealing Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong’s bananas. Since Donkey Kong is resistant to the Tikis’ music, he works with Diddy Kong to retrieve their hoard of bananas from the Tikis. Throughout the game, the pair travel through nine worlds to recover their stolen bananas: the Golden Temple, the Volcano, the Factory, the Cliff, the Forest, the Cave, the Ruins, the Beach, and the Jungle. In each world, they must defeat a Tiki Tak Tribe leader: Kalimba, the Maraca Gang, Gong-Oh, Banjo Bottom, Wacky Pipes, Xylobone, Cordian (who hypnotizes other inhabitants on the island to fight the Kongs), and Tiki Tong, the king of the Tiki Tak Tribe.

After Tiki Tong is defeated, the Kongs are launched into space where they punch and headbutt down on the Moon, crushing Tiki Tong’s base and sending bananas flying everywhere. Players take control of the series’s protagonist Donkey Kong, as well as his friend Diddy Kong in certain situations, with many traditional elements of the Donkey Kong Country series returning, including mine cart levels, the ability to swing between vines and collect bananas, the golden “KONG” letters and puzzle pieces. New gameplay elements include levels in which the characters and foreground environments appear as silhouettes, spawning several new gameplay mechanics.

 In single-player mode, players can only play as Donkey Kong, although Diddy Kong rides on Donkey Kong’s back, and Donkey Kong can use Diddy’s jetpack to jump further. Multiplayer mode enables a second player to control Diddy Kong. If a player’s character dies in two-player mode, it can be brought back by using the other character to hit a “DK Barrel” that floats into view, a mechanic similar to the one used in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. To avoid problems arising from differences in the players’ skills, Diddy can hop on Donkey’s back to take on a more passive role, while his jetpack can be used to make his partner’s jumps easier. Both Donkey and Diddy can pound the ground to defeat enemies and unveil secret items.