It's been nearly 15 years since the original Nintendo Wii release of Donkey Kong Country Returns. If you've always wanted to check out this superior platformer but never had the chance to own a Wii or Wii U (or 3DS),

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fairly straightforward port that'll fill enough time on the road to the Switch 2.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD launches January 16, 2025 for Nintendo Switch.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a remaster of 2010's Wii release, which was developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo. However, Retro Studios is not the team behind the upcoming remaster, with porting duties instead being handled by Forever Entertainment.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD does not contain the original developer names in its credits. This has happened before.

It’s called Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, and it’s basically what it says right there in the title: the original game but with cleaned-up graphics. Fundamentally, there isn’t a lot of difference. The premise,

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD takes everything that worked on Wii and 3DS and adds an HD coat of paint and multiple control schemes.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is finally a definitive way to play Retro Studios first Donkey Kong adventure that’s untethered from forced motion controls of the Nintendo Wii or the performance of the Nintendo 3DS. However, outside of that, it brings nothing new to what is probably the weakest entry in the series, apart from a high price point.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD rolls onto the Switch next week and Nintendo appears to have updated the estimated file size of the eShop download. The price of the Switch eShop version is $59.99 / £49.

With improved presentation and controls, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the definitive version of a classic platformer. Though it lacks the variety and bold ideas of its sequel, and offers little new content, it's a worthwhile experience for those who missed it the first time around.