Donkey Kong Country Returns HD review: Swinging high

Donkey Kong Country Returns was a challenging platformer when it first came out back in 2010, it kicked the butts of many players when it was released on 3DS in 2013, and chances are will test your platforming skills now that it’s on the Switch. It’s a game that has seen several iterations but still retains the original ingredients that made it a successful and enjoyable Donkey Kong Country title 15 years ago. It gives players the feel of a classic platformer from the 90s but with added complexity in its level design and puzzles.

Returns is still the same game you may have played all those years ago so don’t expect anything new if you are picking it up again. As a remastered title, it disappoints with its lack of new offerings. However, if it’s your first time diving into it, you will be treated by one of the most challenging yet enjoyable platformers on a Nintendo console to date.

Platform Perils

What makes Returns such a challenging game is that you really need to master its controls and know when to properly jump. This is true of any platformer, but because the game can throw some frenetic moments at you from time to time or provide only small platformers that require accuracy in order to reach, things can get difficult pretty quickly if you don’t get a good grasp of your speed and momentum. After a few levels, the game makes it clear that its controls are simple in nature, but they require precision to master.

This is what makes Returns such a fun game that anyone could love but also one that can feel torturous at times. Each of the game’s 80 levels simply requires you to make your way to the goal at the end, but that’s easier said than done when each level throws you unique gimmicks, new enemies, and environmental perils that refresh the minute you get used to them. Some levels are also quite evil and feature ledge puzzles that require perfect timing while others involve mastering the art of barrel rockets and mine-carts. To put it simply, the game just requires you to understand your surroundings and not die by losing health or falling to your doom. It’s an easy concept to understand but one that requires plenty of trial and error.

Beating a level is one thing, but to make things even harder, the game also challenges you to collect everything it throws at you. Besides just collecting letters that spell out the word “Kong,” you also are tasked with finding all hidden puzzle pieces before you make it to the goal. You probably won’t get them on your first go (unless you already played the game and have somehow memorized them already), but instead, you’ll need to study each level and figure out if a puzzle piece is hidden where you least expect it. Some are also located in hard to reach areas requiring you to once again master the art of jumps and momentum.

Jungle Japes

These collectibles amp up the game’s difficulty and unlock new levels, but they also highlight how the game is still a classic Donkey Kong Country experience but with some added pizzazz for players that want an extra challenge. Not to mention, the locations of these puzzles pieces are quite ingenious bordering on evil that you will sometimes need to stop what you are doing and really examine your environment to find them all. In fact, certain puzzles will require you to slow down and blow out candles or dandelions to reveal secret areas—a necessary evil that interrupts the game’s action—but these are the only areas where Returns loses its flow.

Now if the game feels too difficult for you, you do have the option to play it on Modern Mode, which offers you with an additional heart and access to helpful items from Cranky’s Shop. One item, for example, protects you from falls so it gives you a buffer if you need it while playing the game on Classic Mode gives you the original Wii experience complete with limited assistance. You can even play the game with the original motion controls on, but honestly, why would you do that? The only downside to these options is that you can’t swap modes whenever you want so you’ll have to decide on which mode to play before you start a new file.

Returns can also be played co-op mode even though the game is best played solo for a few reasons. One of you plays DK and the other player plays Diddy Kong, who comes with a rocket hover ability that is great when you need an extra bit of distance to cover. In solo mode, Diddy can be found in each level and rides on DK’s back letting you use his ability when making it across long gaps. Losing his ability when another player decides to play means you’ll be at a disadvantage, which is an odd feeling to have when you consider most co-op modes make games feel a bit easier. Also, because the game is rather fluid, lagging behind means one player will often get stuck off-camera and then be teleported to the first player. This can also cause players to simply die because they won’t be able to see where they are.

Final Thoughts

Besides updated visuals that make the game look more colorful and detailed on the Switch, Returns doesn’t really offer anything beyond what the original game did back in 2010. Even its soundtrack, which still sounds amazing to hear all these years later sounds unchanged. The included Modern Mode was actually added to the game for its 3DS version so even this mode isn’t anything new. Besides just some updated visuals, Returns is a very bare-bones title which wouldn’t be a problem if the game wasn’t priced like a new experience.

Releasing a straightforward remaster like Returns near the end of the Switch’s life cycle seems like Nintendo wanted an easy project to work on before focusing their efforts in new games for the Switch 2, but one could also say that this is a nice bookend for the series which released Tropical Freeze at the start of the Switch’s run back in 2018. Regardless of the reason, it’s great to see a game like Returns still thriving 15 years after its initial release as it reaffirms the series is capable of creating an amazing experience with the proper use of level design, ingenuity, and charm.

All things considered, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the definitive way to experience the game if you haven’t played it already. Its included 3DS modes, levels, and original gameplay offer the best features from its previous two versions in a shiny package so it’s great for first-time players. If you played it already, however, you may want to wait to see what new game the Switch 2 has in store for DK.