Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (NS)

by
Evan Norris
, posted 15 hours ago / 2,105 Views

Donkey Kong is among the very best Nintendo franchises. It can’t compete with Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda, but it’s right there in the second tier alongside greats like Metroid and Mario Kart. So, it’s frustrating that we’ve now gone over 10 years without a brand new title. Even on Switch, the magical system that seems to multiply sales for even the lowliest Nintendo IP, we’ve seen only ports: first a refresh of 2014’s Tropical Freeze and now an HD facelift for Donkey Kong Country Returns, which debuted on Wii in 2010 and was subsequently ported to 3DS.

The good news is that time has done nothing to diminish the greatness of Donkey Kong Country Returns, which brought the Country sub-series roaring back to life after a long hiatus. Indeed, thanks to the brilliant design work of original developer Retro Studios and input from producer Kensuke Tanabe, it’s one of the best 2D platformers of the entire seventh generation. What makes it so special? Well, a bunch of things.

The first is the game’s controls or, more accurately, its sense of weight and momentum. If you’re moving over to Donkey Kong Country Returns HD straight from Super Mario Wonder, you’re going to notice some very big differences. As an 800-pound gorilla, Donkey Kong is heavier and more lumbering than the mustachioed plumber, at least at first. As a result, there’s a feeling of heft and gravity to the controls. Don’t mistake DK for a plodding primate, though. He can transition that weight into incredible momentum, allowing him to fly at great speeds and with remarkable grace through each level. Overcoming the learning curve and making that momentum work for you is a joy.

Even more joyful are the game’s levels. It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that Donkey Kong Country Returns and, by extension, this HD remaster, has some of the best 2D platforming stages you’ll ever play. They’re inventive, surprising, dynamic, challenging, and quite diverse, both structurally and visually. You’ll avoid cannon fire on the beach; escape from a menacing octopus through waterlogged caves; ride out-of-control carts through dusty, creaky mines; outrun a giant spiked ball — Indiana Jones style — among limestone cliffs; power up machinery in a hazardous factory; and ride a rocket-propelled barrel between collapsing ceilings and lava flows.

Not only are the levels diverse, but they’re deeply replayable, solo or with a friend in local co-op. The programmers at Retro carefully designed levels to be playable at three different speeds: the first run-through, where you’re just trying to reach the end in one piece; the second run-through, where you hunt down all the tucked-away and hard-to-reach secrets; and the third run-through, where you rush through for the best time. Thanks to so many stages, collectibles, and opportunities for speed-running, you can expect to spend roughly 20 hours with the game — or maybe more, if you’re bold enough to attempt Mirror Mode.

Now, not everything about the base game is perfect. The boss battles are inconsistent — some are entertaining, some forgettable — and the music is not nearly as good as what came before in the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy or after with Tropical Freeze. There are also a handful of difficulty spikes.

This HD version of the game, handled by Forever Entertainment, doesn’t do anything to change those flaws. Rather, it seems designed simply to bring a version of Donkey Kong Country Returns to Switch that combines the superior performance of the Wii game with the expanded content and traditional controls of the 3DS port. Based on that prompt, this game is a success. It achieves the Wii’s 60 fps benchmark and includes the novelties from 3DS: eight additional stages; and “modern mode”, an optional, gentler way to experience the game that grants Donkey Kong three hearts by default. As a result, this is the best the game has ever played.

It’s also the best it’s ever looked, at least technologically speaking, thanks to HD visuals, refined character models, and textural improvements across the board. Is it the best it’s looked, stylistically? That’s up for debate. You could argue the Wii version’s desaturated colors and softer edges actually provide a better ambiance. There are times in the HD version that things look a bit too sharp and bright. Then there are the loading times, which actually seem like a step back from the Wii game. They’re not excessive, just noticeable — which is the exact sort of annoyance you’d hope a remaster would address.

But that’s the thing: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD often feels less like a remaster and more like a port. It’s essentially the 3DS version of the game at 60 fps with brighter, cleaner visuals. Does that make it the best iteration of the game? Yes. Could Forever Entertainment and Nintendo have done more, whether by adding new stages and bonus content, or by approaching the graphical update with greater ambition and with a closer eye on Retro’s original art direction? Also yes.

While we await a brand new Donkey Kong 2D platformer, we can at least enjoy one of the better entries in the series — Donkey Kong Country Returns — via this new Switch version. Although it’s not the celebration DK deserves, it represents the finest version of the game, thanks to HD assets; 60 fps; the inclusion of all the extra material from the 3DS port; and everything that made the original so special, including spectacular level designs, high replay value, and weighty controls. Fans who own the previous versions don’t need to rush out to buy it, especially at $60, but those who never played the game on Wii or 3DS should take notice.

This review is based on a retail copy of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for the NS

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