Donkey Kong Country Returns is, er, returning once again with a new, refreshed HD port on the Nintendo Switch. Donkey Kong Country Returns originally released on Wii in 2010 and was then ported to Nintendo 3DS in 2013. Now, over a decade later, DK and Diddy are swinging back into action with remastered graphics and everything offered in both previous versions of the side-scrolling platformer. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is available to preorder now ahead of its January 16, 2025 release date.
Essentially presented as the “definitive” edition of the wonderful platformer, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD will offer the original challenge of the Wii version while also giving players the option to play with the friendlier 3DS settings. It also contains all of the extra levels from the 3DS version. Players can take on the 80-level, nine-world gauntlet as Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in either solo or two-player co-op modes.
Nintendo rarely offers preorder bonus for its first-party titles, and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is no different. However, if something is announced, we’ll be sure to update.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a great opportunity for fans to revisit the 2D platformer with sharper visuals and new controls, or for newcomers to try out for the first time. However, don’t skip out on Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze HD either. Both games rank among the best 2D platformers ever made, and Tropical Freeze HD is a great way to pass the time while waiting for the new release. You can grab a physical copy of Tropical Freeze from Walmart for $48.
It’s worth noting that the original versions of Returns and Tropical Freeze were made by Retro Studios, who is also responsible for the upcoming 2025 game Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. While we’re still waiting for Prime 4 preorders–they were available at Amazon and Walmart but are no longer being sold–you can grab the studio’s latest available release, Metroid Prime Remastered, for a few bucks off at Walmart.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is one of four upcoming Switch exclusives that debuted in the Nintendo Direct and is available to preorder now:
Read the full preorder guides:
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