Donkey Kong Country Returns HD revitalizes the already popular Wii game and gives a new life to the platformer by porting it to the Nintendo Switch. New graphics, modified controls, and overall better performance make the game a modern revival of the retro platformer experience with all the quirks and difficulties of the initial release. This review focuses on the gameplay differences, which include graphics, performance, and value added by this remaster to make it possible for the game to retain a timeless appeal, though. If you have played it before, this remaster cements it as one of the best platformers available; if you have not played it before, this is one of the best games you could play.
Gameplay and Level Design

As with the original game, the heart of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is very sound with great platforming, loads of items to acquire, and the basic fun of partnered play. There are stages that players go through, and in each stage there is a chance for a player to meet numerous challenges. Apart from flammable mine carts and mysterious underwater levels, the game does not let players get bored with unique levels.
This remaster is packed with improvements that change the flow of the game for the better, including remapped controls that substitute motion-based controls of the Wii version. These three adjustments are necessary to make the controls more comfortable for use, especially in handheld mode. The game balance is perfect in terms of difficulty, the mechanisms can be tough but progression is well done for fans of the first game but also for newcomers in this series.
Visual and Audio Enhancements

In terms of visuals, Donkey Kong Country Returns has been given a facelift in order to fit today’s standards of gaming and brought into the current generation. The remastering enables the revelation of higher quality textures that bring out the enhanced definition of all elements, including Donkey Kong’s fur and the green jungle. The colors have been brightened, and the fine environmental touches add more energy to familiar locations, and every floor looks slightly compared to the previous feel. Regardless of whether the player is utilizing the Switch’s docked mode, which allows for the program to be played on a large television, or via handheld mode, which allows for portability, the game’s graphics are tight and visually appealing, and the charm of the original is translated, but with improvements made to the presentation.
Audio presentation is also handled well during the remaster, and the game not only looks much better, but it sounds it too. What was once an iconic, catchy tune that fans from the earlier seasons referred to as their favorite has been redesigned with incredible sound clarity. Every track is well and specifically synchronized with every aspect of the gameplay, starting with intense jungle stages and ending with tense notes of platforming levels. Not only does the remastered audio improve the general feel of the game, but it also strengthens the impact that the game wants the player to have. Along with the mentioned enhancement, these features guarantee that, receiving the status of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, the game is more than just a sight for sore eyes and ears.
Performance on Nintendo Switch

The graphical output of the Nintendo Switch would again prove to be up to par with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD as it did with Snipperclips. Smooth, deterministic performance across the docked and handheld modes. When the game is in docked mode, it maintains 60 frames per second, which guarantees good controls and quick reactions needed for the game’s platforming segments. When playing in handheld mode, the performance does not decrease significantly, staying at a steady 30 frames per second. This is due to it being played in any mode, be it home or portable, and therefore it fits perfectly on the Switch console.
However, some minor options have been turned down slightly while remastering was being done on the game. Some of the visual effects, like dust clouds from ground pounds or some of those tiny details in the environment, are not as pop up as in the Wii. Also, some of the finer points in the visuals, such as the manner in which lighting is used in a jungle level or in a background, for instance, have been moderated. These are not very large changes and do not really affect the gameplay all that much, to be honest. But of course, viewers who are fans of the first part will certainly be able to see these changes. However, the rock-steady performance and the image quality improvements make the game a very smooth, satisfactory experience—the essence of the first Donkey Kong Country is captured really well, and the game looks just as good on Switch as it was on New 3DS.
Comparison to the Original
In this HD remaster, a number of changes are made that count while at the same time staying true to the original game. Some of the major improvements are the substitution of the motion control scheme with a more conventional style of input, which is comfortable and less imprecise. These changes to the visuals have made a lot of sense; the sharper texture and higher resolution add a new lease of life to the game’s surroundings.
But the remaster does not contain new content; it refines the original material and tries to make it better. This maintains the look and feel of the first season, which some gamers expected extra content or stages to have a further remastering of the game.
Audience Reception and Replayability

The positive feedback of the fans towards Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the improved visuals and the better and enhanced control on it. Newcomers to the game have also considered it as friendly to play and enjoyable and satisfactory to play due to the incorporation of many fun and challenging tasks in the game and yet easily understandable mechanisms. The cooperative mode stays an exciting addition that allows you to have fun together with friends or family members.
This is divided into the game’s collectibles, paths not explored in the main playthrough, and time trials. However, those players who played the first part should find in it comparatively less reason to come back other than the enhanced graphics and controls. However, this alone makes this game a true jewel; fans of this genre will not be disappointed with this, and newcomers will find a lot of entertainment.
Conclusion
For the most part, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD does a good job of taking a classic platforming title and making it ready for today’s consoles with visuals, controls, and gameplay. Although it has relatively few new features, the remaster maintains the aesthetic and difficulty of the original that caused it to become so popular. Regardless of whether you are playing through the title for the first time, or second time, or third, this title is a great addition to the Nintendo Switch library. For platforming fans, it’s a journey that will be worth it.