Donkey Kong CountryReturns was a tough game back on theWiiandNintendo 3DS. It demanded a precise approach to platforming and patience to complete its toughest stages that far outweighs the challenge we expected from fellow mascots on those consoles.Tropical Freezefor theWii Uwas similarly relentless, its cold climes matching the ruthless nature of its level design. While you will never see Donkey and Diddy reaching the popular heights of Mario, there is a quality to these games that makes them irresistible in spite of their simplicity.
So, as Donkey Kong Country Returns makes a comeback on theNintendo Switch, it retains its reputation as a simple yet effective platformer defined more by its platforming challenge than the creativity of its graphics and characters. It’s a back-to-basics experience bound to satisfy both a returning sect of hardcore fans and curious newcomers willing to endure a kicking.
Welcome To The Jungle…
The narrative setup here is as basic as video games can possibly get. Some meddlesome bad guys rock up to Donkey Kong’s house, steal his bananas, and now the buff primate is ready to embark on an adventure to take revenge and restore his island home to its former glory. Everything about it is wonderfully retro, willing to put aside exposition and mechanics that threaten to overcomplicate for a platformer that throws you onto a map full of levels and encourages you to get moving. I got stuck in right away, and found myself getting used to a tight yet expressive range of different gameplay styles.
Remaining untouched is essential if you want to collect all puzzle pieces and letters in a level, as Diddy Kong’s improved jump abilities are needed to reach specific areas.
Donkey Kong can run, jump, roll, and slam his hands onto the ground to flip enemies over or interact with the environment, and he can even employ a light breeze from his lips to power up fans or sway the petals of flowers. The environmental interactivity within levels is brief yet inventive, with barrels capable of blowing you in and out of the screen to employ a 2.5D motif that is used to fantastic effect. Aside from Diddy Kong appearing in barrels that double your health and add a double jump jetpack glide, there are few essential power-ups to speak of.
Cranky Kong can be found manning his shop on the world map and offering an assortment of optional power-ups and extra lives, with coins being plentiful enough that most people will load up on red balloons to prepare for the inevitable gauntlet of trial and error.
It’s possible I’ve been spoiled rotten by the creativity of modern masterpieces likeAstro BotandSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, but Donkey Kong Country Returns' dedication to such old-school design conventions can border on forgettable at times.
This is made worse by an uneven difficulty curve, with some early levels being hard as nails and rotten with one-hit kill obstacles, while others are a breeze. It’s an inconsistent rollercoaster that feels great to play, but had me curious to see what Donkey Kong might look like if the series was willing to modernise.
We’ve Got Red Balloons And Collectible Letters
Once I got into a groove with the controls, however, it’s hard to deny how well made Donkey Kong Country Returns HD truly is. After you’ve memorised a level or find yourself hopping in to replay one in search of hidden collectibles, each traversable platform feels like a note in a song, with jumps, rolls, and slams representative of a delicate rhythm that takes a long time to master. Faltering is inevitable, but moving through a level undamaged by bouncing on the heads of obnoxious enemies feels incredible, although I do wish the collectibles offered far more incentive than optional art galleries and currency for power-ups I won’t use.
verify you visit Cranky Kong’s shop in each new region, because chances are he’ll have a key you can purchase on the cheap to unlock brand-new levels.
As for the visual improvements, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD brings a Wii classic to life in the best ways we could have hoped for. Character models and sprites are bursting with detail, while animation work across the board is improved. There are constant bursts of colours across levels spanning from sunny beaches to underground temples, although it sucks that the aesthetic rarely ventures too far from what you’d expect from Donkey Kong’s jungle home. As a remaster though, it’s a winner.
Despite its simple yet devious design, the game doesn’t explain a lot when it comes to defeating enemies, reaching certain areas, or taking on boss battles. You are encouraged to experiment and chain your limited moveset together in order to find collectibles or stay alive, although sometimes I did find myself missing obvious solutions staring me right in the face.
While Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a commendable platformer and one I am glad to have on the Nintendo Switch as an exclusive swansong, when Tropical Freeze already lives on the console, it’s hard not to view its predecessor as inferior. It’s a challenging retro platformer that is a delight to play for the most part, but with each new set of levels, I wanted to see what a new Donkey Kong excursion might look like, instead of love letters like this that are defined by their attachment to the past.
