Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a boilerplate port, and that’s OK

digitaltrends.com:

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a perfectly good game, but it will be Nintendo’s most underwhelming release in 2025. Those who’ve already played this platformer from Retro Studios on Wii or 3DS don’t have much reason to buy the game on Switch unless they’re itching to replay a great platformer. Like Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD and some other straightforward remasters that Nintendo launched recently, this feels like filler so that Nintendo can bide time until the launch of the Switch’s successor.

When it comes to filler, you could do much worse. Donkey Kong Country Returns is one of the Wii’s best games. Anyone checking it out for the first time through the re-release is in for an excellent platforming adventure. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the definitive version of the Wii classic, but let’s hope it’s one of the last releases of its kind for a bit rather than one that sets the stage for Nintendo’s 2025.

Still a great game

Donkey Kong Country Returns comes from an era where Nintendo platformers were light on story and very straightforward in structure. It follows Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong as they fight the Tiki Tak Tribe, magical masks that stole Donkey Kong’s bananas and mesmerized the island’s animals. This quest takes place across eight worlds that contain seven to 10 levels each and fall into themes like jungle, volcano, or factory. It’s not the most original platformer, but it feels just as good to play in 2025 as it did in 2010.

Tapping into the same game feel as Rare’s SNES Donkey Kong Country titles, Returns‘ Donkey Kong is heavier than your standard platformer character. Each jump, roll, and ground pound has heft behind it, but it’s still possible to move through levels efficiently after getting a handle on Donkey Kong’s moveset, which is enhanced with a hover if players find a Diddy Kong barrel in a level. Returns does get quite difficult toward the endgame and