Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Reviews
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a great reminder of how good Retro Studios can be, though there's not too much for returning players.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD remains a fabulous 2D platformer that retains and expands on the magic of Rare's previous games: if you haven't played it on Wii and you like the genre, you should, as it's the best version of it yet. But at the same time, as an HD update, it's hard to shake the feeling that it could have offered something more.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Donkey Kong is back with yet another remaster that remains very faithful to the original games. The level design, collectibles and many challenges make this game quite an enjoyable experience. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD main game modes offer a fair share of replayability, especially to new players that didn't experience the classic take on the game. This new Donkey Kong remaster definitely checks all the boxes.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fine remaster of the Wii platformer, bringing along all the tweaks from its Nintendo 3DS port. It's not much more than that, but it's still a great platformer.
Nintendo's Donkey Kong Country reboot feels as good in 2025 as it did in 2010 and 2013.
The boss fights are all clever, the controls allow for precise maneuvers, and the visuals are nice and crisp. It took me a little time to get used to the controls, and I kept feeling slower than I would have liked. But the level design is excellent, the soundtrack is choice, and the difficulty never felt unfair.
With nine worlds of fantastic action-platforming, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD has aged rather well and is still a pleasure to play, despite its sequel Tropical Freeze remaining the series' high point.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ultimately, though, it’s worth it for anyone who hasn’t yet played Donkey Kong Country Returns before, since what they’ll find here on Nintendo Switch is absolutely the best way to play a game that represents a publisher at almost the very top of its game.
It must be said that the colorful and comical universe of Donkey Kong still works just as well. And let's not talk about the soundtrack, which is just as memorable even fifteen years later.
Review in French | Read full review
A special mention, even after many years, goes to the soundtrack that accompanies the gait of the Nintendo gorilla, in an extraordinary mix of motifs from the first trilogy and original tracks that contributed to the success of the platform game by Retro Studios.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a simple, but very well done remastered of this Nintendo classic. The thing is that is is based on the 3DS version rather than the Wii's version.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The ability to pick it up and put it down for short bursts was a perfect fit for the game, and helped keep my blood pressure under control for some of the endgame levels that really got me boiling over.
While it's not as strong a game as Tropical Freeze, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a great way to introduce younger or less skilled players to the wonderful world of Donkey Kong Country. However, those familiar with the game already through its two previous releases may struggle to find much value in another revisit, even if the visual improvements are numerous but sparse.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a phenomenal platformer and a must-play Nintendo Switch title, but it could be skippable for the fans that own the 3DS port.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a great title to rescue from the Wii's library, allowing a new generation of gamers to enjoy this masterful platformer. It didn't need a total overhaul, so it makes sense that it's just an HD rerelease rather than a total remake, but the problem is that it's priced the same as a brand-new 2025 title, which doesn't seem fair no matter how HD it is. If you don't mind the cost, you'll have yet another amazing game on Switch, but if you don't want to drop the full price on a 14-year-old game, I wouldn't blame you.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the exact same, challenging game from the past, just looking slightly better. It is a charming if difficult classic platformer, but I’m not sure it stood the test of time. If I were to score it as a new product aimed at mainstream audience, the verdict would be a bit more negative.
Review in Polish | Read full review
The quality of its level design, the two-player coop and a wealth of stages, including the 3DS ones, are enough to recommend a purchase, but Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is sort of lazy if compared to other remastered versions of Nintendo old classics. If you have already played it before elsewhere, there is really no reason for a second playthrough.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Despite it feeling really late in the game to drop this HD re-release, the simple fact is that Donkey Kong Country Returns is a masterclass in tough-yet-exhilarating platforming, and the Switch is now the best place to play it all over again – or for the first time.
Nintendo Switch remaster of this classic platformer is the definitive version of it, and anyone who loved playing it previously is going to love the opportunity to play through it again. If you’re newer to video games… this is an essential modern classic.
A great continuation of the SNES series with imaginative twists and bright colors but it does not add nor improve much over the Wii/3DS originals.
Review in Arabic | Read full review