Bananas are going to be needed again, as Donkey Kong and Diddy are back in action, and their fans, no doubt, the most delighted people probably could not be. The release of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD on the Nintendo Switch means players can experience an outstandingly made platform game once again, which was “off limits” for quite a while. New characters’ arrival is not just a matter of a better presentation but also a sign of how the same team as Metroid Prime, i.e., Retro Studios, has gone on to bring back the dead and mark their place in Nintendo’s history.
When Retro initially came into the spotlight for work on the Metroid Prime trilogy, they were already established masters of moody, atmospheric first-person journeys. So, when they announced that they’d be leading a reboot of Donkey Kong Country, people were surprised—and rightly so. As longtime Nintendo producer Kensuke Tanabe tells it, it all came together by accident. With prominent staff leaving Retro, the company was searching for its next direction. That’s when Shigeru Miyamoto came along with an interest in restarting Donkey Kong, and Tanabe sold Retro as the best team to do it. That one idea set off what would eventually become Donkey Kong Country Returns—a game that would honor the SNES classics while taking the series in bold new directions.
The pressure was on immediately. As developers Kynan Pearson, Mike Wikan, and Tom Ivey later explained, internal shake-ups within the studio created a void—but it also presented an opportunity for fresh ideas and a new vision. Most of the new members were lifelong enthusiasts of the original trilogy, and that strong passion carried over into their work. Pearson describes how the mutual love of the series spurred their innovation, and that enthusiasm was heightened by working near Nintendo’s Kyoto-based developers. The combined effort bridged skepticism about whether Retro was capable of doing something so divergent from Metroid.
When Donkey Kong Country Returns was announced at E3 2010, it caused a massive splash. It managed to recapture the series’ characteristic platforming accuracy and creative level design, as well as offering a more colorful look and fresh gameplay mechanics. The positive critical and commercial success of the game quickly silenced the doubters. As Tanabe would later remark, Retro’s innate understanding of why Donkey Kong Country was great helped it succeed.
And now, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is bringing that magic jungle to a whole new generation. Scheduled to ship on January 16, 2025, the HD remaster contains all 80 levels from the first Wii release, in addition to the extra content introduced for the 3DS. Whether you’re tackling mine carts solo or teaming up in local co-op, the Switch version is designed to preserve everything that made the original great, now with enhanced visuals and smoother performance to match today’s expectations.
Of course, no Donkey Kong game is complete without some memorable villains, and Retro didn’t hold back. In Donkey Kong Country Returns, the player had battled the hypnotic Tiki Tak Tribe, but Tropical Freeze did the real groundwork in terms of shaking things up with the inclusion of the Snowmads under the leadership of the portly, horn-blowing Lord Fredrik. His icy invasion and Viking-inspired design lent the game a certain flavor, and although his boss battle didn’t quite avoid comparisons to King K. Rool, he at least introduced some new life into the series. From frozen battlefields to called-in frost dragons, the Snowmads contributed to making Tropical Freeze different, even if Fredrik himself was a bit of a mixed bag for longtime fans.
However, it’s easy to see that Retro Studios contributed reverence and risk-taking in equal measure. They were not hesitant to mess with the formula if it involved upsetting villain lineups or experimenting with level mechanics. That willingness to try new things, coupled with a clear affection for the source material, allowed the series to grow without losing its foundations.
In the center of Donkey Kong Country’s resurgence is a profound respect for the past—coupled with an aggressive push to take it further. Retro Studios didn’t simply reissue a platformer—they revitalized a franchise. With Donkey Kong Country Returns HD coming to the Switch very shortly, both old school and newcomers alike can enjoy the charm, difficulty, and imagination that make this franchise so endearing. Whether you’re ready to roll through jungles again or pick up a barrel for the first time, Kong country is calling—and it’s more vibrant than ever.