When Donkey Kong Country Returns HD was first revealed last year, many people were quick to joke that this was, in fact, not the first time the iconic Nintendo ape has returned. Indeed, the Retro-developed platformer originally debuted on the Wii in 2010 and received a 3DS port in 2013. It also got a Wii U sequel, Tropical Freeze, in 2014, which was then remastered for the Switch in 2018.

All of that is to say that the mere existence of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD feels a little strange and, arguably, unnecessary. The fact that it’s $79.99 — another fully priced Nintendo remaster — makes it even worse. And so, while Donkey Kong Country Returns remains a great game in 2025, this HD version, which makes marginal tweaks to that original experience, is a bit of a tough sell.

For the uninitiated, Country Returns is a throwback to Rare’s massively popular side-scrolling Donkey Kong Country games on the SNES. In the game, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong must team up once again when the evil Tiki Tak tribe hypnotizes the island’s animals to steal their banana hoard. It’s an incredibly basic story even for Nintendo platformer standards, but of course, that’s not why you’re playing this.

In another nod to the OG Country games, Returns isn’t an easy game. At face value, the colour and inventive level design — which takes you from luscious jungles and beaches to spooky tiki-filled caves and factories with all kinds of machinery — might seem cute, but that belies quite a bit of platforming challenge. There’s a satisfying thrill in navigating the tightly crafted levels as you successfully ground pound, slide, Diddy Kong jet pack glide and mine cart ride without dying.

That old-school sensibility might not gel with everyone, so thankfully, Returns HD includes the ‘Modern Mode’ from the 3D version that gives DK an extra heart and allows you to buy more assistive items from Cranky Kong, like additional balloons (lives) and hearts. It’s a good compromise to help you out a bit without changing the actual level design.

But really, that also highlights one of the biggest shortcomings with Returns HD: the bulk of the new content it offers over the original Wii game comes from the 3D version. In addition to the Modern Mode, Returns HD also includes the bonus levels from the 3DS version. Therefore, the only actual “new” feature of this Switch release is that titular HD sheen. It definitely looks pretty, but then, the 3DS version also still holds up visually.

The lack of new content makes Donkey Kong Country Returns HD feel less valuable as an overall package, especially for $80. Contrast this to, say, Nintendo’s own Super Mario 3D Land + Bowser’s Fury, another HD remaster on Switch that added an entire separate campaign, or Metroid Prime Remastered, which is sold for $50 and makes more significant visual and gameplay tweaks.

And so, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD isn’t really a meaningful upgrade in any way. Sure, if you’ve never played Donkey Kong Country Returns on either Wii or 3DS and are absolutely clamouring for a signature Nintendo platforming experience, you could certainly do worse than this HD version. The core experience is excellent, just as it was in 2010 and 2013, and well worth playing if you’re fine with the steep $80 entry cost. But otherwise, you’re probably better off either playing the superior Tropical Freeze or waiting for whatever Nintendo has in store for its next console.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD will launch on the Nintendo Switch on January 16th, 2025.