Donkey Kong Country Returns HD landed on Nintendo Switch last month, and for those still on the fence about the remaster, a new demo has now been released. While it might seem unusual for Nintendo to release a demo after the game has already been made available, it’s not unheard of; the company has done this in the past for games like Metroid Dread. Considering the long legs a lot of Nintendo’s first-party games tend to have, it still makes sense to release a demo after the fact, as it can still win some fans over.
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A lot of recent demos have allowed players to transfer their data to the full, paid version of the game. Unfortunately, the demo for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD does not allow that. This means players will have to revisit the levels from the demo if they decide to buy the game after trying it out. That can be somewhat frustrating, but hopefully players won’t mind going back and playing them again. At the very least, this could help players keep an eye out for the game’s collectibles when they visit the levels a second time around! Readers can download the demo right here.
For those that subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is very similar to the first three Donkey Kong Country games on Super Nintendo. A 2D platformer, Donkey Kong Country Returns challenges players to hop on enemies, jump from platform to platform, and take down huge bosses. There are some differences from the SNES era, including different enemy types and an absence of water levels, but fans of those older games should find a lot to enjoy.
Donkey Kong Country Returns originally released on Wii back in 2010. The game was developed by Retro Studios, the team responsible for the Metroid Prime franchise. That team is currently working on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, so Nintendo tapped Forever Entertainment SA to handle the Nintendo Switch remaster. Nintendo has increasingly leaned on outside studios for many of its Switch remasters, with Tantalus Media similarly handling Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD last year.
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Forever Entertainment SA did a pretty nice job overall on Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. In my review last month, I awarded the game a score of 4 out of 5, noting that “it was a great game in 2010, and it remains a joy to play after all these years.” While many Donkey Kong fans would have preferred a whole new game in the series, it seems Nintendo has brought back some of the character’s older games to help fill the void. Hopefully that means we can expect something big and exciting in the Nintendo Switch 2 era!
Are you planning to check out the demo for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD? Have you been on the fence about buying the game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky atย @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
