Even though Nintendo claimed its June Direct would exclusively feature upcoming games that would fill out the remainder of its 2024, it threw in a few games we won't see until 2025, just as a little treat. One of those games was Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. A surprising drop that not many saw coming, but a fun one for those who haven't played Donkey Kong Country Returns since it was released on the Nintendo Wii, and even better, for those who missed it the first time around.
There has been some controversy surrounding the reveal of Donkey Kong Country Return HD's price. The remaster has been priced at $59.99. A Switch standard, for the most part, so perhaps not something we should be surprised by. However, paying the same for this remaster as we paid for games like The Thousand-Year Door and will pay for Echoes Of Wisdom does feel a little off. Not to mention the widely celebrated Metroid Prime Remastered which was even cheaper, releasing for $40.
If you've not been put off by the $60 and you just want to dive into what will be the best-looking version of Donkey Kong Returns we have ever seen as soon as you can, it's time to check out those promised pre-order details. Even though the HD remaster was given a release date further out than just about anything else featured in the Direct during which it was revealed, launching on January 16, 2025, you can pre-order the game now through the links below.
Time To Return To Donkey Kong Country
$60 on the Nintendo eShop$60 at Best Buy$60 at GameStop
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No news yet on whether there will be a Donkey Kong Country-themed pre-order bonus, nor if there will be different editions available. Nintendo sometimes adds pre-order bonuses r to release day, but it doesn't tend to sell anything other than the standard edition of its games. More bad news for those of you who usually go through Amazon or Walmart for your Switch game pre-orders, there's still no sign that Nintendo has cleared up whatever problem it has with the storefronts.
The saga began with Amazon canceling pre-orders for all upcoming Nintendo-published games, and then Walmart has been doing the same but waiting until the week before release day to do so. Walmart still has new Switch releases in store, but Amazon hasn't listed any new Nintendo-published Switch games since Endless Ocean: Luminous. No explanation why, and no indication that this will be ending soon as neither Donkey Kong Country Returns HD nor any other recent Switch releases are currently listed.
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD will be released exclusively on Nintendo Switch on January 16, 2025. Possibly one of the last games to be released on the Switch before we learn more about Nintendo's next console. A couple of games beyond that, such as Pokemon Legends Z-A and Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, have been given 2025 release windows, but neither has a specific release date, possibly hinting at a cross-gen launch for the games.
FAQ
How Long Does It Take To Beat Donkey Kong Country Returns?
The original Donkey Kong Country Returns story takes 12 hours to finish, but there's more than 34 hours of content for completionists. The remaster might be even longer as it will include the 3DS version's additional levels.
How Do You Unlock Every Level In Donkey Kong Country Returns?
You need to find the letters K, O, N, and G in every world to unlock that each world's K level. Beat all of those K levels, as well as the rest of the game, and you will unlock a ninth world.
