Last week I bought Donkey Kong Country Returns HD at full price, and yes, it was cheaper than the original. In fact, I bought it twice at full price, as I ordered a copy to come to me after worrying I wouldn’t find it in the local game shop, but then the shop had it anyway (in fairness, I’m going to return the other one). This was the third and fourth time that I’ve bought Donkey Kong Country Returns, and I’m sure I’ll buy it again in 2040 when Nintendo releases Donkey Kong Country Returns HD: Smellovision Edition, which lets me really sniff the bananas (and apes).
For me, there was no doubt that Donkey Kong Country Returns HD would end up being one of the best Nintendo Switch games, and in the hours I’ve spent with it since, it’s lived up to my expectations. I’ve played it every day since, and I fully intend to get every possible ounce of enjoyment out of it by playing to 100% completion (or 200% as the case may be). Don’t get me wrong, Nintendo’s pricing is greedy, but I’m not just talking nonsense when I say that the game is actually cheaper than the original.
In 2010, Donkey Kong Country Returns came out on Wii for $59.99 in the US and £39.99 in the UK, and last week, it came out on Nintendo Switch for $59.99 and £49.99 respectively – and it’s cheaper. No, I’m not ridiculously bad at math, I’m referring to the fact that with inflation, the price of the original game would be over $70 and £60 by today’s standards. With everything else shooting up so much in price over the past few years, it’s a relief that games are falling behind the curve of inflation. Still, even if that wasn’t the case, there are lots of reasons that I’d be able to justify the price tag.
To quote Connor Christie’s Donkey Kong Country Returns HD review, the game “is easily one of the best platformers of the Switch era. It’s equally imaginative and challenging, providing a template for how to reinvigorate a series without losing touch with what made it so special in the first place.”
For me, there’s no doubt that I’ll get just as much enjoyment out of it as I would any of the other new Switch games coming out this year. This isn’t some poorly aged relic, it’s a platformer that stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Super Mario Bros. Wonder – ignoring the context of it being a fifteen-year-old game, why shouldn’t I spend the full price on it when the level of enjoyment I’ll get from it is no different to a brand new release?
Meanwhile, it’s very much the definitive version of the game. The Wii original has a blurry pre-HD resolution and shoe-horned waggle controls, and while the 3DS version allows you to play with buttons instead (and even adds new levels), the visuals are even worse. The Switch version gives you the option of controlling with buttons or waggles (for the Wii die-hards), adds all the new 3DS content, and gives everything a nice new coat of HD paint (ignoring some very minor effects disappearing). Since the Switch 2 will have backwards compatibility, it’ll be this version of the game that I play for years to come and the cost per hour of fun is going to be minimal.
You’ve probably already guessed that I’m a Donkey Kong fan, and so part of me wants this to do well because I want to encourage Nintendo to do more with the IP. Though there have been some nice treats along the way, it’s been 11 years since the last full Donkey Kong game. Instead of thinking “By buying this at full price, I’m encouraging Nintendo to overprice classic games” I think “By buying this, I am encouraging Nintendo to do more with Donkey Kong.”
If you love Donkey Kong games, you should read our lists of the best Switch platformers, and the best Mario games – there are sure to be recommendations you’ll enjoy in both.