While we’d love to see a new installment of Donkey Kong Country, Nintendo’s take on an older episode once again confirms what we’ve been hearing in rumor form: the big N is pushing the Switch bandwagon with remakes and remasters in the second half of 2024.

Retro Studios was behind Donkey Kong Country Returns. That game was created by the studio (which is currently working on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond; that game was in the news earlier today) after the first three installments of Metroid Prime, and was released on multiple platforms. It was first released on the Nintendo Wii in 2010, followed by the Nintendo 3DS in 2013 (ported by Monster Games), and there was a sequel: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was first released on the Nintendo Wii U in February 2014, followed by a Switch port in May 2018 after the platform’s rapid demise.

Donkey Kong Country Returns then made its Chinese debut on the Nvidia Shield (essentially Android) in July 2019. This version was in HD resolution, unlike the Wii and 3DS, so it was five and a half years ahead of the Nintendo Switch version, as the port to the Big N’s platform has HD in its name.

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are back for more ground-pounding action in this high-definition version of Donkey Kong Country Returns, originally released on the Wii system. The villainous Tiki Tak tribe has stolen Donkey Kong’s precious banana cache, and the Kongs are in hot pursuit! Play solo or with a buddy in local two-player co-op in an adventure full of hijinks where you can trample obstacles, send mine carts crashing, fly high on rocket barrels and even hitch a ride on Rambi the Rhino. Featuring 80 levels, including the additional levels from the Nintendo 3DS version.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is coming to Nintendo Switch on January 16. It’s unlikely to be a Switch 2 port.

Source: Gematsu