A character that Nintendo seemed to have forgotten, focusing on a very specific type of game, as seen in the Game Boy title that was released in 1994, the year in which everything would change. From the hands of British Rare,

Donkey Kong Country Returns is a lovely-looking side-scrolling platformer with 3D graphics, spanning multiple worlds on an island. It can be tough at times, but also there are assists to help you skip forward if your kids are feeling frustrated.

Donkey Kong’s new look arrives the same day that Nintendo is launching Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, a Switch re-release of the original Wii game. That release, notably overshadowed by the Switch 2 unveiling, makes the contrast a little more stark.

Since his debut Donkey Kong's character design has remained fairly unchanged, but his 'new' look isn't quite as fresh as you might expect. Seemingly taking inspiration from the animated aesthetics of the 2023 Super Mario Bros.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fairly straightforward port that'll fill enough time on the road to the Switch 2.

The newly unveiled Mario Kart 9 game for Nintendo Switch 2 sports the first sign of the Donkey Kong redesign from the movie.

In the new Mario Kart game revealed during the Switch 2’s first trailer, players noticed a number of details, including some character redesigns.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for the Nintendo Switch takes aspects of each of these rereleases — motion controls, bonus levels, enhanced visuals — and packages them into the ultimate experience. It’s easily the best the game has ever looked and felt,

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD's perceived snub of the development team at Retro Studios is addressed in a statement by Nintendo.