Rareware’s trilogy of Donkey Kong Country platformers was a huge statement back on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Not only was Donkey Kong back, but he could stand up to Mario himself when it came to the 2D platforming crown with three excellently designed games released back to back from 1994 to 1996.

After a fourteen-year absence, Donkey Kong Country finally returned in 2010 with Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios taking over the mantle from Rare with the aptly named Donkey Kong Country Returns. And now fourteen years on we’re getting the game again, but this time without the forced waggles of the Wii version or the hindered framerate of the later 3DS port, meaning Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is finally the definitive version of the game - but it’s not much else.

Admittedly, I was disappointed at the announcement of this port. It’s been just over 10 years since the last game in the series – the phenomenal Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze – with the big ape since being relegated to spinoffs. However, over the past few years, it has felt like Nintendo has been building up to something with Donkey Kong between his prominent role in the Super Mario Bros. Movie and the new theme park area in Japan. So for the grand return to be a 14-year-old Wii game ported over, there wasn’t too much to get hyped about.

Much like the 2018 Nintendo Switch port of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, there really isn’t anything new to Donkey Kong Country Returns HD aside from a brand new easy mode – which is nice, but it’s not something I’m interested in playing. Although Tropical Freeze at least dressed up the easy mode with a playable Funky Kong, something absent from Returns HD. This could be excused if it was released for a lower price perhaps, like the substantially visually overhauled Metroid Prime Remastered, but Donkey Kong Country Returns HD follows last year’s Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD as a full-priced game that, on the whole, brings nothing new to the table and is a middling Nintendo Switch game in 2025.

Ooh, banana

Donkey Kong’s banana hoard has been stolen once more – which is tantamount to killing a family member as far as the tie-wearing ape is concerned. Retro Studios abandoned the iconic Kremling army from the SNES trilogy in favor of the Tiki Tak Tribe, who are a band of sentient Tiki masks. While the Tikis themselves are pretty boring, their power of hypnotism allows the boss fights to get a bit more ‘out there’ as DK gets to scrap with various jungle creatures under their control. Each boss ends with a satisfying battering after every fight that evokes the feeling of GameCube classic Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.

Compared to Mario, Donkey Kong Country is a more hardcore platformer series. Donkey Kong himself is extremely heavy (as you would probably expect from a gorilla), and that weightiness transfers to the platforming perfectly. Where Mario can breeze through stages with massive jumps and power-ups, Donkey Kong is more momentum-focused with strategically placed jumps and rolls required to really breeze through levels, but a lot of the time it’s best to take things a bit slower. Later levels get extremely tough, requiring you to be top banana to get through, but that just makes it all the more satisfying to clear.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD also brings Diddy Kong back into the fold as a pseudo powerup. Getting him works like in the SNES games where you find a DK barrel and smash it to get your pal. But unlike on the SNES, you can’t switch to Diddy Kong; he mainly acts as a jetpack hover to DK’s jump and allows you to infinitely roll. This was disappointing back in 2010, and it’s still a disappointing aspect of the game now, especially considering a second player can take full control of Diddy Kong in the game’s co-op mode. This would’ve made a nice addition to the new port, but alas, it’s not here.

Jungle Japes

Developer Retro Studios had big shoes to fill, and like most nostalgic platformer returns, a lot of the early game of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD feels very much like a cover band playing the hits of that original trilogy. While the levels are good, it feels a lot like trying to recapture the magic of the originals. However, as the game progresses, Retro introduces unique biomes like the Factory and Volcano worlds, which not only up the difficulty but are far more interesting to play through than the opening hours.

One of the big things associated with the series is collectibles; each level contains hidden 'KONG' letters to collect, as well as puzzle pieces. These are key to unlocking all manner of things like concept art, music, and even bonus levels that will really test your platforming skills (including the previously 3DS-exclusive levels). The letters are mercifully pretty easy to find on a first go, but some of those puzzle pieces will test your eyes as well as your platforming.

Another iconic Donkey Kong staple is the unique level gimmicks. Animal friends return from the SNES trilogy, although this is sadly limited to just Rambi the Rhino here. Meanwhile, the dreaded minecart stages that would test your reactions with their brutal difficulty also make a return this time around, and this is one area where Retro really outdid Rare. The weight of DK in this game, alongside the Returns physics, makes the jumps in these even more satisfying, and there’s always a wealth of extra pathways to add to the risk/reward factor.

Finally, there are the Rocket Barrel stages, which are a flight mode akin to Flappy Bird (yes, it was released four years prior, but everyone knows Flappy Bird). Hold A to rise, and let go to dip as you avoid all manner of obstacles. Truthfully, I’ve never loved these stages, as the slower on-rails nature of them feel like a less interesting version of the minecart stages, leading them to drag on a bit.

Here he comes banana slamma, congo bongo’s hero

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD’s entire purpose seems to just be making a version of the original game that brings the extra content and a good control scheme from the 3DS to a console that looks good and runs at 60 frames per second (fps) like the Wii original. And to that end, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD nails it; it sure is that. But while other ports have had even the bare minimum of extras like Captain Toad Treasure Tracker’s Odyssey levels or Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition’s Breath of the Wild costumes added, Donkey Kong is just the same game from before.

And don’t expect a Metroid Prime Remastered-level visual upgrade either; while it is a definite bump in quality in the jump to HD, it isn’t an impressive leap. While Returns HD does upgrade DK to have more fur compared to his flat Wii model, the fur in Returns doesn’t look on par with its Tropical Freeze counterpart. One area where the visuals feel like a downgrade however is the lighting in the volcano level, which is more of a dull magma color rather than the bright orange of the Wii edition.

You’re still getting a good game here (albeit, a game that’s a reskin of probably the weakest Donkey Kong Country title), but it’s really hard to recommend this to anyone who has played the game before; you’d be better off picking up the far better (and probably cheaper) Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. If anything, this just recontextualized how good the sequel was to me; the jump in quality from Returns to Tropical Freeze is nothing short of incredible.

Should you play Donkey Kong Country Returns HD?

Play it if...

Don't play it if...

Accessibility

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD features a brand new ‘Modern Mode’ that offers up an easier experience for players less attuned to DKC’s more hardcore platforming. You’ll get an extra hitpoint for both DK and Diddy, as well as the ability to bring nine of the helper items as opposed to just one in original mode (including some items that are exclusive to modern mode like Diddy Kong barrels and the Green Balloon).

Outside of that, the game doesn’t have many accessibility options. You have the option to swap the Roll/Pound/Blow button (X/Y) with the Grab button (ZR/ZL), but other than that, you’ll need to remap your controls from the console settings.

How I reviewed Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

I played roughly 13 hours of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, and in that time I completed the main game, including collecting all of the KONG letters and completing optional levels. I also completed the extra levels that were introduced in the 3DS version of the game. I played the game in the ‘Original’ setting outside of trying out a few levels on ‘Modern’ after rolling credits.

I played the game primarily in handheld mode on a Nintendo Switch OLED using the Joy-Con controllers, with a bit of playtime in docked mode on my Samsung Q60D TV and Samsung HW-T450 soundbar with the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller and CKRD Neo S controller.

First reviewed December 2024 / January 2025

In many ways, I couldn’t be happier with Dynasty Warriors Origins. The revitalization of what had become a very tired franchise is mostly a successful one, modernizing its gameplay elements while retaining what made it so special in the first place. You just can’t get that immense ‘1 vs. 1,000’ power fantasy anywhere else, and Dynasty Warriors Origins does it better than ever.

Rest assured that for the most part, this is still a Dynasty Warriors game through and through. You’ll rampage across massive battlefields, taking out key positions and removing enemy officers from play to gain the advantage - often laying waste to thousands of soldiers unlucky enough to be on your path from A to B.

But the gameplay loop has evolved in so many ways. For one, weapon types aren’t just different ways to hit the same normal / strong attack combos in sequence, instead offering unique mechanics that set them apart from each other. New elements like grand tactics and ambush charges also add a wonderfully cinematic feeling to battles when they happen, ensuring that something monumentally exciting happens on almost every map.

Then there’s the story, which has also seen a pretty major shift, and it’s one I have mixed feelings about. The move to a sole playable protagonist is a pretty bold change on developer Omega Force’s part, and while other officers are playable (and extremely powerful) in a limited capacity, this’ll probably be a letdown for long-time series fans hoping to get stuck in with a returning favorite.

Return to the Three Kingdoms

As ever, Dynasty Warriors Origins’ narrative is based on that of Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Three distinct factions are locked in a power struggle as each attempts to unify China under one banner as the influence of the Han dynasty begins to wane.

Origins’ story presents things a little differently. While still featuring the era’s major events such as the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Dong Zhuo’s tyrannical reign, and the pivotal Battle of Red Cliffs, we do it all through the eyes of an original protagonist.

This approach comes with its own set of successes and drawbacks. You’re given a lot of agency in the officers you wish to get to know better via bonding events and optional battles, especially later in the game where you need to decide on which of the three factions you’ll join. This, in turn, can change the latter half of Origins greatly, with you fighting different battles and armies based on your choices. That naturally makes for a healthy amount of replay value as you can go back and explore other routes via New Game Plus.

On the other hand, the shift to a single playable protagonist has plenty of faults. For one, the hero is aggressively bland. He barely registers any kind of expression during cutscenes and has no voice lines of his own outside of flavor text in battle. Plus, his story just isn’t very interesting with an amnesiac narrative that culminates in a pretty predictable payoff.

It just ultimately doesn’t add much value to the timeless and still very engaging Three Kingdoms plot. I do feel that having the option to create your own character - like in other Koei Tecmo games such as Nioh 2, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and Rise of the Ronin - could’ve remedied this problem to a degree. At least then, we’d be able to apply some kind of identity to our protagonist especially as you won’t have much opportunity to play as other iconic officers - but more on that later.

Army of one

So while Dynasty Warriors Origins’ narrative changes end up feeling a little flat for me, I won’t be saying the same for its gameplay. Origins is the best-feeling Warriors game ever made, even when accounting for some of the excellent spin-offs like Hyrule Warriors and Dragon Quest Heroes 2. Origins boasts a level of AAA quality that the series has simply never had before, and it brings plenty of changes and additions that help keep the experience from feeling stale.

For starters, each of the game’s nine weapon types all feel distinct and are a far cry from the usual normal-to-strong attack combos we typically get from the series. That style is retained on the basic sword weapon type, but I found pretty much every other weapon to be vastly more interesting.

The twin pikes, for example, dish out more damaging blows when your strong attack inputs are hit at the right time. Meanwhile, the lance lets you absorb blows by holding down the strong attack button leading to a devastating attack at full strength. A favorite of mine is the gauntlets which let you adopt various stances for a wide variety of different attacks suited to both crowd control and single-target damage.

Weapon types will also rank up the more you use them, unlocking even more moves and abilities for each. Higher ranks will in turn unlock new sets of nodes on your skill tree, further bolstering your power when you redeem skill points earned through battle and by ticking off optional training objectives assigned to you by other officers. Furthermore, Bravery skills and Tactics offer an even wider pool of abilities, including powerful guard-breaking attacks and volleys of arrows to reign down on the opposing army.

There may be fewer weapon types overall when compared to older Warriors entries, then, but this has allowed Omega Force to really flesh out their move sets for a more fulfilling experience overall. It’s great that the game incentivizes you to try out all weapon types, too, via those aforementioned training objectives and evolving move sets as they rank up.

It’s not just the protagonist that can be controlled during battle, though. You also have the ability to partner up with another iconic officer as a companion. When their meter is full, you’re able to temporarily switch to them. These officers, including series favorites like Xiahou Dun, Guan Yu, and Sun Shangxiang, are deliberately overpowered and are able to turn the tides of a battle in an instant.

Companion officers do feel superb to play as, with their own abilities and Bravery arts to make use of. I am pretty mixed on the mechanic as a whole, though, as I definitely would’ve preferred an option to just play as them outright in addition to the protagonist. It probably won’t be such a huge deal if Origins is your first Warriors game, but, as a long-time fan, I can’t help but miss being able to play as a wider variety of Three Kingdoms heroes freely.

A truly modern Musou

I think it’s fair to say that Dynasty Warriors Origins absolutely achieves what it sets out to do in revitalizing the Musou experience for a modern audience. It gave me that same “there is simply nothing else like this” feeling that I had with Dynasty Warriors 5 back in my teens. Nowhere is this more apparent than with Origins’ electrifying large-scale battles.

The general gameplay loop largely remains unchanged if you’re familiar with the Musou format. Most maps will have you eliminating enemy officers, taking over key bases, or escorting units to a particular location. With the power of current-generation gaming systems, however, Omega Force is finally able to make these battles feel truly large and cinematic.

That’s driven home by one major new feature: charges. When prompted to do so, you can head to a location on the map where your army has gathered to initiate a forward charge. This, for me, is the high point of any battle, as the camera pans back to give a wide view of the battlefield as you charge head-on towards the opposing army. A subtle screen shake and the courageous screams of your infantry further sell the moment as hundreds of troops clash into each other for an ultimate confrontation. It’s a moment that feels immensely rewarding and satisfying, and again, is unlike anything I’ve seen in any other action game, let alone any other Warriors title.

This incredible presentation is backed up by some pretty impressive visuals and yes, that trademark Dynasty Warriors brand of hard rock for the soundtrack. Perhaps most surprising of all, though, Origins is able to maintain a steady 60 frames per second (fps) in the default performance mode. There are also options for 30fps and 120fps modes, but the trade-offs here are either choppier performance or too big of a loss in visual clarity, respectively. The 60fps mode provides a pretty nice sweet spot and is the mode I would recommend for players without a high-end PC or PS5 Pro.

Should I play Dynasty Warriors Origins?

Play it if…

Don’t play it if…

Accessibility

Dynasty Warriors Origins has a handful of helpful accessibility options, led by three ‘color perception’ settings aimed at colorblind players These are unhelpfully labeled as settings ‘1, 2 and 3’ so you’ll need to switch between each to find which one best suits your needs. You can also adjust subtitle size, and choose to have a boxed backdrop for subtitles for easier reading.

Beyond this, there’s not much to speak of beyond the usual camera sensitivity and rumble adjustment settings. It is worth noting, though, that the three difficulty levels can be swapped between during the campaign itself, so there’s no need to commit if things are getting too easy or too hard as you progress.

How I reviewed Dynasty Warriors Origins

I played Dynasty Warriors Origins for 30 hours on PS5, taking me to the end of the main campaign. This playtime is expected to increase, though, as I head back into New Game Plus to try out other routes on the way to unlocking the game’s ‘true’ ending.

I played the game on a 4K LG CX OLED TV, primarily using the DualSense Wireless Controller to experience Origins’ fairly light usage of its haptic feedback. I often paired this with a JBL Quantum 910P gaming headset for a rich audio experience.

First reviewed January 2025