Even as we wait for something, anything, on Nintendos next console, the Switch still has a fair number of new releases in 2025. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is one of them, arriving on January 16th for the console at $59.99 and serving as an HD port of the 2010 platformer for the Nintendo Wii. With strong critical acclaim back in the day and over 6.5 million copies sold, theres plenty of reason to jump in. Check out 15 things you should know about it before pre-ordering.OriginsWith Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze available for the Nintendo Switch, it makes sense to bring Donkey Kong Country Returns over and give it the HD treatment. However, the latter was significant for many other reasons at launch. It was the first Donkey Kong Country title after the SNES trilogy, launching 14 years later for the Nintendo Wii. Also, instead of Rare, which handled the previous entries, Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios is at the helm for the first time in the franchise.Developed by Forever EntertainmentHowever, the Nintendo Switch version isnt handled by Retro Studios but Forever Entertainment, as reported by Bankier. The studio (which published the remakes for Front Mission 1 and 2) also worked Tropical Freeze for the Switch and did a pretty good job, though well get to the visual changes in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD shortly.GameplayIf you played the SNES titles, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD will feel familiar. As a side-scrolling platformer, players can control Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong (though only the former is playable solo). You can jump on and roll through enemies, pound on the ground to progress or reveal items, ride on mine carts, swing from vines, collect bananas and Puzzle Pieces to unlock gallery items. Animals like Rambi and Squawks also return to lend a hand.New Mechanics to the SeriesWhile characters in the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy could go down in one hit, Donkey Kong Country Returns features a health bar. The trade-off is you cant switch to Diddy Kong when playing solo. However, he can jump on Donkey Kongs back with his jetpack allowing you to make longer jumps. The other change is a new silhouette presentation for some levels, which not only looks sleek but also houses new challenges.For example, if you line up certain background objects in Sunset Shore, itll rain bananas and coins. Some platforms in Foggy Fumes may also not be immediately visible, leading to some second-guessing. On top of all this, theres a new vehicle, the Rocket Barrel, which offers its treacherous stages to navigate.Local PlayOne of the appeals of Donkey Kong Country is playing with a friend and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD supports this. A second player can control Diddy Kong, and yes, you can still hop on Donkey Kongs back to enhance his jumps (and cut down on your own work). Once a characters health is depleted, you can bring them back with DK Barrels scattered throughout the stages.Super KongIf things are too rough and you die multiple times in a level, Super Kong can be called in to save the day and complete a level (which also works with bosses). The downside is not receiving bananas, coins, balloons granting extra lives, and collectibles. You also wont see the locations for the latter, making 100 percent completion (or even finishing the final stage) impossible. Nevertheless, for those who get stuck and want to get on with the story, its an option.K-StagesWhen you collect the KONG letters scattered in every level, youll unlock a K-Stage. These are challenging locations in each world, and completing them grants a Rare Orb. If you beat the game and have all eight Rare Orbs, you can unlock the final world and then Mirror Mode.Extra LevelsThis isnt the first time Donkey Kong Country Returns has been ported to other platforms. Monster Games brought it to the Nintendo 3DS and added new features like New Mode and eight brand new levels, encompassed in the new Cloud world. Collecting all Rare Orbs is necessary to access the Cloud Gateway to enter this world and subsequently the last level.Mirror ModeAfter finishing the final level, theres good news you can do it all over again in Mirror Mode. Available only in solo play, it flips every level in the game, removes Diddy Kong, and only gives you one heart, which means one hit, and youre dead. You also cant use items, further increasing the difficulty.Time AttackIf youre the speed-running type, then Time Attack mode may be worth checking out. Available after completing a stage, your goal is to reach the end in the fastest time possible. There are Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals to earn, but you can also try for Shiny Golds, whose completion time is hidden. You dont get anything for all the medals, making this mode completely optional, but its a great way to test your knowledge of the levels.Original Mode and New ModeAnother new feature from the 3DS port, which carries over to the Nintendo Switch version, is New Mode. Its effectively Easy mode, granting more hearts, increasing held items to nine, and offering other protective measures. You can survive two crashes from mine carts and rocket barrels with Crash Guard, while Green Balloon will save you once if you fall into the abyss. Original Mode is still available for those who want to experience the game with the original difficulty, so dont worry.PlaytimeThe main story will last 11.5 hours on average per HowLongToBeat. This jumps to 18 hours when factoring in side content, but completionists will require 31 hours on average to finish everything. However, this is for the Wii version and doesnt account for the extra levels from the 3DS port. Regardless, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD promises a lengthy platforming experience if youre dedicated enough.Visually Enhanced (?)Donkey Kong Country Returns HD sports a higher resolution than the Wii release, but there are some noticeable visual changes, which arent all completely positive. Certain items like Hearts and KONG letters dont glow as brightly; the sunset in some levels is absent; and the colors in many instances arent the same. Your mileage may vary on how much all this matters, but if youre a stickler for a 1:1 HD port in visuals, this isnt it (though they still look pretty good).JoyCon FeaturesLocal play is entirely possible with a pair of JoyCons, with each player using one to control a character. And while the entire game is playable with buttons, the JoyCons can be shaken to smack the ground, thus unveiling hidden objectives. This carries over from the Wii version, and while unnecessary, its good to see it carry over to the Switch.File Size on Nintendo SwitchWhile Tropical Freeze required 6.7 GB of installation space on the Switch, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is surprisingly bigger. Youll need 8.3 GB of space instead its not much, but still a noticeable leap.