Donkey Kong Country Returns HD review: A standout without the nostalgia? [Video]

Despite playing game my entire life, I have – like most people – gaps in my experiences when it comes to certain games and franchises. Donkey Kong sits squarely in that area as the only Nintendo consoles I ever owned where the portable ones and those were basically, exclusively Pokémon playing machines for me.

With a brief excursion into the franchise with Tropical Freeze all the way back in 2018, I still count myself as mostly alien to the series but now, with the Nintendo Switch 2 around the corner, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD arrives.

Despite my unfamiliarity with Donkey Kong, I have heard endless praise for Country Returns over the years, with this enhanced offering an easy way for me to try it out for the first time. It can sometimes be lost on franchise veterans that re-releases aren’t always to satisfy them, as they also offer a way for newcomers to get their hands on the series.

This also offers an opportunity …