Donkey Kong Country Returns HD: Fans Express Disappointment Over Pricing

Fans are not happy with the price of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, the upcoming remake of Retro Studios' Wii platformer from 2010. This is the latest Donkey Kong title to be ported to Nintendo's popular Switch family of handheld consoles.

During Nintendo's most recent Direct, it was revealed that Polish studio Forever Entertainment S.A. would release an enhanced version of Donkey Kong Country Returns on January 16, 2025. The aptly named Donkey Kong Country Returns HD can now be pre-ordered on the Nintendo eShop, but fans of the franchise have criticized one particular aspect of the Switch remake.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Price Is Too High
On Reddit, many are questioning Donkey Kong Country Returns HD's $60 price tag, with one user even saying in a post that charging such an amount for the remake was ridiculous. In another thread discussing the price of Forever Entertainment S.A.'s upcoming game, someone pointed out that titles from other popular Nintendo franchises have sold for significantly lower values, such as the 2023 Switch remaster of Metroid Prime that had a price tag of $40.

However, others emphasized that Donkey Kong games have historically outsold Metroid releases, adding that the former franchise likely enjoyed stronger brand recognition due to its titular hero's appearance in the widely successful The Super Mario Bros. Movie. A Donkey Kong Country-themed area inside Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan is also set to open in the latter half of 2024, further indicating the franchise’s popularity. The highly anticipated park expansion was supposed to open in spring, but Universal Studios Japan announced in April that it had been delayed without providing additional details.

Donkey Kong remains one of Nintendo's most popular mascots even 43 years after the character was created by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Aside from Donkey Kong Country Returns, two more of the series' classic titles, Mario vs. Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, have received Switch remakes, with both becoming some of the handheld's best-selling games. Some of the best-selling games for the SNES and N64, widely considered to be the best home consoles of their respective generations, were Donkey Kong titles as well.

Despite the criticism towards its price, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is expected to be just as successful as its predecessors. The game will take up 9 GB of space, according to its Nintendo eShop listing, which would make it around 2.4 GB larger than the 2018 Switch remake of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.