Summary
Nintendo has recently highlighted the fact that the Switch will soon have access to everyDonkey Kong Countrygame. TheDonkey Kong Countrysub-series started in 1994 with the release of the original game on the Super Nintendo.Donkey Kong Countrywas a critical and commercial success, leading to the release of two direct sequels on the Super Nintendo.
TheDonkey Kong Countrysub-series went dormant after the release ofDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble. It finally made a comeback 14 years later with the Retro Studios-developedDonkey Kong Country Returnson the Wii, which was also a big hit. Retro then moved forward withDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freezeon the Wii U, with the gameeventually ported to the Nintendo Switch.
Thanks toDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freezereleasing on the Switch and the Switch Online service adding the originalDonkey Kong Countrytrilogy, nearly the entire series is currently playable on Nintendo’s home console/handheld hybrid. The only exception isDonkey Kong Country Returns, but that will change in the near future.Donkey Kong Country Returns HDis coming to the Switchon July 24, 2025, and when it does, Switch owners will have access to everyDKCgame made to date.
List of Donkey Kong Country Games on the Switch
Not only will Switch owners be able to play everyDonkey Kong Countrygame by the end of January, but they can also play most of the relatedDonkey Kong Landgames as well.Donkey Kong LandandDonkey Kong Land 2were both added to the Switch Online servicejust recently, and while they are not technicallyDonkey Kong Countrygames, they are closely related. In fact, theDonkey Kong Landgames actively attempt to replicate theDKCstyle of gameplay, plus their plots are closely related if not basically identical.Donkey Kong Land 3still has yet to come to Switch Online, but one has to imagine that it will happen sooner rather than later.
Nintendo has done a great job of ensuring its major franchises are well-represented on the Switch. There are still some missing games, but the Switch is already a fantastic machine forSuper Mario,The Legend of Zelda, andMetroidas well. And with the news that theSwitch 2 is backward compatiblewith the original Switch, it seems Nintendo’s next console will be even better for fans of Nintendo’s biggest franchises - especially if the games missing from the Switch are released in some capacity for its successor.
Donkey Kong Country
Released over just a two-year period between 1994 and 1996, many consider the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy to be among the finest side-scrolling platformers ever made. After a long hiatus, the series returned in 2010, with another game then being released for the Wii U some four years later.
