Surprise Update: Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Adds New Content That Enhances Its Value After a Year

Just over a year after its debut, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD—a port of the classic Wii title from 15 years ago—has received a fresh update that introduces a new playable character and enhancements for the Switch 2.

Nintendo is clearly reviving its focus on Donkey Kong, especially with the upcoming theme park, a rumored movie, and the highly anticipated Donkey Kong Bananza set for 2025. However, it’s easy to overlook that Bananza wasn’t the only DK title released this year; a remaster of Donkey Kong Country Returns quietly launched in January, quickly fading from memory amid discussions about its pricing and lack of visual effects.

Surprisingly, Nintendo has not forgotten about this remaster. Out of nowhere, a new update has been rolled out, bringing with it improvements for the Nintendo Switch 2, including enhanced graphics and more bearable loading screens. Most notably, Dixie Kong has been added as a companion character, seemingly lifted straight from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. For a game that originally launched in 2010 to receive a new playable character over 15 years later in a free update, this is certainly one of the more unexpected moves from Nintendo in recent times.

This raises the question: why wasn’t Dixie Kong included in the original release? Donkey Kong Country Returns HD has likely been one of the most closely examined first-party Nintendo titles ever, considering it was a full-priced re-release of a game that was not only from 2010 but also cheaper at launch than its Switch counterpart. While Dixie Kong alone may not justify the cost, her inclusion would have certainly made the re-release more appealing.

After 44 years in the shadows, Donkey Kong Bananza positions Nintendo’s iconic character as a contender alongside Mario and Link in the Switch 2 era.