Donkey Kong Country Returns is a lovely-looking side-scrolling platformer with 3D graphics, spanning multiple worlds on an island. It can be tough at times, but also there are assists to help you skip forward if your kids are feeling frustrated.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is the definitive version of a great platformer that finally brings the best of the Wii and 3DS versions into one. But the lack of new stuff makes it a hard sell as a full-priced Nintendo Switch game.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fairly straightforward port that'll fill enough time on the road to the Switch 2.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

Country Returns breathed life back into the franchise and was considered the spiritual successor of the original Donkey Kong: Country trilogy from the Super Nintendo era. From the 2D platforming to its cartoon style, Retro Studios stayed true to the essence of the classic games while introducing new elements.

Fans can see how much space on their Switch they'll need to allocate for the upcoming Donkey Kong Country Returns remaster next week.

A copy of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD was provided for review by publisher Nintendo.

I owe Donkey Kong Country Returns HD an apology. I laughed in disbelief at its initial announcement because it’s not only the third time Nintendo has sold us a version of this 2010 Wii platformer, it’s also the third Switch re-release Donkey Kong has seen despite not getting a completely new adventure in the last decade.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is basically the same game that arrived on the Nintendo 3DS a decade ago, but that isn’t such a bad thing.