Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

Play it on: Switch
Current goal: Bask in some Aquatic Ambience

I wasn’t planning on buying Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. It is, after all, just a graphically touched-up, barebones port of a game first released on the Wii almost 15 years ago, and Nintendo has the temerity to charge 60 bucks for it! But, then, these are not ordinary times, and as my desire for video game escapism kept growing in response to the relentless horrors of the current moment, I decided that a tropical vacation was just what the doctor ordered. DKCR’s tropical atmosphere remains a delight, the music is top-notch, and when I get into the flow of a level, rolling and leaping seamlessly through the environment, for a few minutes at least, everything is okay. With his recent redesign, it’s clear Nintendo is thinking about Donkey Kong’s future as well as bringing back his not-too-distant past, and I’m eager to find out what adventures may await that big goofy gorilla who’s been part of my life for as long as I can remember when the Switch 2 comes along. This weekend, though, I’ll just be enjoying the beaches and barrels of Donkey Kong Island like it’s 2010. — Carolyn Petit