Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Co-Op Quirk on Nintendo Switch Raises Player Concerns

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD launched for Nintendo Switch earlier this month, bringing the acclaimed platformer to a new generation of players.

Developed by Forever Entertainment and published by Nintendo, the HD remaster offers fans enhanced visuals and the chance to experience Donkey Kong’s classic adventures both solo and in local co-op.

However, players have uncovered a significant co-op gameplay quirk that distinguishes the Switch version from its predecessors. The original Donkey Kong Country Returns debuted on the Nintendo Wii in 2010, gaining praise for its challenging stages, tight controls, and engaging co-op mode.

When the game was adapted for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, some gameplay mechanics shifted to accommodate handheld play, particularly with respect to cooperative sessions.

Now with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD on Nintendo Switch, expectations were high for an experience faithful to the much-loved Wii version—especially for co-op play, a flagship feature of the platform. Recently, fans and content creators, such as the DK-centric channel Kong Kompendium, have identified a potentially frustrating issue for co-op partners.

In Donkey Kong Country Returns HD for Switch, two players are unable to bounce off the same enemy in succession.

While this may appear to be a minor adjustment at first glance—after all, similar mechanics exist in other platformers like the Mario series—it can become a significant obstacle during later levels, where chaining enemy bounces is critical to progress. On the original Wii release, the game implemented a subtle buffer system: after a player bounced on an enemy, that enemy remained briefly—approximately 25 frames—allowing the second player just enough time to follow the same route and complete challenging platforming sections.

The Nintendo 3DS version removed this buffer in favor of a simpler, single-use enemy bounce, a change made less impactful by its reduced emphasis on couch co-op.

The new Nintendo Switch HD remaster appears to have adopted the 3DS’s stricter approach, which, according to experienced players, hinders the appeal and functionality of its multiplayer mode. As a result, cooperative gameplay can devolve into a test of resource management rather than platforming skill, especially on advanced stages such as 'Platform Panic.' With only one bounce allowed per enemy, teams may struggle to complete sections designed around synchronized co-op movement, undermining the very feature many players were eager to experience on Nintendo Switch. While this issue doesn’t render Donkey Kong Country Returns HD unplayable on Switch, it does impact those seeking seamless co-op action—a key selling point of the HD remaster.

To date, Forever Entertainment has not announced a patch or update to address this co-op mechanic disparity.

For now, devoted fans looking for authentic cooperative gameplay may need to revisit the original Wii version. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD remains a polished and enjoyable platformer on Nintendo Switch, but for players who prioritize co-op, this oversight is a noteworthy limitation.

As the game continues to find its audience on Nintendo’s current-generation hardware, attention from both the developer and the community underscores the importance of faithfully preserving the unique appeal of its iconic platforming roots.

Donkey Kong Donkey Kong Country Nintendo Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Switch Donkey Kong Country Returns Nintendo Switch