Fans of platformers who own a 3DS can start gearing up for a title to look forward to. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, the recently announced port of Nintendo and Retro Studio’s 2010 Wii hit Donkey Kong Country Returns, will be making its North American debut on May 24.
Originally announced as part of last month’s Nintendo Direct info dump, information on this new version of the game has been scarce, other than a recent reveal that instead of Retro, the port is being handled by developer Monster Games, known for racing games like Excite Truck and Excitebots, as well as most recently Pilotwings Resort. A downloadable 3D trailer for the game is also currently available on the 3DS eShop.
Though it’s unclear whether or not Returns 3D will sport any notable additions or omissions compared to its home console counterpart, I can say that any 3DS owners who never got a chance to try the Wii version are in for a treat. Sporting great level design, a colorful art style, and the same great gameplay that made the original Super Nintendo Donkey Kong Country trilogy so much fun, Retro knocked it out of the park with their original release, and unless something goes horribly wrong, this portable version should be the same way.
I’ll also make an educated guess that Nintendo will continue with the pattern they’ve set with releases like Fire Emblem: Awakening and Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, there will be a simultaneous downloadable release for the game on the eShop. There’s no official word on that at the moment, though.
In addition to a very brief press release announcing the game’s launch date, Nintendo put out a promotional photo for the game that I’d say speaks for itself:
We’ll keep you updated on more news regarding Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D as it develops.
