Free Demo of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD now available on Nintendo Switch

Many of us grew up playing Donkey Kong on consoles and the latest iteration of the franchise is now available on Nintendo Switch.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD was recently released on the Switch, but for many they may be nervous about putting down A$69.00, unsure if they’ll get value for money.

Today, Nintendo announced the release of a free demo of the game, allowing players to try before you buy.

Having gone straight for the purchase myself, I’ve poured a dozen or so hours into it and have to say, I’m thoroughly enjoying the game.

While the characters and game mechanic feel familiar, there’s enough new challenges to make it feel fresh and the graphics are obviously amazing, a long cry from what we played in the past.

The demo also allows you to pass a joycon to a friend or family member to have them lend a hand as Diddy Kong in local co-op. Diddy Kong can use his jet pack to help land tough jumps and fend off enemies with his trusty peanut popgun.

Each level has many rewards, often hidden in hard to get to places, that allow you to earn bonuses, or you could speed run it in Time Attack mode and earn a gold medal by finishing each level as fast as possible.

The demo can be downloaded for free from Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch console, or via the official website.

In Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, players can stomp enemies, blast out of barrels, ride mine carts and more in this jaunt across Donkey Kong Island.

This visually-enhanced version of Donkey Kong’s platforming adventure combines selected features from both the Wii and Nintendo 3DS releases, including the extra levels from the Nintendo 3DS version.