(Credit: Universal Pictures/Nintendo)
The Nintendo Switch 2 is real! Although we must wait until April for more details on the upcoming system, there's one thing we know for sure: It will deliver new takes on beloved Nintendo franchises, especially ones starring Mario. However, I have a good feeling that Nintendo is gearing up to spotlight a classic character who debuted alongside Jumpman in arcades in 1981. 2025 won't just be the year of the Nintendo Switch 2—it will also be the year of Donkey Kong.
Out of the Jungle
The year of Donkey Kong has already begun. It's January, and Nintendo's first release, the game that dropped in stores the same day as the Switch 2 trailer, is Donkey Kong Country Returns HD. Granted, it's not a new title. Instead, it’s a high-definition remaster of the original Wii game that bundles the extra levels from the 3DS port. It’s not quite as good as its sequel, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, which is already available on the Switch.
Still, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a fantastic game in its own right. In 2010, it wowed us with its wonderful and surprisingly difficult 2D platforming that honored Rare's original SNES trilogy (even without the villainous Kremlings). Developer Retro Studios proved it could do more than just Metroid Prime.
It’s worth playing, especially if you’ve never tried it and won’t notice the small, weird graphical issues in the otherwise beautiful remaster. But returning to Donkey Kong Country Returns is just the beginning.
Nintendo is also slowly expanding its Super Nintendo World theme parks. There are locations in Japan and Hollywood, with more expansions slated for Florida and Singapore. But along with adding more locations, Super Nintendo World is gaining new attractions. Naturally, the park debuted with Super Mario Land, and late in 2024 it got its first major expansion: Donkey Kong Country.
The immersive Donkey Kong zone has everything you'd expect from an attraction based on the property, including food served in barrels and roller coasters modeled after mine cart chases. The aesthetic apes Donkey Kong's popular games, including Donkey Kong Country Returns. Nintendo has many iconic franchises to draw from when growing its theme park, from Animal Crossing to Zelda. Those are all probably coming, too. However, Donkey Kong was the priority. But why?
The Great Ape Returns
Remasters and theme parks are all well and good, but they’re a bit anecdotal as evidence for a huge Donkey Kong revival. We're looking for the juicy clue, the real evidence, the Donkey Kong lore that will bowl us over. We got it during the Switch 2 reveal trailer.
Nintendo only showcased one game for its upcoming system: the highly anticipated next-gen Mario Kart. The internet has already pored over the footage, noticing details like 24 racers on an expanded stage. But the biggest revelation is that Donkey Kong himself sports a radical redesign, a more cartoonish look that recalls his arcade days. In fact, it looks extremely similar to his appearance in the smash-hit Super Mario Bros. Movie. That film is getting a sequel in 2026, with a Donkey Kong spin-off possibly soon after.
All of this makes the Donkey Kong push feel coordinated and intentional. But to make it all make sense, it needs one more big swing. That’s why I’m convinced the stars are aligning, and 2025 will see the release of a huge, new Donkey Kong adventure for the Nintendo Switch 2. In terms of importance, it will be the equivalent of a flagship Mario game, the Switch 2’s Super Mario Odyssey. I suspect the same development team, Nintendo Tokyo, will work on it. Before dazzling us with Super Mario Galaxy, that group debuted with the bonkers bongo platformer Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (which should also come back). So, a new Donkey Kong game would bring matters full circle.
More realistically, I think this will be the next mainline Mario game first and foremost, but Donkey Kong will play a prominent role. The Super Mario Bros. Movie teased a bit of their frenemy dynamic. The Mario vs. Donkey Kong series is a fine collection of puzzle platformers, but this could a true blockbuster, Nintendo’s take on Godzilla vs. Kong.
For decades, ever since Donkey Kong 64, ape-heads like me have dreamed of a good 3D Donkey Kong adventure (developer Vicarious Visions even pitched one called Donkey Kong Freedom). This crossover will finally make good on all that awesome potential. I didn't even come up with this concept. For years, the internet has chatted about this tantalizing team-up, even if it's more of a wish than a solid rumor. Still, I suspect this potential game will be the Nintendo Switch 2’s main holiday title, and we'll get a first look during the April Nintendo Direct.
It’s Donkey Kong’s Country, We Just Live in It
The Switch 2 reveal proved that some rumors are accurate—but some are things we just want to see. Maybe all these Donkey Kong happenings are just a coincidence, and Nintendo is content with letting him be a side character.
But I have faith in Donkey Kong. A gorilla in a monogrammed necktie is too good to waste. I can't just sit back and ironically watch episodes of the hideous DK cartoon forever. That's why I have to believe that in 2025, the world will get a new, epic Donkey Kong experience that's only possible with the power of Nintendo Switch 2. Thinking otherwise is just bananas.