10 Video Games That Won By Destroying EVERYTHING
8. Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong dominated the platforming genre during the SNES days, second only to Super Mario.
However, things went south when the tie-wearing ape took things to the third dimension. Donkey Kong 64 is arguably responsible for the decline of collect-a-thon platformers. Donkey Konga was a literal barrel of fun, but the rhythm-based spin-offs couldn't match DK in his prime. Worst of all, the prospect of another platformer involving the Kremling-bashing Kongs seemed unlikely when Donkey Kong Country's developers, Rare, ended their partnership with Nintendo in 2002.
That's why it was a surprise when Retro Studios's Donkey Kong Country Returns barrel-blasted onto the Wii in 2010. Released 14 years after the last entry, this sequel had a ton to live up to.
Thankfully, Returns was a fitting return-to-form. The long-awaited sequel's platforming, level design, and music stayed true to the original. However, it didn't feel like nostalgia-bait, since it took advantage of the gaming mechanics of the time, especially the motion controls. The main campaign was too hard for some, but that's pretty on-brand for a Donkey Kong Country game.
And with Donkey Kong Country Returns... um... returning as a HD remaster on the Switch soon, the future for the banana-chomping simian is looking very bright indeed.