Summary
Donkey Kongfirst appeared in the 1981 arcade game of the same name and quickly became one of Nintendo’s first iconic characters. Many mascots from this era struggled to stay relevant after home consoles took over the market, but Donkey Kong is one of the few that might be more popular today than he was over forty years ago.
While the gorilla occasionally gets a chance to shine in his own game, Donkey Kong has become more of a supporting character with smaller roles inother series like Mario Party and Mario Kart. There are a bunch of Donkey Kong titles available to play on the Nintendo Switch 2, and these are the best ones to swing into if you’re looking for challenging platforming or a taste of nostalgia.
You will need a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online to access classic titles from the NES, Game Boy, and SNES libraries.
Rare was the main developer behind the Donkey Kong series during the 1990s and created eight unique games in eight years for a variety of platforms, including the SNES, the N64, and the Game Boy. While the Donkey Kong Country series is infamous, the studio also worked on ahandheld trilogy for the Game Boythat doesn’t get as much recognition as other titles.
Due to the restrictions of the hardware, the Donkey Kong Land series might be lacking in certain areas, but they are still fun to revisit to see how Rare squeezed its magic into a smaller package. All three games have interesting ideas, but the second entry, Donkey Kong Land 2, is often praised for being the best in the trilogy.
It’s hard to imagine what the video game industry would look like without the original Donkey Kong arcade game. Not only did it introduce the iconic ape to the world, but it was also the first appearance of Nintendo’s future mascot, Mario. A port of the arcade game was available during the launch of the Famicom in Japan in 1983, whichalso came out on the NESa few years later in 1986.
The original version of Donkey Kong will always be the best, but the NES port maintains most of the original content and even features new music for the title screen. It might seem simple by modern standards, but the satisfying gameplay is one of the many reasons it’s still considered a classic. Having it on the Switch 2 makes it the perfect game to play while doing something else on the side.
The Donkey Kong Country trilogy is often hailed as containing some of the greatest platformers ever made, and it’s hard to believe that Rare launched all three games within a year of each other. From 1994 to 1996, fans were treated to a new entry every year, which is pretty much unheard of in the modern era of video games.
While all three adventures are adored for different reasons, the final entry often receives the most criticism for relying on fan-favorite tropes from its predecessors instead of bringing new ideas to the genre. As great as it is to see Dixie Kong finally get the spotlight she deserves, it is also strange to play a Donkey Kong Country game as neither Donkey nor Diddy Kong.
Despite all the work Rare did for Nintendo and the Donkey Kong series, the developer was acquired by Microsoft in 2002 and has been working for them ever since. Almost fourteen years after Donkey Kong Country 3, Nintendo breathed life back into the series with Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Wii in 2010.
Developed by Retro Studios, a team mostly known for its work on the Metroid Prime series, Donkey Kong Country Returns simultaneously retains the elements that made the original trilogy so popular while introducing new and exciting ideas to make it a distinct entry. An HD version of the game launched on the Nintendo Switch in 2025 that includes quality-of-life upgrades alongside a visual update.
Donkey Kong Country is one of the most popular games in the Super Nintendo’s legendary catalog, and sold more units than Super Mario Kart, Yoshi’s Island, and even The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It was instrumental in creating Donkey Kong’s identity for the next couple of decades after its launch, from the gameplay to the characters' appearance.
The game originally stood out on the SNES because of its pre-rendered graphics that make environments and character models look more realistic than anything else on the console. Beyond the immersive visuals, Donkey Kong Country also features memorable levels and one of the most iconic soundtracks in a video game, from the opening fanfare to the final song that plays during the battle against King K. Rool.
It was easy to be skeptical when Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was first announced at E3 in 2017, but the tactical role-playing game quickly turned the tables when it launched to universal acclaim for its story, gameplay, and ambition. A year after it came out, Kingdom Battle received a significant expansion built around the world of Donkey Kong.
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Donkey Kong Adventure is a roughly ten-hour campaign that follows Rabbid Peach, Donkey Kong, Rabbid Cranky, and Beep-0 as they try to find a way back to the other characters in the main storyline. The new characters, weapons, maps, and music are all fantastic, and every step of the journey feels like a love letter to the Donkey Kong series as a whole.
While the original Donkey Kong Country will always be the most popular entry in the original trilogy, most people who have played all three of them will often tell you that Diddy’s Kong Quest is the best of the bunch. Launching only a year after its predecessor, this adventure follows Diddy and Dixie Kong as they attempt to rescue Donkey Kong after he’s kidnapped by Kaptain K. Rool.
Donkey Kong Country 2 refines some of the rougher elements of its predecessor to create a tighter experience that’s overflowing with memorable stages and music. Despite not being able to play as Donkey Kong, Diddy’s Kong Quest is one of the best platformers of its era, and it’s just as fun to play today as it was three decades ago.
Donkey Kong for the Game Boy might seem like another port of the arcade game at first glance, but it’s so much more than that. Once you clear the four levels from the original title, Donkey Kong gets back up again and runs off-screen to reveal that the game isn’t over yet. It’s a clever twist that should be used in more ports, remasters, and remakes.
This version of Donkey Kong includes over 100 stages that each have unique puzzles you’ll need to solve to reach Donkey Kong and rescue Pauline. In these levels, Mario must navigate through a maze-like area to find a key to unlock the path forward. The journey is a delight from beginning to end and features some tough puzzles that will make you feel like a genius when you finally solve them.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is the second game in the series developed by Retro Studios and originally launched on the Wii U before being ported to the Switch in 2018. The team took everything from Donkey Kong Country Returns and fine-tuned every aspect of it to create a near-perfect platformer that’s a blast to play either alone or with a friend.
Every level oozes with style and creativity while remaining just as challenging as the stages from the games that came before it. If the game ever feels too difficult, the Switch version introduced Funky Mode, which allows you to play as a character with more health, the ability to double-jump, and a bunch of other perks that will help you experience the glory of Tropical Freeze without the occasional frustration.
Donkey Kong Bananza is the first 3D platformer in the series since Donkey Kong 64 launched in 1999, and the wait was more than worth it. Developed by the same team that created Super Mario Odyssey, the game follows a redesigned Donkey Kong who teams up with Pauline to take down an evil mining corporation by finding a treasure that will grant their wish.
One of the biggest highlights of Bananza is the destructible environments that Donkey Kong can tear through to create tunnels, look for treasure, or demolish just for the fun of it. It’s a bold new take on the beloved character that also takes the time to celebrate his long history by sprinkling references to his many adventures throughout the entire journey. It’s more than just the best Donkey Kong game on the Switch 2; it’s one of the reasons you should buy the console in the first place.
