Donkey Kong Land Comes To Nintendo Switch Online

7 Comments | donkey kong country, nintendo, nintendo swirch, nintendo switch online, retro games, video games | By | | 2 minutes of reading

To find this week’s Nintendo Switch Online offering, you’ll have to boot up the Game Boy section — a place that hasn’t had updates in a while, but received a big one today.

Donkey Kong Land may not seem like a significant addition at first. Someone unfamiliar with the game might assume it’s the ancient handheld translation of Donkey Kong Country, which in the modern day can already be played on the go. It comes from a time when 16-bit games would get downgraded 8-bit ports because that was the best anyone could do, right?

Wrong. Donkey Kong Land is not Donkey Kong Country. It has the same characters and many of the same locations, but it really tried to be its own thing. Did you notice the flying pigs on the packaging? That’s just the beginning.

Donkey Kong Land has several unique enemies and areas that only occur in this game — it’s the only DKC-adjacent title to contain a city world. There’s also a unique “sky” area that is quite challenging. Some mechanics of gameplay are different — you’ll be shocked to learn you have to collect all four KONG letters to save your game, instead of earn an extra life like in the original. It’s mandatory now! (Or it would be if not for save states.)

Donkey Kong Land 2 and 3 would rein things in a bit and focus more on recreating their console relatives in a more primitive form. But Donkey Kong Land is essentially a whole new game — and if you haven’t played it, you’ve got a new DKC to enjoy!

“Cranky Kong challenges you to find the banana hoard, again! Cranky Kong doesn’t think Donkey Kong has proven himself to be a hero yet. So, he decides to work out a deal with the closest villain that he knows. K. Rool and his baddies have hidden bananas in new places across Donkey Kong Island in another attempt to outwit the best-friend duo. And the only response is for Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong to go off on another adventure!”

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Avatar of Kimmy_Howell_Love
Kimmy_Howell_Love

Member

339 messages 31 likes
#1 Nov 23, 2024

I’m not sure I have time to pick this up, but it’s nice to see Nintendo making an effort to include lesser-known games in the Switch Online lineup. Donkey Kong Land sounds intriguing, especially since it’s not just a watered-down version of DKC. Maybe this will inspire me to introduce my kids to the retro gaming era.

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Ballamb gardener

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7 messages 0 likes
#2 Nov 23, 2024

This is a pleasant surprise! Donkey Kong Land always stood out to me as an example of how developers made the most of limited hardware. It wasn’t just a downgrade; it was a creative reimagining. I hope this encourages people to dig deeper into retro handheld gaming. There’s so much to discover from that era!

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Avatar of Ziggy
Ziggy

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1,014 messages 30 likes
#3 Nov 23, 2024

I’m on the fence about this one. I didn’t grow up with the Game Boy, so the graphics look kind of hard to get into. But if it really has unique levels and enemies, maybe I’ll give it a shot. I’ve always loved the DKC series on the SNES. Here’s hoping I don’t rage quit over the save mechanic, though.

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Pyramid Head

Executioner

34 messages 2 likes
#4 Nov 23, 2024

Yesss, this is what I’ve been waiting for! People always sleep on the Donkey Kong Land series, but the first one is a masterpiece in its own right. It’s about time it got some love. I still have my cartridge, but playing it with save states is going to be a game-changer. Nintendo, keep the updates coming—where’s Pokemon Pinball?

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Avatar of 50hellsofPain
50hellsofPain

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33 messages 0 likes
#5 Nov 23, 2024

I used to play Donkey Kong Land on my old Game Boy when I was a kid. It wasn’t just a downgrade of Donkey Kong Country—it had its own personality. I remember those flying pigs and being completely baffled by them! The graphics were blocky, sure, but the gameplay made up for it. My kids have a Switch now, so I might introduce them to this gem and show them what handheld gaming used to be like. I wonder how they’ll react to the mandatory KONG letter saves, though. They’re a bit spoiled with modern conveniences!

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Avatar of Evans
Evans

Keep your boards rolling

112 messages 1 like
#6 Nov 23, 2024

Honestly, this looks kinda boring to me. I don’t see how a game from the Game Boy era could hold up today. Like, collecting KONG letters to save? That sounds frustrating and outdated. I’ll stick to Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Odyssey, thanks.

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Avatar of Ziggy
Ziggy

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1,014 messages 30 likes
#7 Nov 23, 2024

This is HUGE! I’ve been waiting for Nintendo to bring more Game Boy classics to the Switch Online library, and Donkey Kong Land is such a unique choice. People often overlook it because they assume it’s just a copy of DKC, but as the article points out, it’s got its own charm. The city world alone is worth checking out. Can’t wait to dive back in and relive those tough-as-nails levels!

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