Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is a side-scrolling platformer title for the Nintendo 3DS released in May 2013. It is a remake of the 2010 Wii title Donkey Kong Country Returns, with some additional content, as well as the only entry in the Donkey Kong franchise for the Nintendo 3DS family. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is the 15th best-selling game for the Nintendo 3DS, selling 1.52 million copies worldwide, as of March 31, 2014. It was selected to be one of the 2014 Platinum Reward choices for Club Nintendo members. The eShop version of this game requires 17,668 blocks (approximately 1.7 GB) to be downloaded. Due to the large size of this title, some Nintendo 3DS consoles cannot download this title without a high-capacity SD Card.

Gameplay changes

 * The remake features a New Mode which:
 * Adds an additional heart to the life meter, providing three hearts in the normal game, and two in Mirror Mode.
 * However, despite offering an extra heart, Mirror Mode still removes all the hearts from every level, preventing the player from recovering any damage.
 * Adds additional items in Cranky Kong's Shop, including the Green Balloon, Crash Guard, and DK Barrel.
 * The prices are lowered for the other items in Cranky Kong's Shop:
 * 1 Red Balloon costs two Banana Coins each instead of three, 3 Red Balloons cost five Banana Coins each instead of seven, and 7 Red Balloons cost ten Banana Coins each instead of fifteen.
 * Map Keys cost ten Banana Coins each instead of twenty.
 * Banana Juice costs seven Banana Coins each instead of twenty.
 * Heart Boosts cost three Banana Coins each instead of ten.
 * Squawks costs five Banana Coins each instead of fifteen.
 * Up to three items can be used in one level.
 * Banana Juice only protects against five hits instead of ten, because of the raised item limit.
 * If the player loses a life under the effects of Banana Juice, they will restart the level (either at the beginning or checkpoint) with the invincibility intact (whereas the original removed the invincibility upon being defeated).
 * After defeating Tiki Tong, the player can purchase the eight Rare Orbs from each of Cranky Kong's Shops for fifty Banana Coins apiece.
 * Super Guide becomes available after losing five lives, as opposed to eight.
 * Any items that do not get used are returned to the player's inventory.

Level design changes

 * The game introduces a new world, Cloud, as the ninth and final world with eight additional new levels; the Golden Temple, originally the ninth world in and of itself, becomes the new ninth world's final level.
 * In Mangoruby Run, there are fewer members of the Tiki Tak Tribe watching the battle.

Graphical changes

 * Upon collecting all the K-O-N-G letters in any level in Mirror Mode, the red star icon will be replaced with a blue star icon next to the chosen level. However, it isn't necessary for 200% completion and it doesn't unlock anything.
 * Presumably due to the technical limitations of the 3DS:
 * The game runs at 30 frames per second (with or without 3D), different from the 60 fps of the original version.
 * The game models' textures are of slightly worse quality.
 * More loading screens were added.
 * During level/world transitions, the background no longer scrolls.
 * The "DK" logo transition lasts longer than on the Wii version and the logo takes up more of the screen than it did before.

New levels


Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D has all the levels from the original Wii version, as well as 8 levels exclusive to this version. These levels are all present in the new Cloud world. The Golden Temple stage from the Wii version is also located in this world and is now level 9-9. The new levels are as follows:
 * Crushin' Columns (9-1)
 * Gushin' Geysers (9-2)
 * Spiky Surprise (9-3)
 * Mischievous Moles (9-4)
 * Topsy Turvy (9-5)
 * Tar Ball Fall (9-6)
 * Robo Factory (9-7)
 * Lavawheel Volcano (9-8)

Other

 * After a few levels are played in succession, the game advises the player to "take a break," as "[they've] been playing for a while," much like Super Mario 3D Land, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, and Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move.

Controls
This game offers two different control schemes. The default control scheme utilizes the. An alternative control scheme, which utilizes the, can be selected via the game's Options screen.

Shine overlap
If players get a shiny gold medal after clearing a stage in Time Attack mode and, at the same time, receive a message window advising them to take a break, the window will appear to separate the medal and its shine sparkles. Additionally, while everything behind the message window is darkened, the sparkles preserve their brightness. This visual bug demonstrates that the layer corresponding to the sparkles was overlapped on the user interface elements.

Perpetual roll
In Topsy Turvy, if Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong attempt to climb the curved slope just beneath the Slot Machine Barrel using a Kong Roll, they will stick to the slope midway while rolling in place.

Nintendo eShop description
''Donkey Kong™, along with his trusted side-kick Diddy Kong™, makes his triumphant debut on the Nintendo 3DS™ system in this barrel-blasting, rail-riding, ground-pounding adventure. The original Donkey Kong Country Returns has been re-mastered and updated for portable play! Run, jump, climb and defeat enemies through over 65+ levels spanning 8 worlds on Donkey Kong Island.''
 * American English version

''Unlock an all-new 9th world with 8 brand new levels. Select the Original Mode to play the game with the same rules and settings as the Wii version, or try the New Mode that gives you an additional heart, as well as new items to help on your quest to recover Donkey Kong's stolen banana hoard!'' "Go ape with the swingin' king of the jungle! Donkey Kong and his simian sidekick Diddy Kong are back for more action-packed platforming antics in Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, an enhanced version of Wii adventure Donkey Kong Country Returns, only on Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL!"
 * British English version

Promotional events
On May 24, 2013, to celebrate the release of the game in North America, Nintendo partnered with the Los Angeles Zoo during the Memorial Day weekend, and held a Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D experience for fans. The day's activities included a visit from Donkey Kong, feedings of the zoo's gorillas, and a place where visitors could play Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. The Campo Gorilla Reserve was officially renamed to "Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D at Campo Gorilla Reserve."

The actor playing Donkey Kong, Parker Mills, would later sue Nintendo on the ground that improper care during the event resulted in severe health problems.

Trivia

 * If the player waits on the Portable DK Barrel at Cranky Kong's Shop long enough, Cranky will make a The Legend of Zelda reference, saying, "It's dangerous to go alone. Buy this!" substituting the word "take" for "buy".
 * In the U.K., anyone who preordered the game at GAME got a free banana keyring to support the release of the game.
 * In Australia, EB Games would include a red Donkey Kong tie with the game if it was preordered.
 * This game is one of the four games Donkey Kong plays on his Nintendo 3DS XL during his idle animation in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, along with Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and Animal Crossing: New Leaf.