5 Best Donkey Kong Games - Dec. 2022

Updated December 2021

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Bottom Line

Pros

Cons

Best of the Best

Nintendo

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

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Fun Visuals

Bottom Line

As atmospheric, exciting, as difficult as you want it to be, and brilliantly fun for all ages. You’ll want to return to DK’s frozen jungle to collect every last hidden secret after the credits roll.

Pros

Explore the Savannah, beaches, coral reefs, and other stunning environments as Donkey, Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky Kong bounce and bop their way through tons of challenging levels. Two-player co-op. Engaging music, visuals, and characters.

Cons

This isn’t an easy adventure, but if you’re having trouble, you can breeze through the game’s “easy mode” by playing as Funky Kong.

Best Bang for the Buck

Nintendo

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

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Best for Experts

Bottom Line

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D’s white-knuckle minecart rides and intense platforming action make it a must-have for seasoned gamers who need a challenge.

Pros

Explore over 70 gorgeous 3D levels. Difficult, but fair gameplay. Local wireless 2-player mode. Features items to lower its difficulty. Charming characters. Fast-paced action. Tons of bonuses to find.

Cons

Each player needs a copy of the game for multiplayer mode.

Nintendo

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

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Most Comprehensive

Bottom Line

Between its gigantic cast of all-star gaming icons and the countless ways to play with friends, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a value-packed Nintendo Switch game.

Pros

Cast of 82 legendary videogame characters. Up to 8 players both local and online. Expansive single-player mode. Create your own stages. Supports regular balance updates.

Cons

Fan-favorites like Banjo, Kazooie, and Minecraft’s Steve are sold separately.

Nintendo

Super NES Classic Edition

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Gaming Revolution

Bottom Line

The pinnacle of '90s gaming brought back again. Rediscover the biggest games ever made or experience them for the first time.

Pros

Sports the iconic look of the original system while introducing new titles, like the never-released Star Fox 2. Comes with A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, Mario Kart, Kirby's Dream Course, Donkey Kong Country, and others.

Cons

The games available on this system cannot be expanded without hacking.

The lesser-known sequel to the arcade Donkey Kong game throws climbing, fruit-tossing, and key-collecting into the mix. An inexpensive little DK game for the Nintendo 3DS.

Pros

Rescue Donkey Kong from Mario’s cage. 4 retro levels with high replay value. Nintendo classic. Challenging, yet fair. Extra affordable.

Cons

Only playable in 2D.

HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

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Considered

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Although many recognize him from the original 1981 arcade game, legendary British video game developer Rare revamped DK into the ape we know and love today when they released the Super NES classic Donkey Kong Country. These days Donkey Kong is best known for failing to keep his massive banana hoard safe from the likes of King K. Rool and the Tiki Tak Tribe, and going on massive adventures with his family to retrieve them all. Donkey Kong’s games are known for their tough but fair level of difficulty, atmospheric music, immersive levels, and charming cast of creatures, and while most of his games are great, we found a few standouts worth your consideration.

Our Top Picks