The release of the Nintendo Switch 2 could be the perfect opportunity to usher in a new era for Donkey Kong. The franchise remains one of Nintendo's best series, with a slew of groundbreaking titles that have proven to be some of the best games on their respective consoles. Despite that success, Donkey Kong has recently been in a weird period of dormancy, which has been disappointing for fans of the series.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, first released for the Wii U in 2014, remains the last original entry in the Donkey Kong series, making it a decade since the last time we saw the Kong family in action. As time has gone on, the more there has been a need for a new game to revitalize Donkey Kong's history of success, especially considering the popularity the character has gained through other media, from films to theme parks. Now, with a new console on the horizon, Switch 2 is primed to be the ultimate home for all things Donkey Kong.

2025 Could Be A Great Year For Donkey Kong

Things Are Already Off To A Good Start

2025 has the potential to be the year Donkey Kong makes a huge comeback, especially considering some of the franchise's releases heading into the new year. The opening of Donkey Kong Country at Super Nintendo World Japan later this December is proof that there's an attempt from Nintendo to broaden the appeal of the franchise. Nintendo's dedicated Direct on Tuesday (via the Nintendo of America YouTube channel) showed how the new theme park was a celebration of all things Donkey Kong, with a gift shop based on Funky's jet, to a roller coaster modeled after the series' signature mine cart levels.

Moreover, Nintendo is set to keep up the momentum from Donkey Kong Country's opening going into 2025. January will see the beloved title Donkey Kong Country Returns make its way to Nintendo Switch. This release is huge, not only as it finally frees the title from being confined to the Wii and 3DS, but continues to demonstrate an attempt from Nintendo to push Donkey Kong back into the limelight, a courtesy that the series hadn't been granted for a long time.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD releases for the Switch on January 16, a remaster developed by Forever Entertainment.

This could be in service of a potential new release for consoles. A new Donkey Kong game doesn't seem too far-fetched, not only because of the load of incoming fans from the theme park, but because the series would be a perfect opportunity to promote the Switch 2's release. Donkey Kong games are no stranger to showing off hardware capabilities; Donkey Kong Country's pre-rendered graphics were considered revolutionary at the time of its release. A new release would not only cash in on Donkey Kong's newfound popularity, but would be a showcase of what Nintendo's new console is capable of.

Switch 2 Could Be A Great Home For Donkey Kong Fans

Donkey Kong's History All On One Console

A new release on the Switch 2 makes sense as the console is currently primed to be the ultimate home for the Donkey Kong franchise. The recent announcement of Switch 2's backwards compatibility and continued use of Nintendo Switch Online automatically makes the entire Donkey Kong Country series available on the new console. This simple addition is a huge boost for the franchise, as Nintendo gives a clear message about its commitment to preserving Donkey Kong's history for everyone to experience.

That's not even considering the potential additions made to NSO in the future. The service is still currently without Donkey Kong 64, arguably one of the quintessential titles in the collectathon genre. Moreover, the potential addition of other consoles, including GameCube, could bring other classic Donkey Kong titles to players, including Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and Donkey Konga. The Switch 2 has the opportunity to show a level of dedication to the Donkey Kong series that not even Super Mario could rival, making it the perfect console for Donkey Kong fans.

What The Future Of DK Could Look Like

Has The Time Come For A New 3D Entry?

Of course, if a new Donkey Kong game is coming, it's unclear what the project could look like. A new Donkey Kong Country game is always welcome. Retro Studios' two entries are proof that the series can still deliver that same satisfying platforming experience while finding ways to keep things fresh and exciting. However, simply making another 2D platformer would deny the Donkey Kong franchise the possibility of pushing itself and experimenting with the series.

With that in mind, perhaps the time has come for a new 3D Donkey Kong game. The franchise has been sorely lacking in this area since the release of Donkey Kong 64, despite that game proving to be successful on Nintendo 64. A 3D entry would be the perfect opportunity for Nintendo to experiment with the franchise and to take Donkey Kong in a new, interesting direction, while being a perfect showcase of the Switch 2's capabilities.

Regardless, it's clear that the stage has been set for Donkey Kong to make a huge comeback. The huge attention being placed on the franchise, combined with the slew of titles set to be made readily available on Switch 2, means that moving forward without a new game would be a missed opportunity. However, if done correctly, the Nintendo Switch 2 could instead become the place where the Donkey Kong series reaches even greater heights than what was thought possible, putting the franchise back into the spotlight once more.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube