Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Costs $60 and Fans Aren't Sure How to Feel

The upcoming Nintendo Switch remake Donkey Kong Country Returns HD costs $60 and fans aren't sure how to feel.

The Nintendo eShop listing for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD — a remake of the Nintendo Wii original which was also ported to Nintendo 3DS — revealed the $60 price point. While many are saying it's too much for what was originally a 2010 game, others are okay with it.

"To the surprise of no one," wrote linkling1039 on a Reddit post discussing the cost. "That's way too expensive," said shadow0wolf0. "I was expecting $40." X/Twitter user @myriad_truths agreed: "$60 for Donkey Kong Country Returns is f**king ludicrous by the way. I do not care how good that game is."

Many hoped for a $40 price tag as Metroid Prime: Remastered, which brought the original GameCube game to Nintendo Switch with HD graphics and earned a 10/10 in IGN's review, was sold for that amount.

This arrived the same day Nintendo announced The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom would be its first $70 game, however, and many believe it released Metroid Prime: Remastered at a lower price ot offset that a little. "They wanted to release it as proof they would be releasing games at different ranges of prices," said TackoftheEndless on Reddit. "Only to never do something this generous ever again."

Other fans understand and accept the $60 price, however, pointing out that Metroid isn't as recognizable a franchise as Donkey Kong among other things. "Probably helps that DK was a major focus in the recent Mario movie, is getting his own section in the Mario theme park, and is very recognizable," said OK-Flow5292 on Reddit. "Metroid, however, doesn't have that kind of reach and generally pulls smaller numbers compared to Nintendo's big hitters"

Another commented on the realities of extreme video game development costs. "As a consumer, I'd like cheap games obviously. But as a long term fan I'd also like a sustainable industry," falconpunch1989 said.

It's not just Nintendo releasing remakes at $60 either. Disney's Epic Mickey: Rebrushed comes to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 24, 2024 also at $60, with a $200 Collector's Edition being sold too.

Another remake of a Wii title, Epic Mickey has drawn similar ire over its price point. "I was looking forward to this, but $60?," asked Lukar on ResetEra. "Epic Mickey is destined to die another death." But regardless of opinion, this is a game published by Embracer Group-owned THQ Nordic and at least shows companies other than Nintendo are charging the same price.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.