Nintendo Reveals Donkey Kong Country Returns HD's Opening Cutscene

We are barrelling towards the release date of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD on 16th January 2025 and, with a little over a month to go, Nintendo has revealed the game's opening cutscene in all of its remastered glory.

Now, yes, if you played the original on Wii back in 2010, then this revamped movie won't appear all that new. But if you're new to the platforming sequel (or if you've been just dying to see that set-up in high definition), then this tells you everything you need to know.

Titled 'The Heist', the above video shows the Tiki Tak Tribe taking over Donkey Kong Island, hypnotising its inhabitants and making off with DK's prized bananas — not cool. Fortunately, the tie-wearing primate isn't so easily swayed and sets out to exact his revenge in the punchiest way possible.

On top of the HD facelift, Returns HD packs in all of the levels from both the Wii and 3DS versions for a whopping 80 stages in total. Perfect for a spot of couch co-op to kick off the new year, no?