Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Hits 1 Million Sales Milestone

Nintendo's recent remake Donkey Kong Country Returns HD has reached 1.27 million sales since its launch on January 16, 2025.

The game achieved this milestone in just over a month and a half (by March 31, 2025), showing strong performance in the marketplace.

While impressive, the sales figures place it behind several other Nintendo titles during the same period. According to Nintendo's financial reports, Super Mario Odyssey sold 1.33 million units, Luigi's Mansion 2 HD reached 1.88 million, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate topped the list with 2.02 million units sold.

The game faced some challenges before release, particularly regarding its price point. Many fans questioned whether the HD remake offered enough new content or improvements to justify its $60 price tag. Gaming analysts noted this sentiment affected initial pre-order numbers.

Another controversy surrounded the game's credits. The original developers, Retro Studios, were noticeably absent from the credits list, causing disappointment among longtime fans of the franchise. Industry observers pointed out that this omission raised questions about Nintendo's approach to acknowledging the work of development partners.

Nintendo is now shifting focus to the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza, scheduled for release on July 17, 2025, for the new Switch 2 console. This highly anticipated title will return the iconic character to 3D gameplay. While not officially confirmed, reports suggest the team behind the 3D Mario games is handling development. The gameplay will reportedly feature DK smashing environments to discover hidden bananas and gold items.

In related news, Nintendo has released projections for its hardware sales in the next fiscal year. The company expects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles, alongside 45 million software units. For the original Switch, Nintendo forecasts 4.5 million units sold, which would push the console's lifetime sales beyond the Nintendo DS.