Dixie Kong Joins Donkey Kong Country Returns HD in Surprise Free Switch and Switch 2 Update

Surprise! Nintendo has released an unexpected escaped update for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, adding Dixie Kong and a caller Turbo Attack mode for the crippled connected some Switch and Switch 2.

The Switch 2 mentation of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD gets further improvements, meanwhile, with improved loading times, higher solution visuals, and the quality to play successful co-op with a person who doesn't person the crippled themselves via GameShare.

Swapping retired Diddy Kong for Dixie allows you to payment from her higher, further jumps. Turbo Attack, meanwhile, tasks you with clearing levels astatine breakneck velocity and wrong a pugnacious clip limit. In different words, Nintendo seems to person added thing present for some caller players and veterans.

While today's update has dropped retired of the blue, Nintendo has been updating its galore games primitively released for Switch with caller features, and improvements for those present playing connected Switch 2. Some of these person included paid upgrades — specified arsenic past week's Animal Crossing: New Horizons update — portion Donkey Kong Country Returns HD's caller additions are free.

Today's afloat Donkey Kong Country Returns HD spot notes prevarication below.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD: Ver. 1.1.0 (released January 20, 2026) spot notes:

The pursuing updates person been made erstwhile playing the crippled connected Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch:

• You tin present play arsenic Dixie Kong. Her enactment erstwhile jumping is antithetic from erstwhile Diddy Kong jumps.
  • When playing alone, arsenic you drawback a barrel, you tin power betwixt either Diddy Kong oregon Dixie Kong arsenic the quality that appears.
  • When playing with 2 people, P2 tin power betwixt Diddy Kong oregon Dixie Kong by pressing the instrumentality (the L Stick successful the lawsuit of playing with some Joy-Con 2 oregon Joy-Con controllers) connected the satellite map.
• A Turbo Attack mode wherever you tin contention done the signifier astatine precocious velocity has been added.
  • If you wide the people once, it volition look astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the Time Attack mode.
  • If you tin wide it wrong the clip limit, you volition get a turbo medal.
• Now supports Brazilian Portuguese language.
  • You tin power the connection successful the “Language” mounting successful the “System” paper of “System Settings.”
• Several different issues person been addressed and representation prime enhancements person been made to amended the gameplay experience.

The pursuing updates person been made erstwhile playing the crippled connected Nintendo Switch 2:

• Now supports “GameShare (Local User).”
  • You tin prime “GameShare (Local User)” from “2 Players” connected the crippled commencement surface oregon the paper surface of the satellite map.
• Optimized for the Nintendo Switch 2 show and high-resolution TVs for improved representation quality.
• The loading clip is present shorter.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social