Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The day has finally arrived, retro gaming fans! Nintendo has officially updated their Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics library for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Nintendo Switch OLED, and the brand-new Nintendo Switch 2. It’s wild to think that talking about the original launch model Switch is considered "old school" now, but here we are in 2026, and the expansion pass catalog is still getting major drops. Today, we are diving straight into the headline addition to the service: the long-awaited arrival of Donkey Kong 64!
If you’ve watched my recent videos, you already know my stance on this specific Rareware title from 1999. I am openly not the biggest fan of Donkey Kong 64. In fact, to be perfectly blunt, I really don't care for it a whole lot. But let's establish something right out of the gate: just because I personally do not enjoy a specific video game does not mean you shouldn't! These are simply my personal opinions based on my gaming preferences. It would be like me telling you that because I personally can't stand RPGs, you need to hate RPGs, too. Everyone likes different genres, and today we are looking at this port with an open mind to see how it holds up mechanically on modern hardware.
First Impressions: Visuals & Modern Performance
Putting my past frustrations aside for a moment, I have to give credit where credit is due: Nintendo and Rare have done an absolutely phenomenal job cleaning this game up for the Switch and Switch 2 emulation wrapper. When you boot it up, the presentation is incredibly sharp. DK’s character model looks fantastic, the colors are vibrant, and the environment looks bright, crisp, and clean. This is a massive leap forward from the muddy, low-resolution texture mess we had to deal with on original hardware 25 years ago.
When you first dive into the game, it walks you through a tutorial segment, which is a great inclusion because the control layout has shifted dramatically. Playing an N64 game on a modern Switch 2 Pro Controller means mapping those classic yellow C-buttons and the single Z-trigger to a modern layout that includes L, R, ZL, and ZR. It takes some muscle memory adjustment! Interestingly enough, while testing out the layout, I actually discovered that pressing the R trigger lets you automatically grab onto vines—a mechanic I completely forgot existed or never realized when playing the original release back in the day.
Why Donkey Kong 64 Doesn't Work For Me
Once we get past the gorgeous high-definition coat of paint and jump back into the core levels, my fundamental issues with this game come rushing right back. For starters, I am simply not a "collectathon" gamer. This sub-genre of 3D platformers has never resonated with my playstyle. The closest I ever get to enjoying something with heavy collection mechanics would be a franchise like Ratchet & Clank, but even then, my motivation isn't collecting shiny objects—it’s grinding bolts to unlock the next absurd level of weaponry (because let's be honest, you can't beat the pure joy of deploying Mr. Zurkon!). Donkey Kong 64 forces you to constantly backtrack through massive maps, switching between five different Kongs just to pick up color-coded bananas, blueprints, and coins. Having to replay the exact same levels three, four, or five times just to progress is a gameplay loop I find incredibly tedious.
But the absolute dealbreaker for me—the issue that elevates this game from "boring" to flat-out "game-breaking"—is the camera system. This camera absolutely stinks. Trying to line up a platforming jump while the camera angle shifts erratically or locks itself behind geometry is a constant exercise in frustration. Even on modern hardware with a Pro Controller in hand, the camera logic is incredibly outdated and takes away any sense of precision.
A Win for Preservation and the Retro Community
Even though this style of gameplay isn't my cup of tea, I am genuinely happy for the die-hard Donkey Kong 64 fans out there. If you love this game, you are getting the absolute definitive way to play it, rendered in beautiful high definition on a portable screen.
Now, I want to pass the controller over to you and hear your thoughts down in the comments section below. I think this looks gorgeous, but I am still not a fan. Are you excited to finally have Donkey Kong 64 accessible on modern Nintendo hardware? How are you tackling the controls for this classic? Are you sticking with a standard Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, utilizing the official wireless N64 controller from Nintendo, or are you opting for a third-party retro option like the Retro-Bit Brawler64? Whatever your setup is, let me know your thoughts, your favorite memories of DK Isle, and how you feel about the collectathon genre down below!
#DonkeyKong64 #DK64 #NintendoSwitch #Switch2 #NintendoSwitchOnline #N64Classics #RetroGaming #Rareware #DonkeyKong #NintendoClassics #Collectathon #ProController #Brawler64 #GamingDiscussion #NintendoExpansionPack
The day has finally arrived, retro gaming fans! Nintendo has officially updated their Nintendo 64 – Nintendo Classics library for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, Nintendo Switch OLED, and the brand-new Nintendo Switch 2. It’s wild to think that talking about the original launch model Switch is considered "old school" now, but here we are in 2026, and the expansion pass catalog is still getting major drops. Today, we are diving straight into the headline addition to the service: the long-awaited arrival of Donkey Kong 64!
If you’ve watched my recent videos, you already know my stance on this specific Rareware title from 1999. I am openly not the biggest fan of Donkey Kong 64. In fact, to be perfectly blunt, I really don't care for it a whole lot. But let's establish something right out of the gate: just because I personally do not enjoy a specific video game does not mean you shouldn't! These are simply my personal opinions based on my gaming preferences. It would be like me telling you that because I personally can't stand RPGs, you need to hate RPGs, too. Everyone likes different genres, and today we are looking at this port with an open mind to see how it holds up mechanically on modern hardware.
First Impressions: Visuals & Modern Performance
Putting my past frustrations aside for a moment, I have to give credit where credit is due: Nintendo and Rare have done an absolutely phenomenal job cleaning this game up for the Switch and Switch 2 emulation wrapper. When you boot it up, the presentation is incredibly sharp. DK’s character model looks fantastic, the colors are vibrant, and the environment looks bright, crisp, and clean. This is a massive leap forward from the muddy, low-resolution texture mess we had to deal with on original hardware 25 years ago.
When you first dive into the game, it walks you through a tutorial segment, which is a great inclusion because the control layout has shifted dramatically. Playing an N64 game on a modern Switch 2 Pro Controller means mapping those classic yellow C-buttons and the single Z-trigger to a modern layout that includes L, R, ZL, and ZR. It takes some muscle memory adjustment! Interestingly enough, while testing out the layout, I actually discovered that pressing the R trigger lets you automatically grab onto vines—a mechanic I completely forgot existed or never realized when playing the original release back in the day.
Why Donkey Kong 64 Doesn't Work For Me
Once we get past the gorgeous high-definition coat of paint and jump back into the core levels, my fundamental issues with this game come rushing right back. For starters, I am simply not a "collectathon" gamer. This sub-genre of 3D platformers has never resonated with my playstyle. The closest I ever get to enjoying something with heavy collection mechanics would be a franchise like Ratchet & Clank, but even then, my motivation isn't collecting shiny objects—it’s grinding bolts to unlock the next absurd level of weaponry (because let's be honest, you can't beat the pure joy of deploying Mr. Zurkon!). Donkey Kong 64 forces you to constantly backtrack through massive maps, switching between five different Kongs just to pick up color-coded bananas, blueprints, and coins. Having to replay the exact same levels three, four, or five times just to progress is a gameplay loop I find incredibly tedious.
But the absolute dealbreaker for me—the issue that elevates this game from "boring" to flat-out "game-breaking"—is the camera system. This camera absolutely stinks. Trying to line up a platforming jump while the camera angle shifts erratically or locks itself behind geometry is a constant exercise in frustration. Even on modern hardware with a Pro Controller in hand, the camera logic is incredibly outdated and takes away any sense of precision.
A Win for Preservation and the Retro Community
Even though this style of gameplay isn't my cup of tea, I am genuinely happy for the die-hard Donkey Kong 64 fans out there. If you love this game, you are getting the absolute definitive way to play it, rendered in beautiful high definition on a portable screen.
Now, I want to pass the controller over to you and hear your thoughts down in the comments section below. I think this looks gorgeous, but I am still not a fan. Are you excited to finally have Donkey Kong 64 accessible on modern Nintendo hardware? How are you tackling the controls for this classic? Are you sticking with a standard Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, utilizing the official wireless N64 controller from Nintendo, or are you opting for a third-party retro option like the Retro-Bit Brawler64? Whatever your setup is, let me know your thoughts, your favorite memories of DK Isle, and how you feel about the collectathon genre down below!
#DonkeyKong64 #DK64 #NintendoSwitch #Switch2 #NintendoSwitchOnline #N64Classics #RetroGaming #Rareware #DonkeyKong #NintendoClassics #Collectathon #ProController #Brawler64 #GamingDiscussion #NintendoExpansionPack
