Donkey Kong Country Returns begins with Donkey Kong Island waking up to an unusual hum, signaling the arrival of the Tikis, an evil force turning the island's animals into slaves. The King of Kong and his trusted pal Diddy are on a mission to retrieve the stolen bananas and restore balance to the island.
The game returns to the Donkey Kong Country formula, combining familiar elements with new features and gameplay improvements. Players control Donkey Kong, while Diddy rides on his back in single-player mode, or another player takes control of Diddy in multiplayer mode. New additions include a Peanut Pop gun, jetpack for Diddy, hidden items to collect, upgrades for the Kongs, and upgraded mind cart levels with increased speed.
The Wii's motion control elements add a new layer to gameplay. By moving the remote and nunchuk up and down rapidly, Donkey Kong slaps the ground, revealing hidden items or breaking apart rocks. Other tricks with motion control allow DK to roll quickly across the landscape or create wind gusts to uncover more secrets.
Donkey Kong Country Returns was released on 3 December 2010 for the Wii console.