Series guide
All Donkey Kong games in order
Anyone searching for the Donkey Kong games in order runs into the same thing: there are a lot of them, and they do not all belong together. Donkey Kong is not one continuous series but three branches side by side — and that is how they are listed below, each in release order, with the Nintendo platforms marked, because those are the ones we stock and test.
The short answer
Country: Country (1994) → 2 → 3 → Returns (2010) → Returns 3D → Tropical Freeze (2014, Switch 2018) → Returns HD → Bananza (2025). Mario vs.: GBA (2004) → March of the Minis → Mini-Land Mayhem! → the 2024 Switch remake. Spin-offs: the 1981 arcade → Donkey Kong ’94 → DK64 → Konga → Jungle Beat → King of Swing → Jungle Climber. No order is required — pick a branch and start.
1. The Country line (the main series)
This is what most people mean. It began with Donkey Kong Country on the SNES in 1994, continued with two sequels and three Game Boy counterparts, and came back with Returns on the Wii and Tropical Freeze — for many the high point — on Wii U and later Switch. Bananza on Switch 2 is the current entry.
- Donkey Kong Country · 1994 · SNES
- Donkey Kong Land · 1995 · Game Boy
- Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest · 1995 · SNES
- Donkey Kong Land 2 · 1996 · Game Boy
- Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! · 1996 · SNES
- Donkey Kong Land III · 1997 · Game Boy
- Donkey Kong Country Returns · 2010 · Wii
- Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D · 2013 · Nintendo 3DS
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch version 2018) · 2014 · Wii U + Switch
- Donkey Kong Country Returns HD · 2025 · Nintendo Switch
- Donkey Kong Bananza · 2025 · Nintendo Switch 2
2. Mario vs. Donkey Kong (the puzzle branch)
A series of its own that started on the Game Boy Advance in 2004: not a platformer but a puzzle game about guiding Mini-Marios. Deliberately calmer and well suited to younger players — you need patience, not reflexes.
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong · 2004 · Game Boy Advance
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis · 2006 · Nintendo DS
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! · 2010 · Nintendo DS
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong (remake of the GBA game) · 2024 · Nintendo Switch
3. The spin-offs
From the 1981 arcade cabinet where Mario debuted as "Jumpman", through the big 3D collect-a-thon on the N64, to the bongo-controlled rhythm and platform games on the GameCube.
- Donkey Kong (the arcade game in which Mario debuted) · 1981 · Arcade
- Donkey Kong ('94) · 1994 · Game Boy
- Donkey Kong 64 · 1999 · Nintendo 64
- Donkey Konga · 2003 · GameCube
- Donkey Kong Jungle Beat · 2004 · GameCube
- DK: King of Swing · 2005 · Game Boy Advance
- Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber · 2007 · Nintendo DS
Where to start
- Never played, want the best: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch or Wii U).
- Want the classic 2D series: Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D on the 3DS is the most accessible.
- For younger children or puzzle fans: the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games.
- Something special for the collection: Donkey Konga with the bongos, or Donkey Kong 64.
Buying Donkey Kong second-hand
Tropical Freeze is the same game on Wii U and Switch
The 2018 Switch version added a mode with Funky Kong, who has more health and easier handling — meant for younger or less experienced players. Otherwise it is identical, so buy whichever fits the console you own.
The SNES trilogy is the collector target
Country, Country 2 and Country 3 complete-in-box are the collector target; loose cartridges remain the affordable way to play them. Country 2 is the one most fans rate highest.
Donkey Konga needs the bongos
The GameCube rhythm game shipped with a bongo controller and is not much fun without it; Jungle Beat uses the same bongos. A listing with the controller is worth clearly more than the disc alone — ours say which you get.
The Game Boy games are the cheapest way in
Donkey Kong ’94 and the three Land games are compact, inexpensive and region-free, so they play on any Game Boy in the world. Loose is fine for playing; we list loose and boxed separately.
Every copy tested before it is listed
Booting, saving, label, disc surface — checked on real hardware. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries. Originals only; if something ever turns out not to be genuine, you get your money back.
Browse tested Nintendo gamesQuestions we get asked
Do I need to play the Donkey Kong games in order?
No. There is no continuous story and every game stands on its own. What helps is knowing there are three branches — the Country platformers, the Mario vs. Donkey Kong puzzle games and the spin-offs — because they play very differently.
What is the best Donkey Kong game to start with?
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is often named the high point of the series and is on Wii U and Switch. If you want something more accessible or a handheld, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D on the 3DS is the easiest entry into the classic 2D series.
What is the difference between Tropical Freeze on Wii U and on Switch?
It is the same game. The 2018 Switch version added an extra mode in which you play as Funky Kong, who has more lives and easier handling — intended for younger players and newcomers.
Are Donkey Kong games suitable for children?
Yes, most carry PEGI 3 or 7. The Country platformers are genuinely challenging, though; the Mario vs. Donkey Kong puzzle games are calmer and therefore better suited to younger children.
Which was the first Donkey Kong game?
The 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, in which Mario made his debut as "Jumpman". The Country series that most people think of started thirteen years later on the SNES.
Do you ship outside the Netherlands?
We ship to all 27 EU countries with track & trace. Parcels leave from the Netherlands, there are no customs charges within the EU, and your country’s exact rate appears at checkout before you pay.
Years given are the first release; European dates were sometimes a few months later. Deze gids in het Nederlands.
