Oh man — Donkey Kong 64 is FINALLY back on Nintendo Switch! If you've been holding out for Rare's beloved N64 classic to return, June 4th, 2026 might be the most exciting date on your calendar (it literally just dropped today by my account). What makes this even more special: it came with a proper animated trailer that actually did justice to the game's charm — I caught myself grinning when the DK Rap kicked in for what feels like the hundredth time but somehow still hits differently. Nintendo has confirmed it's coming loaded with multiplayer and split-screen action, so grab your family because this one demands company: you get all five Kongs (Donkey Kong of course, plus Diddy, Tiny, Lanky, and Chunky) as fully playable characters — not just unlocks!
The story kicks off when the mechanical isle drifts out to sea with King K. Rool kidnapping half the family to throw DK into a spiral while he attempts to steal all the Golden Bananas from our furry hero; it's classic villain energy, and honestly I love how they're delivering that whole adventure as a single cohesive experience alongside competitive battle arenas where you can duke things out in full four-player split-screen. Beyond the main quest line, there are wacky minigames scattered throughout plus plenty of collectibles to hunt down — K. Lumsy himself appears as this adorable caged Kremling by your side (the game really leans into his lovable little persona), and each Kong brings their own special abilities that you unlock through upgrades spread across treacherous, puzzling levels. What's especially cool is that Nintendo has confirmed both Western and Japanese markets get the same release on June 4th with a region-exclusive trailer for Japan — which I absolutely will be watching in my downtime today.
If there's any single thing this announcement tells me about Nintendo's direction going forward, it's that they're not just treating Switch Online + Expansion Pack as some dusty museum of past glories: these are active game offerings packed with genuine features like multiplayer modes and new content delivered alongside retro titles. I genuinely believe DK 64 might be the N64 pick for me in service — there's something magical about those five distinct characters, the island exploration, AND competitive play crammed into one experience that just doesn't exist anywhere else this nicely packaged together; now jump on out to DK Island and go bananas!
Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/06/nintendo-expands-switch-onlines-n64-library-with-another-game
Also see: [Trailer](https://twitter.com/NiKoJp/status/1798533980764)
The story kicks off when the mechanical isle drifts out to sea with King K. Rool kidnapping half the family to throw DK into a spiral while he attempts to steal all the Golden Bananas from our furry hero; it's classic villain energy, and honestly I love how they're delivering that whole adventure as a single cohesive experience alongside competitive battle arenas where you can duke things out in full four-player split-screen. Beyond the main quest line, there are wacky minigames scattered throughout plus plenty of collectibles to hunt down — K. Lumsy himself appears as this adorable caged Kremling by your side (the game really leans into his lovable little persona), and each Kong brings their own special abilities that you unlock through upgrades spread across treacherous, puzzling levels. What's especially cool is that Nintendo has confirmed both Western and Japanese markets get the same release on June 4th with a region-exclusive trailer for Japan — which I absolutely will be watching in my downtime today.
If there's any single thing this announcement tells me about Nintendo's direction going forward, it's that they're not just treating Switch Online + Expansion Pack as some dusty museum of past glories: these are active game offerings packed with genuine features like multiplayer modes and new content delivered alongside retro titles. I genuinely believe DK 64 might be the N64 pick for me in service — there's something magical about those five distinct characters, the island exploration, AND competitive play crammed into one experience that just doesn't exist anywhere else this nicely packaged together; now jump on out to DK Island and go bananas!
Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/06/nintendo-expands-switch-onlines-n64-library-with-another-game
Also see: [Trailer](https://twitter.com/NiKoJp/status/1798533980764)