What are the differences between Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze’s Wii U and Switch versions?

The Nintendo Switch is kicking off May in style with the release of its first of two Wii U ports— Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze.

The Nintendo Switch is kicking off May in style with the release of its first of two Wii U ports— Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze.

While both the Wii U and Switch versions are identical, The Switch version brings a new mode and updates to the overall experience to make it the definitive Donkey Kong Country title.

Funky Mode is… Funky

Funky Mode is the biggest addition to the Nintendo Switch version of Tropical Freeze. The mode adds a new character, Funky Kong, who is invincible to nearly every obstacle in the game.

As Funky Kong, players are given an infinite roll attack and underwater corkscrews, the ability to double jump, and a surfboard that stops him from taking damage from hazardous spikes. The only way to die as Funky Kong is to either run out of hearts, or to fall into a bottomless death pit.

Funky Mode serves as a safe-mode for those looking to just enjoy the levels without worrying about the perils hidden around every turn. It is an ideal way for you to test out a level before playing it in the original game mode, or for speedrunners looking to practice a particular world for a while without fearing an early reset.

Loading times and graphics get an upgrade

Loading times were sluggish on the Wii U version of the game with each level and the main hub world taking several seconds to load. The Switch version has used the added power of the system to greatly reduce the load times, making the game flow better through levels.

On top of this, graphics have been given an upgrade with DigitalFoundry reporting that the game gives out an input of 1080p when docked, up from the Wii U’s 720p settings.

Donkey Kong plays with a Switch during his idle animation

While its not a significant change to the game, its still pretty cool to see DK playing on Nintendo’s new system. Perhaps he is playing Tropical Freeze in Tropical Freeze. Donkey Kong-Inception, anyone?

The idle animation replaces DK’s Wii U idle pose, where the Gorilla was playing with a Nintendo 3DS instead of the Switch.