Donkey Kong 64 Joins Nintendo 64 Nintendo Classics on June 4
Donkey Kong 64's arrival on the Switch service restores access to a foundational 3D platformer that had been unavailable since the Wii U Virtual Console shut down, and it arrives a year after the series returned to 3D action with Donkey Kong Bananza.
Reporting from 5 sources: GAME Watch (Impress), Automaton, Denfaminicogamer, Game Spark, and 1 more.
Nintendo will add Donkey Kong 64 to the Nintendo 64 Nintendo Classics library on June 4, 2026, the company announced on May 28. The title is available to subscribers of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999, Donkey Kong 64 was the first 3D action game in the Donkey Kong series. Developed by Rare, the game features five playable Kongs: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, and Chunky Kong. Players explore eight large stages, collect Golden Bananas, and fight the Kremling army led by King K. Rool. The game required the Memory Expansion Pak accessory, making it one of the first titles to do so. It also includes a four-player versus mode and bonus content unlocking the arcade Donkey Kong and Rare's Jetpac. Donkey Kong 64 previously appeared on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2015, which ended service in 2026. The Nintendo 64 Nintendo Classics version marks its return to modern platforms.
Donkey Kong 64 was the first 3D entry in the Donkey Kong series and the only one to require the Memory Expansion Pak, a 36Mbit RAM upgrade for the Nintendo 64. The game was developed by Rare, the British studio behind Banjo-Kazooie, and shares that game's emphasis on collecting items across large hub worlds. Players control five Kongs, each with distinct abilities: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, and Chunky Kong. The story pits them against King K. Rool, who plans to destroy DK Island with a weapon called the Blast-o-Matic.
The Nintendo 64 Nintendo Classics version supports both Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. Nintendo also sells a wireless Nintendo 64 Controller for Switch Online members that replicates the original controller's feel. The game's addition follows the 2025 release of Donkey Kong Bananza, the first new 3D Donkey Kong game in 26 years, which included callbacks to Donkey Kong 64 such as the 'OH, BANANA' voice line and music from the Rambi Rumble minigame.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 5 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- GAME Watch (Impress) 「ドンキーコング64」が「NINTENDO 64 Nintendo Classics」に6月4日より追加！
- Automaton 『ドンキーコング64』がNintendo Switchにて復刻。「NINTENDO 64 Nintendo Classics」で6月4日配信へ
- Denfaminicogamer 『ドンキーコング64』が6月4日よりNINTENDO 64 Nintendo Classicsに追加！
- Game Spark 『ドンキーコング64』が「NINTENDO 64 Nintendo Classics」向けに6月4日配信決定！懐かしの名作が蘇る
- Inside 『ドンキーコング64』が「NINTENDO 64 Nintendo Classics」向けに6月4日配信決定！懐かしの名作が蘇る