31 Years Later, a Donkey Kong Land Remake Releases on PC Without an Original ROM

Nintendo lawyers have not yet responded to the release.

Gamers have recently revisited Donkey Kong Land (1995). The classic platformer has received a second life thanks to a modder.

An unofficial remake of Donkey Kong Land has been released on PC. Players are offered more than 30 full-sized levels to complete. As the modder explained, this is a fan-made version of the original platformer, but featuring graphics, sound, and controls styled after Donkey Kong Country.

Kasquez has published a launch trailer for the “Donkey Kong Land Remake” project:

There is a catch: the fan-made Donkey Kong Land remake does not require original ROM files to run, meaning game assets are included within it. This puts the project at risk because it could be viewed as copyright infringement. Some players worry that Nintendo lawyers might shut the project down.

Another catch relates to controls: Donkey Kong Land Remake is designed to be played with a keyboard, but enthusiasts have already published online instructions for setting up a controller (gamepad). For instance, YouTube channel author Jiggylookback provided one such guide.

Modder Kasquez distributes the files for Donkey Kong Land Remake via Google Drive.