 IGN 's Craig Harris awarded the game an Editor 's Choice award , stating , " This is an incredibly challenging , old @-@ school throwback that might not set the genre afire with innovation , but in my book , it 's better than the awesome game that inspired it . [ ... ] Rare should be proud that its design is in the right hands . Or just insanely jealous . Either works . " Video game talk show Good Game 's two presenters gave the game a 9 and 8 @.@ 5 out of 10 , praising how true the music kept to the style of the original tracks , and that it managed to keep from becoming too complex while still avoiding being over @-@ simplified , saying " If you 're a fan of the old Donkeys , or you just want a great platforming experience , this is worth at least as much as Kong 's golden banana hoard . " X @-@ Play praised the similarity of Returns to previous games in the series , the game 's replay value , and its graphics , but the review criticized the motion controls " that force you to react quickly at bad times , a button press would suffice " and the co @-@ op game play , saying , " If your partner has a penchant for dying , look forward to some short games as he or she will most likely drain the number of lives you both share . " GamesRadar complimented the title for its standout levels and fan service , while criticizing it for levels that are " frustrating , unclear and often misleading way that is unlike any prior Donkey Kong adventure " , and motion controls that make them " question the controls in a platformer " . GameTrailers praised the game 's gameplay and the diversity of the levels , while Giant Bomb claimed , " Retro recaptures most of Donkey Kong 's venerated platforming roots in this fine Wii sequel . " 
