Nintendo Switch 2 is finally getting achievements...sort of

Nintendo Switch 2 will be hosting a DK Challenge event, which will task players with completing challenges in various Donkey Kong game to unlock something akin to achievements. These were introduced by Xbox decades ago, and fans have been hoping to see something similar on the Nintendo Switch 2. While PlayStation added its own trophy system as a direct result, Nintendo has so far avoided doing the same.

Achievements give players bragging rights, and many players like the idea of being rewarded for completing a particularly tough part of a game. Nintendo could eventually design its own achievement system, but the company seems to have found something that works similarly in theory.

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DK Challenge start date and details

The DK Challenge, announced in the latest Nintendo Direct, will begin on June 9 at 6pm PT and runs through September 1st at 12.59 PT. Throughout the event, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers on Switch 2 can unlock digital trading cards by competing in challenges across Donkey Kong games released for NES, SNES and Game Boy, and players with Donkey Kong Banana will find even more. It all seems similar to the challenges in Nintendo World Championships: NES Editionbut with mostly different games.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who is that character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Easy (7.5s) Medium (5.0s) Hard (2.5s) Permadeath (2.5s)

The challenges revealed so far will give players things like completing specific levels or finishing a race within a certain amount of time. Some should be much easier than others, and Nintendo has teased that special developer challenges in Donkey Kong Banana may require a lot of work to complete. Donkey Kong Banana has hosted several events since launch, and the DK Challenge should give players even more incentive to spend time with the game.

The unfortunate thing about the DK Challenge is that it appears to be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2. All the games included in the challenge are playable on the original Switch, but Donkey Kong Banana is the big exception. It's possible that Nintendo didn't want to cause any confusion among users by limiting part of the event to a certain system. The original Switch continues to receive some support, but there are an increasing number of games and events that can only be played on the new device. That will likely continue as Nintendo makes more of an effort to get more people to go ahead and buy a Switch 2.

Find the odd one before the timer reaches zero.

Light (15s)Medium (10s)Hard (5s)Permadeath (5s)

The DK Challenge wasn't the only announcement surrounding the game during the latest Nintendo Direct, as it was revealed that Donkey Kong Banana will also host a Mario-themed event. Donkey Kong Banana's DK Island and Emerald Rush DLC will include tie-ins like unlockable costumes based on Mario and Luigi, and it will start on the same day as the DK Challenge. Donkey Kong didn't get much focus from Nintendo during the Switch era, but the company has put a lot of focus on the series over the past year, and it doesn't look like things are slowing down.