Overview

• Released Sept. 12 during a Nintendo Direct, the DK Island + Emerald Rush expansion is live on Switch 2 for $19.99.
• Emerald Rush retools stages into short timed runs where gold becomes emeralds, abilities reset each attempt, and upgrades come from smashing special Banandium gems and collecting fossils.
• Reviewers say the mode offers compelling replay value, with difficulty tiers and unlocks that extend play across most of the game’s layers.
• DK Island serves as a nostalgic hub without new Banandium Gems or fossils, functioning mainly as the setting for Emerald Rush and a Squawks-run statue shop.
• To use the DLC, players must purchase it, beat the final boss, speak to an elder to travel to DK Island, then talk to Squawks and Void Kong to activate figurines and Emerald Rush; many critiques focus on the $20 cost, the two-month post-launch timing, and the sense the content fits as post‑game material.