Developer: Rare Publisher: Nintendo Released: 11/1/1996 Genre: Platformer
Donkey Kong Country 3 is an odd release. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island and Donkey Kong Country 2 were a fitting swan song for the SNES before the Nintendo 64 would release the following year. But to everyone’s surprise Rare had one last trick up their sleeve. The timing of the game’s release could not have been any worse; coming after the N64 began lighting up the sales charts I am sure most overlooked it. It is easy to write the game off as a last minute cash grab but that is not the case. DKC 3 is an excellent game that showed that Rare still had more creativity left in the tank and gave SNES owners unable to find the N64 a nice little Christmas present to make up for it.
Following in the footsteps of its predecessor Donkey Kong Country 3 sees Diddy kidnapped alongside Donkey Kong. Now Dixie must team up with her baby cousin Kiddy Kong to save their friends. Rather than the pirate theme of the 2nd game DKC 3 takes place in the northern Kremisphere, full of frozen tundra’s and wildlife. The change in setting allows the game to introduce a slew of new enemies which keeps it fresh.
In terms of gameplay Dixie Kong remains the same. Being able to slow her descent by spinning is still incredibly satisfying and in my opinion makes her the more important character. Kiddy Kong fulfills the strong man role but plays a little differently than Donkey Kong. He can use his heavy weight to bust through parts of the environment when thrown and skip along the surface of water. Skipping through water not only allows you to move faster but gain height for jumps. This skill is crucial in finding many of the game’s secrets.
Rather than a static world map Donkey Kong Country 3 allows you to explore its overworld to a degree. While you can bee line to each world exploring the overworld map will yield many minigames and surprises. I say to a degree as your progress is limited by needing Funky Kong to craft vehicles to reach new areas. These parts come from beating the bosses at the end of each world. So while it has the appearance of a nonlinear title it still is.
The level design is just as great as the previous games and just as creative. Donkey Kong Country 3 recycles its stage themes more than the second game but always with an interesting twist. DoorStop Dash takes place inside a mill with doors that are opened with levers. The next mill level is Murky Mill. Here you are transformed into Ellie the Elephant for the entire stage. She can pick up and toss barrels but is afraid of mice. If she sees one in the light she will run away, forcing you to deal with them differently each time. Barrel Shield Bust-Up is a straightforward trek to the tree top. Ripsaw Rage may look similar but now you must outrace a giant buzzsaw while collecting items and reaching the top.
Even the one off levels have interesting gimmicks. Fish Food Frenzy has a nibbler that accompanies you to the end. His temperament slowly changes from friendly to hostile if he isn’t fed regularly. Rocket Rush is the last level and has an interesting set of barrels unique to that stage. The fact that the game continues to add fun new mechanics up until its conclusion is nothing short of amazing. The one complaint I have is the number of collectible items. They were already pushing it with the second game but this one takes it a step further. On top of DK coins and bonus coins there are also bonus coins, banana birds, bear coins, and various items needed to trade with the Brothers Bear. To its credit most of these are for completionists who want to see the true ending. But the sheer number is still annoying.
Donkey Kong Country 3 manages to hit the sweet spot with its difficulty. The game provides plenty of opportunities to earn extra lives. Whenever new play mechanics are introduced they are instantly intuitive. The gimmick levels are some of the most fun as every time you die it is your own fault. Even the boss battles, the weak point of the series, have been improved. There is a little spike towards the last two worlds but nothing most can’t handle. Those that want to 100% the game are in for a rough time as some of the coins require expert platforming skills to obtain. The challenge is there for those who want it.
Visually Donkey Kong Country 3 is one of the best looking games on the system. It perfects the rendered style that Rare pioneered on the SNES and looks spectacular. Where the low resolution sometimes interfered with the art direction of the prior games here the artists have used smart color choices that not only hide it but blend together better. The level of detail in the environments is stunning with every set piece practically brimming with life. Backgrounds have layers of parallax scrolling four levels deep at times and the effect is jaw dropping. The animation is also amazing and competes with some of the best from that era. While I prefer the pirate theme of Donkey Kong Country 2 on a technical level DKC 3 has it beat.
In Closing
Donkey Kong Country 3 is an excellent game that is often overlooked but worth your time. It has some of the highest production values on the system and is bursting with creativity to create one of the system’s best platformers. Perhaps if it were a Nintendo 64 title more would have played it. But you can find DKC 3 easily on most of Nintendo’s recent platforms, meaning there is no reason to avoid discovering a platforming hidden gem.
