It's hard not to feel bad for Kiddy Kong, he was another victim of the child actor cycle; showing so much promise at a young age until the studios stopped hiring him the moment he wasn't cute and marketable anymore.

One minute you're on top of the world, next minute you're washed-up because studios are unfamiliar with the process of aging. With the hand he was delt, it's not surprising he eventually resorted to drugs in order to capture that same high his early career gave him.

In memory of Kiddy Kong (13th March 1992 - 2nd November 2016)
- Beloved 90s icon turned heroine addict. Another sad case of the entertainment industry's cruelty.

Having replayed this again after just finishing a replay of DKC2, I can't see what this game did to gain so many detractors when it plays just fine in the same formula, it's certainly easier than the previous two but I only find the second game all that challenging anyway. I suppose the shift in protagonists and setting upset people back then as well as its status as a late SNES game when the N64 was out in most major markets, except the one the game was made in because fuck Europe lolololol, but that's all pretty silly reasons to feel lukewarm about it in my view.

I think if people go into this one with different expectations about what you're in for, an easier more collection heavy and lightly puzzle-focused affair, you'll have a decent time with it. If you're after the highs of DKC2 with all of its bombast and higher speed platforming, you'll be disappointed as this game is more low-key and laidback, it's well exemplified by how much easier it is to 100% as I was able to find almost every bonus barrel and get every DK coin on my first go with only two exceptions, whereas DKC2 can put them in some extremely cryptic locations and some which are almost necessary to use a guide for a first time as they require going through unmarked invisible walls, DKC3 has nothing on that level and I find the experience of going for 100% a lot less annoying as a result.

Overall, whilst I wouldn't say it's better than DKC2 or the first, it's still a good platformer and not deserving of the hate it gets from some quarters, this isn't a bad game by any means and if you go in with an open mind I believe you'll enjoy it.

Me lembro da minha infancia jogando esse jogo, ele fez parte da minha vida. O emgraçado que eu possuia a fita mas como era criança não conseguia ir muito longe, mas as fases iniciais me divertiram muito!!

Zerei anos depois com mais experiência e fiz tudo, peguei até o helicoptero que eu achava que era mentira dos meus primos e foi incrivel a experiancia, esse jogo mora no meu coração e tem até uma historia bem triste com ele.

Meu super nintendo baby tinha queimado a fonte, então meu pai pegou uma emprestado pra eu jogar e essa fonte queimou também, na epoca levamos a fonte para consertar mas infelizmente não teve conserto, e meu pai não tinha dinheiro pra comprar outra pra devolver então ele fez uma troca, deu a fita do donkey kong em forma de pagamento, eu fiquei arrasado pois só tinha ela e a do mario, mas a culpa foi minha por jogar em quando chovia e relampiava kkkk.

DKC3 had a number of things against upon release in late 1996: the Nintendo 64 was already out, 3D games were all the buzz then, overall interest in side-scrolling platforming was very low, and this was the third entry in the DKC series (5th if the Game Boy DK Land games are counted) so there was a bit of burnout among fans of the series.

Even with so many things against it, I had a good time playing this back in the day (rented it from Blockbuster) but it was clear to me that this game was nowhere near the masterpiece levels that (IMO) DKC and DKC2 achieved earlier. DKC3 didn't really do anything wrong but at the same time it didn't really do anything new. Sure, the setting was different (focus on a northwestern forestry setting but with diverse climates and themes sprinkled throughout the worlds), new enemies and characters were introduced (beginning with Kiddy Kong), and gameplay variety between levels is probably the highest in the series, yet the game felt very familiar in a been-there-done way. Not necessarily a bad thing considering the quality of previous games but definitely not good enough to propel this game into the same level of appreciation.

Graphics, gameplay, and sound are all very familiar and based in previous games for the most part with new collectables, mascots, and some level design ideas that were fairly interesting but not mindblowing.

All in all, DKC3 is a very solid platforming game that was released perhaps a bit too late in the SNES life cycle and therefore lost the spotlight and interest that the other games carried.

El más flojito de la franquicia, el cambio de tono choca mucho con los dos anteriores. Y aunque el soundtrack no es malo, no es tan memorable como los dos primeros.

Fuera de eso, sigue siendo divertido, el diseño de niveles sigue siendo bueno y los minijuegos están bien.

Kiddy Kong es el mayor pecado de este juego.

Honestly I think this game is superior to the first DKC in many ways. The gimmicks are often unusual, yet they help levels stand out, for better or worse. The music is a step down, and yet, many songs like Rockside Rumble, Water World, or Cascade Capers still go so hard that you end up forgetting some of the more milquetoast tracks. Definitely the biggest mixed bag of the super nintendo DKC trilogy, but that doesn't make it awful or anything, and i still think it's better than Mario world. That enough should tell you it's worth a shot.

For what it's worth: it's more of Donkey Kong Country 2, and that ain't bad. I mean, the music isn't as strong, and the setting is a lot less interesting (Where even are we? Canada? Some sort of tropical island? Canada after the earthquakes made the ocean level rise?), but I just can't let myself be underwhelmed by the overall package, everything that I liked about DKC2's gameplay is more or less still intact. The loop of hunting down bonus rooms & DK Coins to unlock extra levels continues to be enjoyable, and the variety of mechanics keeps the levels fresh. And I know I said the music isn't as good, but actually, the underwater theme knocks it out of the park! Different vibe from Aquatic Ambience, but still very soothing to the soul.

Even Kiddy Kong is okay! Well, for now, anyway. The Kong family suffered a great loss on that fated Autumn. But until then, I'm happy that the clunk I felt while playing as the heavy-type character in DKC1 does not apply to Kiddy. While I can't say I'd pick him over Dixie if given a choice, the controls on him are refined enough that it wouldn't be a big deal to play as him whenever needed. It's a little like they brought over some elements of DKC1 to DKC2's formula, but polished them up to make the best of both worlds.

Of course, all of this means that if you didn't enjoy the platforming and steep difficulty of the previous DKC's, DKC3 is gonna do little to sway you. Conversely, if you DID enjoy DKC2, DKC3 feels like a pretty nice extra set of levels to sink your teeth into. Sometimes, I get the vibe that DKC3 was thrown together in more of a haste, and out of a contractual obligation (like, they signed up for a trilogy of games, something like that), just so Rare could get it out of the way and move on to the N64. Maybe that'd explain why it feels weaker than the rest. Yet even at its weakest, DKC3 still delivers a competent and polished platforming romp. I wouldn't come back to it often, but everytime I would, I wouldn't regret it either.

RIP Kiddy Kong 1996-1996 (Killed by Canada)

I actually enjoyed it quite much. I just hits really good for me. I like the movement through out the very experimental levels, might be just cause of Dixie, idk but it is fun. Nuts and Bolts have to be one of my favorite factory-like songs ever, and even though not every song is a masterpiece it has some amazing ones worth listening to.

The world map could be a lil confusing? the mission style gameplay of opening areas can be good and bad. I don't care too much cause I already know what to do but I can see newer players finding it tedious.

tão bem resolvido quanto o segundo e eu gosto bastante das ideias novas que tem nesse. adoro a ideia do mapa e o barco e as mecânicas únicas tanto de fases quanto de batalhas de chefe são bem legais. os inimigos, visualmente, que já tinham tido uma melhora significativa do 1 pro 2, ficaram em sua maioria mais legais aqui tbm, pra mim (nem todos). o que não faz pra mim ele ser melhor é que mesmo eu tendo gostado assim do mapa ainda acho que as coisas secretas são muito trabalhosas e eu não tenho essa paciência. terminei o jogo com 59% e não tem o que me faça voltar pra fazer o resto rs. mas é isso, adorei! não quero encostar mais em algum donkey kong tão cedo! só esse ano foram 5!!!

I like the second DKC more thematically, but I still love the monster movie vibes this one brings. Its just such a weird aesthetic choice for a Donkey Kong game, it's great. The more varied colors and denser detailing add to a much moodier atmosphere than the other games in the trilogy, also highlighted by Eveline Novakovic's score. Specifically, I adore how the water levels look and sound in this game, with vibrant coral reefs and dark waters brought to life by the ominous track, Water World.

The big improvement here over its predecessor is the completion experience, as its far more standardized as to what to expect in terms of collectibles in each level. The second game ws very spontaneous with its collectible placement, which can be fun but also annoying. My only real gripes with this one is that the field of view for some levels like fucking Kong-Fused Cliffs is really bad and the secret world, Kremetoa, is home to some of the worst levels in the entire trilogy. Granted on that last point, there's only like 3 really bad ones.

This is true for all the DKC games on SNES, but you really can't go wrong with these games if your looking for good and varied challenge paired with unique presentation.

while easier than the first two, it's still has the qualities of a country game! would recommend!



also what happend with kiddy where did he go-

Didn't quite have the DKC itch out of me yet (and still might not <w> ) so I decided to postpone my "current" games a little longer and do a full 103% run of DKC3 for the first time. Like with DKC2, I have beaten the game before, but never a full run of all the bonus coins, DK coins, and banana birds until this time. I have been somewhat converted over to the school of "DKC3 is the best of the original trilogy", but still think DKC2 is a fantastic game. DKC3 is largely a somewhat more polished version of that game. It took me about 5 and a half hours to do on the Japanese Wii U Virtual Console.

In refining the DKC2 formula of a more meta-goodie-focused DKC, DKC3 does a much better job than 2 of designing levels and barrels that all fit well with each other. None of the bonus rooms or DK coins (which themselves are now a special enemy and not just another coin lying around) feel unfairly hidden, and the challenges you have to do to get them all feel better thought out and interesting than in 2 where a good handful of them feel like filler. The roster of animal friends have also received a slight change again, as Rattly the snake has been completely removed (while he was fun, I feel 2 really exhausted his potential), and the purple Skwaks the parrot who in 2 could only descend as well as not spit eggs can now both fly upwards as well as pick up barrels. Finally, the overly invincible (yet very fun) Rambi has been replaced by Ellie the Elephant, whose water spitting mechanics and fear of mice have her as the star of many of the more unique levels.

DKC3's best points, as far as the series go lie in these refinements and uniqueness of levels. Very rarely do two levels feel much alike in this game, as each one tries to do something in a way you've not yet seen. Sometimes it falls flat and is a bit miserable, like the rocketship level or Ellie's stampede level, but most often it provides a new challenge in an interesting way, like Ellie's mouse-avoidance level or the level where you need to keep a hungry fish fed behind you. This extends to even the boss fights, which also break beyond the mold of the more typical "dodge and smack with barrel" that 2 had mostly carried on from 1. All this on top of a really well thought out difficulty curve really do make the general quality of 3 stand above the other 2 original DKC games and puts it definitively as one of the best platformers on the system for me. Where 2 was as much of a sequel as it was a re-imagining of what DKC could be as a franchise, 3 is everything a sequel should strive to be in how it succeeds in innovating on the good ideas and paving over the not-so-good ideas and mundanities of its predecessor.

But no game is perfect, and neither is DKC3. In trying to innovate so hard, it does occasionally fall flat in some quite annoying ways. This mostly lies in the occasional gimmick that doesn't work quite right, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, as sometimes that drive to innovate struck on an idea that just didn't work as well as it needed to in its execution. That problem is most present in the final boss and secret final boss fights, which rather than feeling like tests of platforming skill and timing like they do in 2, feel like boring memorization tests with battle mechanics not always very clearly explained.

The other source of this also comes up with something I mentioned in the DKC2 review in the inherent problems with making a game with two main playable characters. Kiddy (or as he's amusingly called in Japanese, "Dinky") is a clever re-imagining of a "heavy" kong like DK was in the first DKC weaved into the throwing and partner mechanics expanded on in 2. However, this also just gets in the way of playing the game quite often. Dinky largely succeeds in feeling like a worse kong to be stuck with than Dixie, as he not only can't hover but also isn't faster like Diddy. He's also worse than Diddy in that he's physically larger, and the issue with the kongs being less pixely and more-animated makes Dinky's hitbox really difficult to judge compared to Dixie's, and this can make some of the trickier boss battles and enemy dodging really frustrating at times. They also made it so that Dinky's throws do the platforming leap like is done in DKC2, but Dixie's throws slam Dinky onto the ground to both attack enemies and break open the very occasional floor-hidden secret (not unlike slamming into the ground from a great height can do in DKC1). It's a neat idea, but the throwing for height is used SO much more often that it just makes it annoying to have to switch between the kongs so often.

Edit: Another important thing I forgot to mention; this game has very noticeable slowdown where DKC2 does not. The waterfall levels are quite pretty with how you can go in front of and behind the falling water, but if you have more than one or two enemies on screen while one is on screen, the game is gonna start to chug. It doesn't happen too often, but one bonus room in particular is made FAR harder because you're fighting against both the slowdown and the challenge of the room itself.

Verdict: Highly Recommended. DKC3 isn't a perfect game, but it's still a fantastic one. Even its biggest problems are still minor at best, and barely get in the way of an otherwise very fun experience. If you like SNES platformers, this is definitely not one to overlook.