![]() So, what else can I say about Donkey Kong 3? It’s $7.99, like all Arcade Archive releases. History has sort of forgotten it, and those who remember it call it the “weird one.” That’s unfair. Really, I think Donkey Kong 3 was the last straw before they realized where their bread was buttered. There was a game called Sky Skipper that was so hated by players and arcade operators that they rushed Popeye through production to convert the Sky Skipper cabinets into. ![]() They had a game called Space Firebird that allegedly Donkey Kong 3 is based on, though I honestly couldn’t see it myself when I watched gameplay videos. They had Radar Scope, a game so boring they had to turn it into Donkey Kong to save the company. Nintendo tried for years to get their hands on that sweet, sweet space-shooter cash. But this is probably the game where he found out he can’t work miracles. Is this the low point of Shigeru Miyamoto’s career? Actually, no. So the climax stage is just a short wave where you push DK’s head up into a beehive. But there was no way to implement a unique finale mechanic the way they designed Donkey Kong 3. The problem is that they wanted a “climax stage” like Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. This is what I mean by poor use of the main gameplay mechanic. Getting the bug spray in the first stage carries over to the second stage, where you can hit DK enough to beat that stage in a couple seconds. ![]() There’s a powerful bug spray that, while it only works temporarily, carries over between stages if you have enough juice left in it. The one interesting mechanic of Donkey Kong 3, shooting a centralized, heavy target enough to push it past a goal, is just not well implemented. I was bitching the entire time, but they were always interesting. I genuinely disliked my experience playing Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr., but, I was never bored playing them. (Okay, fine, maybe Wii Music.) Donkey Kong 3 is the “weird one” in the series, but it’s also one of the very worst Nintendo games ever made. I’m not a complete ogre.īut seriously, three levels Nintendo? Three? Until this point, I can’t remember playing a Nintendo-released game where it feels like they just gave up. All it has going for it is the hilarious idea of shooting bug poison up Donkey Kong’s bum. Between these and the caterpillars that serve no purpose but to block your attacks, Donkey Kong 3 really didn’t seem to have a vision for the type of fast-paced, white-knuckle gameplay that the genre required by this point. Instead of dealing with space bugs, you’re dealing with garden-variety Earth bugs in a greenhouse that attack in waves and sometimes just straight-up shoot you with a stinger with seemingly no visual or audio warning it’s coming. The aim here seems to have been to combine platforming with space shooting, but the platforming elements really aren’t a major factor in the game and the shooting elements leave a lot to be desired. How come it never comes up in the discussion of potential worst Nintendo developed titles? Because it’s pretty fucking sorry. Once again, Hamster has put together a well-emulated package that’s all for naught, because Donkey Kong 3 is a terrible game. For all we know, Donkey Kong’s coconut gun just fired in spurts and Stanley is about to be Bukaked on. I try to have pretty level views but the music in DKC3 really doesn't do much for me compared to DKC1 and DKC2 and I find that may be the case for many others since they re-did some of the music of DKC3 for the GBA version.The beauty of a screenshot is that you can’t tell that it’s Stanley the Bugman shooting DK here. Really wonder why they didn't go for that (and I have no issue with Kiddy, I like him and his brother, Chunky Kong) Imagine that, DKC3 starring Donkey and Dixie, being able to play as Donkey again after he was unavailable for the 2nd game. I wonder how much differently the game would be viewed if Donkey returned for the larger monkey partner role over Kiddy being introduced. DKC2 is just one of the most cherished 2D platformers (and I tried to outline the reasons it is) and DKC1 feels a lot more like a DKC game than the forest setting of DKC3 combined with the absence of both characters we were introduced in the first game of the series. DKC3 also came on the heels of the N64 hype and people were ready move on to that gen. The formula was fresher with DKC1 also, it started the series. DKC1's music usually is more liked than DKC3's as well. People like Donkey more than Kiddy Kong and while the more forest-y environments of DKC3 are kind of interesting, the jungle theme of DKC1 wins over for most people. ![]() So it usually comes down to what's next best after DKC2. DKC2 Builds off the momentum of DKC1 and having the very popular pirate/swampy/darker environments, how much people like the Diddy/Dixie team-up, the tighter gameplay over DKC1 and having arguably a lot (not all) of the best music in the trilogy, all this just places DKC2 in a very beloved position.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |