Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble

Review

by Brett Alan Weiss

When the first game in this series hit the stands, gamers were floored by its gorgeous levels, excellent music, and crisp gameplay. Donkey Kong Country gave Super Nintendo owners a huge world of lush jungles, exotic enemies, and graphic sophistication the likes of which 16-Bit systems had never seen. When Donkey Kong Country 2 came along, gamers were treated to more of the same: near-perfect character control, eye-popping visuals, and charming gameplay. Some complained that the games were too similar, that the additions to the second game were not significant enough, but most of us were in agreeance that you just can't get too much of a good thing.

Along comes Donkey Kong Country 3, and Nintendo decided once again to leave well enough alone. They could've changed the Donkey Kong Country formula radically by introducing some 3D gameplay into the mix, or maybe Mario could've somehow been included in the action, but DKC3 looks and plays very much like the first two games. Sure, there are new enemies and obstacles, such as a giant barrel and some new species of fish, and there are new vehicles to ride, such as a hovercraft, but nothing in this game really stands out as startlingly unique. Basically, if you have beaten the first two games, and you love the series and hunger for more, then by all means hunt down a copy of this game.

For those of you new to the world of Donkey Kong Country, you are in for a treat. Whichever game in the series you are playing, you're almost guaranteed to have a good time, whether you are playing alone or with a friend. There are tons of levels, lots of nifty bonus rounds, plenty of goofy creatures to pounce on or throw barrels at, and just enough hidden items and areas to keep even the most jaded gamer content.

Even though it is similar to the previous games in the series, video games just don't get much better than this.