Current Events > Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!... Good game or nah?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Monkey Business

It's a good game. I'd say it's a little better than DKC1 and not as good as DKC2.

It does have this weird, off-putting quality to it that I've never quite been able to put my finger on though.

The worst of the three.

The best DKC game

best DKC game

It's good. Almost as good as DKC2, better than DKC1. Graphically it's the best of the three.

It's the worst of the DKC trilogy, but it's still fairly good.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

I think it's the over-reliance on gimmick levels. DKC1 barely uses them at all, DKC2 still keeps it reasonable plus improves over the first in so many ways. But DKC3 goes too far on the gimmicks.

(The above statement also works if replacing "DKC" with "Crash Bandicoot" for that matter.)

Trumble posted...

It's the worst of the DKC trilogy, but it's still fairly good.

I agree. Music isnt that memorable but I liked the 'wooded forest' theme it went for, as well as travelling between maps with the boat.

It's a great game

Not as good as 2

Its my favourite one

Probably the weakest of the Country games.
It's still like, a 9/10 tho

Trumble posted...

I think it's the over-reliance on gimmick levels. DKC1 barely uses them at all, DKC2 still keeps it reasonable plus improves over the first in so many ways. But DKC3 goes too far on the gimmicks.

I watched a video a while ago (I'm afraid I can't find it now) that discussed this and compared the games, and found that the number of "gimmick" levels in DKC2 and 3 was actually pretty much the same. Obviously opinions may differ on what counts as a gimmick, but I recall that the criteria the video used were sensible.

Thanatos_the_Great posted...

I watched a video a while ago (I'm afraid I can't find it now) that discussed this and compared the games, and found that the number of "gimmick" levels in DKC2 and 3 was actually pretty much the same. Obviously opinions may differ on what counts as a gimmick, but I recall that the criteria the video used were sensible.

i think that was mistar fusions video on it

Thanatos_the_Great posted...

I watched a video a while ago (I'm afraid I can't find it now) that discussed this and compared the games, and found that the number of "gimmick" levels in DKC2 and 3 was actually pretty much the same. Obviously opinions may differ on what counts as a gimmick, but I recall that the criteria the video used were sensible.

I feel like that's not true. Just looking through the first world, 3/5 of the levels are gimmicks.

Good game, but had way too many gimmicky levels.

Also, Kiddy Kong was a mistake.

pegusus123456 posted...

I feel like that's not true. Just looking through the first world, 3/5 of the levels are gimmicks.

not really no

Thanatos_the_Great posted...

I watched a video a while ago (I'm afraid I can't find it now) that discussed this and compared the games, and found that the number of "gimmick" levels in DKC2 and 3 was actually pretty much the same. Obviously opinions may differ on what counts as a gimmick, but I recall that the criteria the video used were sensible.

Maybe, but it felt like DKC3 was much worse. Maybe it's something to do with how different from normal gameplay, or how annoying, or maybe even how close together, the gimmick levels were compared to DKC2?

Great game, only one of the three I 100%ed

AceMos posted...

not really no

My definition of gimmick is a mechanic which only shows up in one level. Unless I'm forgetting a later level that reuses these gimmicks, you have:

• Doorstop Dash which requires you to hold down levers to open doors
• Tidal Trouble where the water pushes you backwards
• Murky Mill, the most gimmicky level, where you play as Ellie and have to avoid the lit up rats because she's afraid of them

Like everyone says -- if DKC3 had come out and 1 and 2 never existed, everyone would say dkc3 is awesome. As it stands, 2 is just outstanding, and 1 IMO is better than 3.

If we're being real though, they might be the greatest platformers released back to back, and DKC2 is one of the best games ever.

I've just found the video in question (it wasn't Mistar Fusion) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGFIdVa_6mg - the relevant section is from 1:27 to 3:40.

I disliked DKC3 so much that I only played about 1 or 2 of its levels when it was originally released. It's an ugly mess and Kiddy Kong is the most visually unappealing playable character Rare has ever made of their DKC series.

Good. Weird and off-putting, but good.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]



THIS! I loved DKC 1 and 2 as a kid and skipped 3 over how that monkey looked.

Y'know, before I made the topic, I looked up the game for a second, saw the boxart, and went 'WTF is THAT!?'

Ugly Kong

Pretty good game that gets overshadowed by 2.

Solar_Crimson posted...

Good game, but had way too many gimmicky levels.

Also, Kiddy Kong was a mistake.

He had a cool water bouncy thingy

DKC3 was great. Wish they would have kept making these. Took until Tropical Freeze to have a quality follow up.

It was the first game I 'speed ran'. It'd keep track of your total time and I remember constantly shaving off an hour or two per run.

Very good, but the worst of the original trilogy.

Worst of the three, still really damj good!

I probably like it the best, tbh. I know it's the oddball of the trilogy and my opinion is in the minority, though. It's the only one I completely beat.

pegusus123456 posted...

My definition of gimmick is a mechanic which only shows up in one level. Unless I'm forgetting a later level that reuses these gimmicks, you have:
* Doorstop Dash which requires you to hold down levers to open doors
* Tidal Trouble where the water pushes you backwards
* Murky Mill, the most gimmicky level, where you play as Ellie and have to avoid the lit up rats because she's afraid of them

i dont think you know what a gimmick is

I liked it, i just fucking hate that for a series called Donkey Kong Country, the motherfucker isnt even playable in 2/3rds of them. In 2 it was forgivable, but in 3 they gave us Kiddy Kong and that was unforgivable.

Good

Although due to an error in the NA release, the letter "G" is missing from the level Rocket Rush

KFHEWUI posted...

Good

Although due to an error in the NA release, the letter "G" is missing from the level Rocket Rush

uhhh are you sure

AceMos posted...

uhhh are you sure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsHYY5V7HiQ

Strangely, the US version of Rocket Rush does not have the "G" included among the collectable "KONG" letters. This was fixed in all other versions, including the re-release on the Game Boy Advance, but it is in a different location, since this version appears to use the American version as a base (which is evidenced by all the other level layout changes).

https://tcrf.net/Donkey_Kong_Country_3:_Dixie_Kong%27s_Double_Trouble_(SNES)#Missing_.22G.22

Great game, better than DKC1 and almost as good as DKC2. It gets way too much hate.

KFHEWUI posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsHYY5V7HiQ

https://tcrf.net/Donkey_Kong_Country_3:_Dixie_Kong%27s_Double_Trouble_(SNES)#Missing_.22G.22

huh i could have sworn i did a all KONG letter play threw back in the day

It's good but the other two are better.

Thanatos_the_Great posted...

I've just found the video in question (it wasn't Mistar Fusion) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGFIdVa_6mg - the relevant section is from 1:27 to 3:40.

Didn't look at all the levels he listed but would certainly disagree on some of them. He seemed to include every animal transformation stage when the animals are all throughout the game. Instead I'd only mention the ones that have something beyond the animal. Like the purple Squawks level in DKC2 or the Ellie stampede level in DKC3.

MajorGamer posted...

Didn't look at all the levels he listed but would certainly disagree on some of them. He seemed to include every animal transformation stage when the animals are all throughout the game. Instead I'd only mention the ones that have something beyond the animal. Like the purple Squawks level in DKC2 or the Ellie stampede level in DKC3.

thats kinda the point the complaint of "gimmicky" is so vague

DKC3 has the notorious weird atmosphere, not as good music, and it feels like it didnt get as much polish with controls/hit boxes or in its theming.

Ive seen that video too but the gimmicks are more memorably intrusive, regardless of their number.

Kiddy Kong is a lame character and was never seen again.

That said as time goes by the more fondly I look back at the game. Great game.

AceMos posted...

i dont think you know what a gimmick is

I'm the only one offering a definition

Great game, worst sidekick, overshadowed by 2

It's a bit hard to define, it's one of those "I know it when I see it" things and yeah, I would also say it's a spectrum. Rollercoaster levels are definitely a gimmick. The reversed controls in that one sewer level is definitely a gimmick. The rising floor in that DKC2 level is a borderline case, as is Murky Mill.

Context can matter too. A chase level like the one where you run away from the giant zing is borderline in DKC for example, but I'd consider it an expected and recurring normal feature in Crash Bandicoot at this point.

Trumble posted...

It's a bit hard to define, it's one of those "I know it when I see it" things and yeah, I would also say it's a spectrum. Rollercoaster levels are definitely a gimmick. The reversed controls in that one sewer level is definitely a gimmick. The rising floor in that DKC2 level is a borderline case, as is Murky Mill.

Context can matter too. A chase level like the one where you run away from the giant zing is borderline in DKC for example, but I'd consider it an expected and recurring normal feature in Crash Bandicoot at this point.

any of these count?

giant saw
feeding the nibbla fish
tracking curser
bee chase
burning rope
low g level

After DKC2, I was expecting a game where you could play as Donkey Kong, Diddy, and Dixie. Instead, Donkey Kong gets kidnapped AGAIN, and this time with Diddy as well. If they had made a DKC4, they would have had Donkey, Diddy, and Dixie get kidnapped, and team Kiddie up with another new character nobody wanted.