Donkey Kong Country 3
Graphics
The Donkey Kong Country series had some of the best graphics ever seen on the Super Nintendo. However, this third game in the series didn't improve on the first two at all. It looks virtually the same as DKC2. That's not to say that the graphics aren't good, but it would have been nice to see at least a little bit of improvement in most places. If you had both games running at the same time, you probably wouldn't be able to distinguish one game from another. That's how similar things really are. It's simply a dissapointment.
GamePlay
For the most part, the GamePlay is a lot like the other games in the series. While you play, you can control either Dixie Kong or Kiddie Kong. Each one has their own special advantages. For example, Dixie can glide slowly using her long hair like a helicopter. Kiddy has incredible strength. If one Kong is hit by an enemy, control switches to the other. If they both go down, you lose a life. That's pretty simple for the most part.
The game works using a level map, similar to Mario Bros. 3 and to DKC1 and DKC2. However, this map is a little more open in that you can wander around it and do parts of the game in whatever order you choose. I didn't really like this feature, though. It seems like something that would be better suited to an RPG than to this kind of game. DKC3 is fairly long. From memory, I would say that it's longer than DKC1, but shorter than DKC2. It's not something you can beat in one sitting, and there is a save feature because of that.
The game is farily challenging, but it doesn't seem as hard as DKC2. Also, most of the levels are designed in fairly uninteresting ways. Just no innovation at all. Trust me, you get tired of seeing the same kinds of levels repeated again and again througout three games.
Music
Even this area is lacking compared to the first two DKC games. Some of the tracks in the other games were memorable, which is unusual for this kind of game. But the music in DKC3 is just non that interesting. You'll probably forget what most of it sounded like shortly after you stop playing. If you can forget what the music sounds like after playing the game hour after hour, it's a good indication that it could use some improvement.
Final Thoughts
The game is pretty good, but all things considered, it's the worst game in the trilogy. It's still a good buy, but if you have the choice, you should try the first two games in the series before moving on to this one. I assure you that you will find them much more enjoyable in just about every sense of the word.
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