Arcade Archives Donkey Kong 3

Genre: Arcade / Action-Platformer

Players: 1-2 (Local Alternating), Online Leaderboards

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Review:

Donkey Kong 3 is an Arcade-style Platformer released in arcades in 1983, released on Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986, and subsequently released on multiple Nintendo platforms in the time since. The third game in the original Donkey Kong series, Donkey Kong 3 is kinda’ the black sheep of the series. It’s not groundbreaking like the first game was, it’s not as iconic as either of the first two games, and it’s not even really the same type of game as either of them.

Players in this game take the role of Stanley the Bugman, a character never seen before or since, who faces off against the titular ape. Donkey Kong hangs above the stage, agitating beehives near him, and Stanley must fight Donkey Kong by… shooting bug spray at Donkey Kong’s butt, forcing him to climb up to the top of the screen. Yeah, like I said, this one is odd.

The 2D pixel art visuals and chiptune sound design in this game still use the same classic style as the prior two Donkey Kong games, but this game hasn’t reached anywhere near the sort of iconic status that its predecessors did. It’s fine, and it has a nostalgic feel to it, but it’s nowhere near as impactful as the earlier Donkey Kong games.

The gameplay here is interesting, though it takes some getting used to.The challenge level feels a bit high, and the game can feel a bit repetitive, but once you get a feel for how it works, it can be somewhat enjoyable. Though, again, it’s not nearly as memorable as the prior two games.

This release of the game includes a new “Hi-Score Mode” that challenges players to make as many points as they can on one life. There is also a new “Caravan Mode” that does much the same, but with the limit being five minutes rather than one life. In addition, this release of the game gives players a decent array of options, including various display options, sound options, challenge modifiers, button mapping, and online leaderboards.

So there are only two remaining elephants in the room to discuss. First: Is this game worth its $8 price tag? And second, is it worth buying if you already subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online, which includes a version of this game on its Nintendo Entertainment System app. I’m going to say no on both counts. The differences between the original arcade version of this game and the Nintendo Entertainment System port are extremely negligible, and not enough to justify a separate purchase. And the $8 price tag definitely feels inflated for a game that’s not nearly as fondly remembered as the earlier two games, especially when prior Virtual Console releases of the Nintendo Entertainment System release of the game sold for $5.

Is Donkey Kong 3 an enjoyable game? Sure, but it’s dated, and repetitive, and simply not as memorable or nostalgic as the first two Donkey Kong games. It’s definitely not worth the $8 asking price, especially when you can just play this game on Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Entertainment System app instead. If you want to play this game, I recommend you do that.

tl;dr – Donkey Kong 3 is an Arcade-style Platformer where players are literally tasked with shooting bug spray at Donkey Kong’s butt. An odd game to be sure, and it’s decent, but nowhere near as memorable or compelling as the prior two games in the series. On top of this, the price seems too steep, especially with the NES version of the game being easily accessible on Nintendo Switch Online’s NES app. As a result, it’s difficult to give this game a recommendation.

Grade: C-

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