Donkey Kong 3
Encyclopedia
is the third video game in the original Donkey Kong series
by Nintendo
. Released near simultaneously for the Family Computer
and arcade, and later released in America on the Nintendo Entertainment System
in 1986. The game was re-released on the Wii
Virtual Console
in North America on July 14, 2008 and in Europe on January 9, 2009. Although it is a sequel, this title is a radical departure in gameplay from previous titles.
The game is a simplistic shooter which actually incorporates many ideas from an older game entitled Space Firebird
and adapts them into a new setting, which consists of only three repeating rounds, requiring the player to defend flowers as the objective rather than have any specific long-term goal in mind. Throughout the levels are scattered various enemies: Buzzbees, beespies, queen bees (which shatter into deadly pieces when destroyed), creepy caterpillars, butterflies, beetles, moths, beebombs and vine eaters. Stanley, who wears suspenders similar to the previous protagonist
, Mario
, must destroy the insects as they attempt to steal his flowers. Donkey Kong himself hangs from two vines at the top of the screen. Continuously using bug-spray on him will force him upwards and eventually to the top of the screen to complete the level. Killing all the bugs will also cause Donkey Kong to exit the screen and the game will go to next level. Typically, the vine grasped by Donkey Kong's left hand holds the super spray can, which will drop to the ground if the ape climbs high enough that his hand knocks it loose; this spray can forces Donkey Kong upwards at a much faster rate than the standard version, but it only lasts for a certain number of shots and only appears at the start of each "life".
gave it a 6.0 out of 10, negatively saying that it is a "radical departure" from the previous Donkey Kong games, calling it "repetitive."
Stanley the bugman made an appearance in an episode of the Donkey Kong segment of Saturday Supercade
titled "Greenhouse Gorilla", as well as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee
and a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
. Other than that, he has not made any other appearances in video games since.
Hudson Soft
ported Donkey Kong 3 to the Japan-only NEC PC-8801
and FM-7
in 1984. This version featured new backgrounds.
A Multi-Screen Game & Watch
title, which is similar to Donkey Kong 3, is entitled Greenhouse. There is even a VS. Series Game & Watch version of the arcade game, but with different gameplay. In this version, player one controls Stanley the Bugman and computer player (or player two) controls Donkey Kong in a duel against each other using exterminating spray cans to move the bees to the other side of them to make the bees sting their opponents. Players can only hold up to three amounts of spraying liquid in their spray cans. On one player mode, the higher player one as Stanley scores, the faster the spraying liquid on the side of computer player as Donkey Kong drops.
Donkey Kong series
Donkey Kong was created when Shigeru Miyamoto was assigned by Nintendo to convert Radar Scope, a game that had been released to test audiences with poor results, into a game that would appeal more to Americans. The result was a major breakthrough for Nintendo and for the videogame industry...
by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. Released near simultaneously for the Family Computer
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
and arcade, and later released in America on the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in 1986. The game was re-released on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in North America on July 14, 2008 and in Europe on January 9, 2009. Although it is a sequel, this title is a radical departure in gameplay from previous titles.
Story
Stanley is a bugman. Donkey Kong has taken refuge in his greenhouse and it is now up to him to stop the ape from stirring up any more insects that will soon destroy his flowers. Stanley saves the flowers by spraying bug spray on Donkey Kong.Gameplay
Space Firebird
is a 1980 arcade game developed by Nintendo R&D1. It was published by Nintendo in Japan and in the North America. It was also published by Sega-Gremlin in the US as well...
and adapts them into a new setting, which consists of only three repeating rounds, requiring the player to defend flowers as the objective rather than have any specific long-term goal in mind. Throughout the levels are scattered various enemies: Buzzbees, beespies, queen bees (which shatter into deadly pieces when destroyed), creepy caterpillars, butterflies, beetles, moths, beebombs and vine eaters. Stanley, who wears suspenders similar to the previous protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
, must destroy the insects as they attempt to steal his flowers. Donkey Kong himself hangs from two vines at the top of the screen. Continuously using bug-spray on him will force him upwards and eventually to the top of the screen to complete the level. Killing all the bugs will also cause Donkey Kong to exit the screen and the game will go to next level. Typically, the vine grasped by Donkey Kong's left hand holds the super spray can, which will drop to the ground if the ape climbs high enough that his hand knocks it loose; this spray can forces Donkey Kong upwards at a much faster rate than the standard version, but it only lasts for a certain number of shots and only appears at the start of each "life".
Critical reception
Donkey Kong 3 predates most gaming magazines and Internet review sites, but since its release on the Wii's Virtual Console, some gamers have critiqued it. Most reviews did not rate it favourably, however. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave it a 6.0 out of 10, negatively saying that it is a "radical departure" from the previous Donkey Kong games, calling it "repetitive."
Legacy
Donkey Kong 3 was not as successful as the previous two games, perhaps because its game structure is dramatically different. In the previous games, the player controlled a character who walked and jumped and climbed across various levels while avoiding obstacles, whereas this game is more of a fixed shooter.Stanley the bugman made an appearance in an episode of the Donkey Kong segment of Saturday Supercade
Saturday Supercade
Saturday Supercade is an animated television series produced for Saturday mornings by Ruby-Spears Productions. It ran for two seasons on CBS beginning in 1983...
titled "Greenhouse Gorilla", as well as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBM or simply as Melee, is a crossover fighting game released for the Nintendo GameCube shortly after its launch in . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., and the predecessor to the Wii game Super Smash...
and a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
. Other than that, he has not made any other appearances in video games since.
Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
ported Donkey Kong 3 to the Japan-only NEC PC-8801
NEC PC-8801
The NEC PC-8801 was an early Zilog Z80-based computer exclusively released in Japan, where it became very popular, by NEC Corporation in 1981. It was informally called the "PC-88"....
and FM-7
FM-7
FM-7 is a home computer released in 1982 in Japan.The Fujitsu FM-7 was Fujitsu's first entry into the Japanese home computer market, and for their debut computer, they chose to come out with a 6809-based personal computer very similar to Radio Shack's Color Computer.-Hardware:*Two MC 68B09 CPUs @...
in 1984. This version featured new backgrounds.
A Multi-Screen Game & Watch
Game & Watch
is a line of handheld electronic games produced by Nintendo from to . Created by game designer Gunpei Yokoi, each Game & Watch features a single game to be played on an LCD screen in addition to a clock and an alarm ....
title, which is similar to Donkey Kong 3, is entitled Greenhouse. There is even a VS. Series Game & Watch version of the arcade game, but with different gameplay. In this version, player one controls Stanley the Bugman and computer player (or player two) controls Donkey Kong in a duel against each other using exterminating spray cans to move the bees to the other side of them to make the bees sting their opponents. Players can only hold up to three amounts of spraying liquid in their spray cans. On one player mode, the higher player one as Stanley scores, the faster the spraying liquid on the side of computer player as Donkey Kong drops.