Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Encyclopedia
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is a platform game
developed by Rare and published by Nintendo
and was the third and final installment in the Donkey Kong Country
trilogy until Nintendo announced Retro Studios
would be developing the next installment, Donkey Kong Country Returns
for the Nintendo Wii
. It was released in late 1996 for the Super NES
. The game was ported to Game Boy Advance
in 2005 with a different soundtrack. The title was released on the Wii's Virtual Console
service in North America on December 24, 2007, and the following day in Europe as a special Christmas update.
, who went on a fishing trip. Meanwhile, the Kremling Krew returns under the leadership of the mysterious robot
KAOS, whom K. Rool (now a mad scientist
and under the name of Baron K. Roolenstein) is secretly controlling.
Unlike the previous installment, which featured a pirate high-seas adventure theme, this game has more of a mix between a mechanical theme (especially the technological island of Mekanos) and a generic theme similar to the first game, but unlike Donkey Kong Countrys often tropical sceneries, this game features locations much more similar to northern maritime and continental climates, including the presence of evergreen and deciduous forests, snowy mountains, cliffs, waterfalls and a group of allies called Brothers Bear. Many of the Kremling Krew appear to be genetically altered or fused with objects, which hints at the mad scientist nature of the end boss, K. Roolenstein. The events of the game were located in the Northern Kremisphere, a previously unseen part of the DK Isles. Unlike ports of the original two games the GBA port of this game did not have an extra intro story.
Dixie Kong retains essentially the same move set she had in the second game. Diddy Kong is replaced by Kiddy Kong, who plays more similarly to Donkey Kong. Kiddy also has a few new moves previously unseen in the series - he is able to repeatedly bounce along the surface of water during a roll by pressing the jump button with the correct timing, and he is able to throw Dixie significantly farther when he is carrying her on his shoulders than any other Kong family member combination. Dixie Kong can also ride on top of Kiddy Kong when he is thrown, much like riding on steel barrels.
The hub world is more open-ended when it comes to exploration, for the first time allowing the player to stray from set paths between established area or level markers. As a result, hidden areas can be found by traveling to the right location on the world map, also a first for the series. Most of these hidden areas have a collection of colored crystals that are arranged to mirror the button colors and locations on the traditional Super Nintendo controller; in a game very reminiscent of Simon
, the player is required to repeat a series of tones that sound when a crystal lights up, using the buttons on the controller, to acquire hidden items. On the SNES, the buttons used are those that match the colors of the crystals (A B X and Y), while on GBA, the D-pad is used, matching the crystals positions on the screen, although the SNES colors remain. On virtual console the controls are exactly the same as the SNES and the control pad is identical to that of the SNES, just lacking the iconic colored buttons.
Also introduced in this game is an expanded inventory system, allowing the Kongs to hold up to four items at a time that can be exchanged for lives, coins, or other hidden items.
and David Wise, although Fischer produced most of the music in the game.
port was developed by Rare. The title omits the original's subtitle "Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!". Amongst the changes is Pacifica, a bonus world exclusive to the GBA version of the game, accessible halfway through. This differs from other GBA ports like Yoshi's Island, where new stages only become accessible after the game's completion. With Pacifica put into the game, the boss known as Barbos was moved there, and in its original place was a whole new boss, Kroctopus. The port also featured a new cheat menu and an all-new soundtrack composed by David Wise from the ground up, which replaced the original. GameSpot said in their review that the music was in some cases better than the original, such as the boardwalk levels of Lake Orangatanga. The port also had a number of minor changes, including a brighter screen, around the time when the Game Boy Advance SP had the backlight refitted. Wrinkly Kong's save caves are also omitted; the first one was replaced by Wrinkly's retreat and the rest are replaced by Cranky's Dojo. Swanky's bonus games now feature a virtual reality where the player must collect stars. Some of the Brothers Bear locations and items were altered as well. This is also a side effect of Pacifica's addition, as an extra bear location was added.
console, which was released only several months before.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
developed by Rare and published 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....
and was the third and final installment in the Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
trilogy until Nintendo announced Retro Studios
Retro Studios
Retro Studios is an American video game developer based in Austin, Texas. The company was founded in October 1998 by the video game veteran Jeff Spangenberg after leaving Acclaim Entertainment, as an independent studio making games exclusively for Nintendo Company, Ltd.On May 2, 2002, Nintendo...
would be developing the next installment, Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns, known as in Japan, is a side-scrolling 2.5D platform game developed by Retro Studios and released by Nintendo for the Wii console on November 21, 2010, in North America, December 3, 2010, in Europe, and on December 9, 2010, in Japan...
for the Nintendo 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...
. It was released in late 1996 for the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. The game was ported to Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
in 2005 with a different soundtrack. The title was released on the Wii's 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...
service in North America on December 24, 2007, and the following day in Europe as a special Christmas update.
Overview
In the game Dixie Kong and her toddler cousin Kiddy Kong have to discover the location of missing vacationers Donkey Kong and Diddy KongDiddy Kong
, originally known as Donkey Diddy, is a fictional character in the Donkey Kong series of video games, first appearing in the 1994 game Donkey Kong Country. He lives on Donkey Kong Island in the Kongo Jungle, and is identified by his red hat, which has a Nintendo logo on it, and shirt...
, who went on a fishing trip. Meanwhile, the Kremling Krew returns under the leadership of the mysterious robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
KAOS, whom K. Rool (now a mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
and under the name of Baron K. Roolenstein) is secretly controlling.
Unlike the previous installment, which featured a pirate high-seas adventure theme, this game has more of a mix between a mechanical theme (especially the technological island of Mekanos) and a generic theme similar to the first game, but unlike Donkey Kong Countrys often tropical sceneries, this game features locations much more similar to northern maritime and continental climates, including the presence of evergreen and deciduous forests, snowy mountains, cliffs, waterfalls and a group of allies called Brothers Bear. Many of the Kremling Krew appear to be genetically altered or fused with objects, which hints at the mad scientist nature of the end boss, K. Roolenstein. The events of the game were located in the Northern Kremisphere, a previously unseen part of the DK Isles. Unlike ports of the original two games the GBA port of this game did not have an extra intro story.
Gameplay
The third installment in the Donkey Kong Country series tracks the player's progress through the game using a percentage similar to the first two games. Following the tradition of the others, the total possible percentage is 100% plus the installment number; in this case, a total of 103%, the highest of the series. An additional 2% can be achieved when the cheat TUFST (toughest) is applied, which turns off the checkpoint barrels and DK barrels, making the gameplay much more difficult. Returning also are the collectible DK coins that first appeared in the second game, with one hidden in each level. Unlike in Donkey Kong Country 2, rather than simply having to track down the hidden coin, the player must solve a small puzzle involving using a rolling barrel to strike an enemy using the coin as a shield from behind.Dixie Kong retains essentially the same move set she had in the second game. Diddy Kong is replaced by Kiddy Kong, who plays more similarly to Donkey Kong. Kiddy also has a few new moves previously unseen in the series - he is able to repeatedly bounce along the surface of water during a roll by pressing the jump button with the correct timing, and he is able to throw Dixie significantly farther when he is carrying her on his shoulders than any other Kong family member combination. Dixie Kong can also ride on top of Kiddy Kong when he is thrown, much like riding on steel barrels.
The hub world is more open-ended when it comes to exploration, for the first time allowing the player to stray from set paths between established area or level markers. As a result, hidden areas can be found by traveling to the right location on the world map, also a first for the series. Most of these hidden areas have a collection of colored crystals that are arranged to mirror the button colors and locations on the traditional Super Nintendo controller; in a game very reminiscent of Simon
Simon (game)
Simon is an electronic game of memory skill invented by Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison, with the software programming being done by Lenny Cope and manufactured and distributed by Milton Bradley. Simon was launched in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York City and became an immediate success. It...
, the player is required to repeat a series of tones that sound when a crystal lights up, using the buttons on the controller, to acquire hidden items. On the SNES, the buttons used are those that match the colors of the crystals (A B X and Y), while on GBA, the D-pad is used, matching the crystals positions on the screen, although the SNES colors remain. On virtual console the controls are exactly the same as the SNES and the control pad is identical to that of the SNES, just lacking the iconic colored buttons.
Also introduced in this game is an expanded inventory system, allowing the Kongs to hold up to four items at a time that can be exchanged for lives, coins, or other hidden items.
Soundtrack
DKC3s soundtrack was composed by Eveline FischerEveline Fischer
Eveline Novakovic is a British video game music composer who composed some of the music for Donkey Kong Country, most of the tracks for Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, and did voice acting and sound effects for a number of other Rare games...
and David Wise, although Fischer produced most of the music in the game.
GBA re-release
As with the past two Donkey Kong Country games, a Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
port was developed by Rare. The title omits the original's subtitle "Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!". Amongst the changes is Pacifica, a bonus world exclusive to the GBA version of the game, accessible halfway through. This differs from other GBA ports like Yoshi's Island, where new stages only become accessible after the game's completion. With Pacifica put into the game, the boss known as Barbos was moved there, and in its original place was a whole new boss, Kroctopus. The port also featured a new cheat menu and an all-new soundtrack composed by David Wise from the ground up, which replaced the original. GameSpot said in their review that the music was in some cases better than the original, such as the boardwalk levels of Lake Orangatanga. The port also had a number of minor changes, including a brighter screen, around the time when the Game Boy Advance SP had the backlight refitted. Wrinkly Kong's save caves are also omitted; the first one was replaced by Wrinkly's retreat and the rest are replaced by Cranky's Dojo. Swanky's bonus games now feature a virtual reality where the player must collect stars. Some of the Brothers Bear locations and items were altered as well. This is also a side effect of Pacifica's addition, as an extra bear location was added.
Reception
The game went to sell 2.89 million copies worldwide, with 1.7 million copies sold in Japan, and has a 86% for SNES and a 75% for Game Boy Advance on GameRankings, the lowest of the three Donkey Kong Country games. The game was significantly hurt by the newer generation Nintendo 64Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
console, which was released only several months before.