65%Game Boy Color

Donkey Kong Land 3 was the final entry of the land DK games on the Game Boy. Like the previous game, it is based heavily from DKC3 using the same enemy sprites and level themes, but similarly to DKL2 it is not just a port of the SNES game. The game has entirely unique levels and boss stages.

One of the things that made DKL2 a good game in my view is that the core foundation of the game, DKC2, is one of the best platformers ever created. DKL2 was a cut down version and even though it couldn't implement ever idea of DKC2, those it did were done in new and challenging ways, on a handheld. Many would criticize DKC3 as being simultaneously too gimmicky, with levels that stray too far from the platforming formula perfected over the previous two games. Other complaints would be the trade/barter quests, the inclusion of Kiddy Kong, the soundtrack, and a relative lack of challenge to both beat the game or discover it's secrets.

It is strange to say but DKL3 actually solves a number of those perceived problems by virtue of being a simpler game. Kiddy Kong is now mute, so you don't have to hear his crying. The side quests and inventory system are gone completely. The Brothers Bears remain but act as just a simple minigame and teleporter. The soundtrack actually comes to life on the GameBoy and doesn't feel like complete downgrade to David Wise's soundtrack.

The largest (arguable) improvement, is that the game no longer feature those "gimmicks" found in levels like Ripsaw Rage, Lightning Look-out, or Fishfood Frenzy. The game still has a number of ideas an concepts from DKC3 but plays in a way that's closer to the original DKC. For those who detested the level design of DKC3 this will feel like an improvement, but I frankly found the levels to be too similar to one another. There were simply too many repeats of the game concept and mechanics just in different level configurations. The game's difficulty was also lacking in any challenge--it is by far the easiest out of all country/land games--and the "secrets" are almost always in the open or just extremely obvious in where they are located. For example, I lost count on how many there would be an arrow of bananas pointing one way and then having a bonus barrel the other way. But the easy difficult also makes it a more palatable portable experience--which given this is on the Game Boy, was a good thing.

One thing unique to DKL3 is the inclusion of time trials. There is one for a level of each "theme" in the game, but none of them were all that challenging.

Controls and movement feel great and one can tell Rare got more and more comfortable with the hand held limitations while still achieving a nearly exact similar feel of it's SNES counterparts. The graphics are also pretty good and rarely clash together or obscure platforming and obstacles. The sound effects and cues are similarly limited as was the case in previous games.

DKL3 excels at creating a familiar but unique experience from DKC3, but one I found to be ultimately rather forgettable. Those who really hated DKC3 might actually find the DKL3 to be a better game. In contrast, those who really liked DKC3 probably will find this game to be rather dull. There's nothing inherently "bad" about the game, but it doesn't stand out in the ways that DKL1 did (for all it's faults), and also isn't nearly as challenging as DKL2. The one thing that completely separates DKL3 from the others is that it was also released on the Game Boy Color.

85%Nintendo Switch

This is by far my favorite of the three Donkey Kong Land games on Game Boy. They basically ditched the numerous gimmicks and made it a straight faced platformer which I absolutely enjoyed and thankfully, I didn't have a heart attack over some of the cumbersome controls when using animal buddies this time, but you don't really need to use any special moves to really get through levels. I will say the graphics do look marginally worse than the last game as it feels like Dixie and Kiddy blend into the environment a bit too much, but the platforming and gameplay is where it's at. I had a great time playing as these characters and found myself getting swept away in the game. It's pretty immersive for a old handheld game as well! The levels are just better designed, the worlds have lots of character to them, there's thankfully not as many swimming stages as there was in DKL2, and the music is enjoyable to an extent, despite not matching up to the first DKL's musical arrangements on a Game Boy handheld.

This was just so pleasant and honestly, the game has tons of charm to it compared to the other titles. I thought some of the environments were nice, not to mention I really thought the premise of the game was interesting. It's nowhere near as hard as DKL2 and the difficulty has been certainly toned down especially in the boss fights. Still, I would honestly recommend this trilogy of games to Nintendo and Platformer fans alike, but the third game for me stands as the best of the bunch. The levels are just more coherent and better designed than DKL2 and it's lack of gimmicks make for a enjoyable time although DKL1 and 2 do some things better such as Graphics and Music.

60%Game Boy

I don't really have anything to say about this one that I didn't say about the other two: Compared to early Game Boy titles this one is super impressive. However, compared to the other two in the series, this is definitely the weakest...which I think is probably true for the Donkey Kong Country games, as well.

The graphics in this one weren't as intuitive, with a few stage hazards blending in a little TOO well with the background. Like DKL2, the "leap of faith" segments were a little cheap and felt unfair in some parts as a means to just extend playtime.

Still a fun game and worth playing. 6/10, Average.

10%Nintendo 3DS

An inferior shadow of the Donkey Kong Country series. Don't play these games, they're awful.

80%Game Boy

Donkey Kong Country 3 is a very divisive game, and widely considered a disappointment after the critically acclaimed second game. There's a wide array of complaints as to why this is the case, like the general disdain for Kiddy as a character, the heavy reliance on gimmicky stages, the quieter and lower key soundtrack, and the over reliance on fetch quests and the annoying Simon style minigames.

Why do I bring this all up? Well, it might surprise you to learn that the Game Boy downconversion of this game doesn't suffer a lot of these problems, and for that reason you might be able to argue it's more enjoyable than the SNES counterpart. To a degree that's also an apples to oranges comparison, since we're comparing a 16-bit console game to an 8-bit colorless handheld one, but honestly I was a bit surprised at how much I liked this game.

The game is very aesthetically similar to DKC3, featuring the same level theming and the same soundtrack (only now scaled back, obviously). However, the levels themselves are brand new, and they're pretty well designed levels for the most part. One of the things that plagued DKC3 was its ridiculous overreliance on gimmick stages, something that is quite decidedly absent here. You still have levels that change things up a bit like ones that rely a lot on one specific enemy, but you won't be seeing things like control reversing and low-gravity stages. This is one of the rare cases where the limitations actually worked in the game's favor.

In addition, other games in the series have variable amounts of bonuses per stage plus a DK coin (in 2 and 3), but this particular game follows a strict two bonuses per stage and a DK coin guideline. This does make things a bit predictable, but it also means you won't constantly be second-guessing if you got everything or not before exiting the level so that can be nice. There's quite a lot here to keep you wanting to get everything, as the true final boss isn't opened up until you get everything in the game prior, and even after you do there's still a set of time trials to complete in order to get full 103% completion.

When the DKL series first came out, they were generally meant to be a novelty in the idea of bringing a graphically impressive game like DKC on the go, and as a result there isn't a huge amount of reason to try them out in the modern day unless you're a big fan of the series like I am; that said, with DKC3 as divisive of a game as it is, you might actually enjoy this one a little bit more than its source game. Of course it's all subjective, but I had a lot of fun with this adaptation and while it's nothing I would say is must-play material, it's at least comparable to its direct predecessor which I also liked a lot so give it a chance if you enjoy Donkey Kong Country or Land and see for yourself!

70%Game Boy

A much greater improvement of the Donkey Kong Land series but still feels a bit lacking compared to other platformers.