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{{Short description|1997 video game}}
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{{Infobox VG| title = Donkey Kong Land III
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}{{Infobox video game
|image = [[Image:Donkey Kong Land III Coverart.jpg]]
⚫
|image = Donkey Kong Land III Coverart.jpg
|caption =
|caption = North American box art
|developer = [[Rare (company)|Rareware]]
|developer = [[Rare (company)|Rare]]
|publisher = [[Nintendo]]
|publisher = [[Nintendo]]
|designer =
|designer = Gary Richards<br>Huw Ward
|writer = [[Leigh Loveday]]
|engine =
|composer = [[Eveline Fischer]]
|released = {{vgrelease|North America|NA|September, 1997}}<br />{{vgrelease|Europe|EU|1997}}<br />{{vgrelease|Japan|JPN|January 28, 2000}}
|platforms = {{ubl|[[Game Boy]]|[[Game Boy Color]]}}
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|genre = [[Platform game]]
|modes = [[Single player]]
|series = ''[[Donkey Kong]]''
|released = '''Game Boy'''<br>{{vgrelease|NA|October 27, 1997<ref>{{cite web | title=Nintendo - Customer Service / Game List | url=https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/gamelist.jsp?revealed=false&dsie=&dc=false&sh=donkey%20kong%20land&gf=&pf=&wifi=false&ww=&dw=&mic=&pap=&vc=&man=&rf=&nf=&pp=&sf=&ef= | access-date=5 August 2009 | archive-date=January 16, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116104759/https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/gamelist.jsp?revealed=false&dsie=&dc=false&sh=donkey | url-status=live }}</ref>|EU|October 30, 1997<ref name="NinDB"/>}}'''Game Boy Color'''<br>{{vgrelease|JP|January 28, 2000<ref name="NinDB"/>}}
|ratings = [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: K-A (Kids to Adults)
⚫
|genre=[[Platform game|Platform]]
|platforms = [[Game Boy]] <small>(Not Japan)</small><br />[[Game Boy Color]] <small>(Japan only)</small>
|modes=[[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
|media = 4-[[megabit]] [[cartridge (electronics)|cartridge]]
|requirements =
|input =
}}
}}
'''''Donkey Kong Land III''''' (initially planned for release with the subtitle '''The Race Against Time''') is the third and final entry in the ''[[Donkey Kong Land]]'' trilogy of games for the original [[Game Boy]]. It was developed by [[Rare (company)|Rareware]] and distributed by [[Nintendo]]. Like the other games in the series, DKLIII served as the portable follow-up to the ground-breaking [[SNES]] game ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble]]''. In this case, DKL3 is both a remake and a partial follow-up to ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3]]''. Also like the other games in the DKL series, DKL3 was enhanced for the [[Super Game Boy]] and was packaged with a "banana" cartridge.
[[Image:donkeykonglandIII.png|left|200px|thumb|The title screen for Donkey Kong Land III on a Super Game Boy.]]
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A contest has begun with big prizes for the first person who discovers the Lost World. [[Donkey Kong (character)|Donkey Kong]] and [[Diddy Kong]] have already taken off to find it, leaving a disgruntled [[Dixie Kong]] behind. Deciding to prove herself every bit of capable as them, Dixie once again partners up with her little cousin [[Kiddy Kong]]. Unfortunately, [[K. Rool]] and the [[Kremling Krew]] are also searching high and low for the fabled land. While never stated outright in the game, it's believed that the setting is in the northern part of the ''Northern Kremisphere'', as the level archetypes are the same as in DKC3 (which took place in the Northern Kremisphere). While the levels have the same environments and the DKC3 bosses return, the worlds and stage layout are all unique.


'''''Donkey Kong Land III''''' is a 1997 [[platform game]] developed by [[Rare (company)|Rare]] and published by [[Nintendo]] for the [[Game Boy]]. A port for the [[Game Boy Color]] was released only in Japan in 2000 under the name '''''Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong'''''.{{efn|{{nihongo|'''''Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong'''''|ドンキーコングGB ディンキーコング&ディクシーコング|Donkī Kongu Jī Bī: Dinkī Kongu & Dikushī Kongu}}}} Like its predecessors, ''Donkey Kong Land III'' served as the portable version of and follow-up to its [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] counterpart, in this case ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]'', was enhanced for the [[Super Game Boy]], and was packaged with a "banana yellow" cartridge.
[[Wrinkly Kong]] is the only non-playable Kong family member to make an appearance. A character simply titled [[Bear]] or "Brothers Bear" gives the player hints and can teleport them to another world (as well as host a card minigame), but judging from his appearance, it's most likely he's Bazaar Bear from DKC3. Animal buddies Ellie the elephant, Enguarde the swordfish, Squawks the parrot, and Squitter the spider all return. DKL3 also marks the only time in a Rare Donkey Kong game where neither Donkey Kong nor Diddy Kong actually appears.


The game has since been re-released via the [[Nintendo 3DS]] [[Virtual Console]] in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Life |first=Nintendo |date=2015-02-26 |title=Nintendo Download: 26th February (North America) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/02/nintendo_download_26th_february_north_america |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=Nintendo Life |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Life |first=Nintendo |date=2014-10-27 |title=Nintendo Download: 30th October (Europe) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/10/nintendo_download_30th_october_europe |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=Nintendo Life |language=en-GB}}</ref> The game was also later added to [[Nintendo Switch Online]] in early December 2024, following the re-releases of its two predecessors from late November.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ssf1991 |date=2024-12-04 |title=Donkey Kong Land 3 available for Switch Online members |url=https://mynintendonews.com/2024/12/04/donkey-kong-land-3-available-for-switch-online-members/ |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=My Nintendo News |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Game Boy Color update==

{{Unreferencedsection|date=May 2008}}
== Gameplay ==
{{Original research|date=May 2008}}
{{see also|Donkey Kong Land#Gameplay|l1=Gameplay of Donkey Kong Land}}
When Nintendo released the [[Game Boy Color]] many games were released again updated to take advantage of the new hardware. In Japan Donkey Kong Land III was given a full color update. This new version is for the [[Game Boy Color]] compatible systems only, and will not run on older [[Game Boy]] systems. It didn't have a yellow cartridge, instead it had a GBC transparent cartridge to signify it was incompatible with older systems. It was released in January 28, 2000 under the name Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong only released in [[Japan]] and never saw an English release. Because the game refuses to run on older systems, the game may be taking advantage not only of the Color capability but also the high-speed CPU mode or additional RAM.
While the level environments and themes are the same as ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3]]'', the level designs are all unique.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Donkey Kong Land III – Hardcore Gaming 101 |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-land-iii/ |access-date=2024-12-15 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Plot==
⚫
A contest has begun with big prizes for the first person who discovers the Lost World. [[Donkey Kong (character)|Donkey Kong]] and [[Diddy Kong]] have already left to find it, leaving a disgruntled [[List of Donkey Kong characters#Dixie Kong|Dixie Kong]] behind. Deciding to prove herself every bit as capable as them, Dixie partners up with her toddler cousin [[Kiddy Kong]]. [[Baron K. Roolenstein]] and the [[Kremling Krew]] are also searching high and low for the fabled land.

==Development==
''Donkey Kong Land 3'' was coded by Ian Manders. Manders started at [[Rare (company)|Rare]] in 1994 with his first project being ''[[Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run]]''. The game used the same engine that Robert Harrison wrote from the ground up for ''[[Donkey Kong Land 2]]''. Manders said that programming the game was a challenge as he was new to the tighter constraints for which the CPU of the Game Boy allowed.{{sfn|Thorpe|Carroll|p=30}}

The game deviates more from its console counterpart ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3]]'', if not more than the first game which had new enemies in addition to new scenery and level design. Harrison stated that this was because most of the attention was being made for games for the [[Nintendo 64]] at Rare and that using an existing game engine allowed for more original elements to be made for the game.{{sfn|Thorpe|Carroll|p=30}}

On 28 January 2000,<ref>{{cite web | title=Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong for GBC | url=http://www.gamespot.com/gbc/action/donkeykonggbdinkykongdixieykong/index.html | publisher=Gamespot.com | access-date=5 August 2009 | archive-date=July 6, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706210932/http://www.gamespot.com/gbc/action/donkeykonggbdinkykongdixieykong/index.html | url-status=live }}</ref> less than three years after the game's North American and European releases, Nintendo released an updated [[Game Boy Color]] version of the game in Japan. Titled ''Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong'', it was not released outside of Japan. This version is the same as the Game Boy version, but lacks some animations and dialogues.<ref name="NinDB">{{cite web|title='Donkey Kong Land 3' |url=http://www.nindb.net/game/donkey-kong-land-3.html |access-date=5 August 2009 |work=NinDB |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619123521/http://nindb.net/game/donkey-kong-land-3.html |archive-date=19 June 2010}}</ref> This version was also released on the [[Virtual Console|3DS Virtual Console]] in Japan in 2014,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/eshop/vc/qbcj/index.html|title=Software: Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong and Dixie Kong|access-date=July 24, 2016|archive-date=November 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103113016/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/eshop/vc/qbcj/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and again on the Japanese [[Nintendo Switch Online]] service in December 2024.

==Reception==
''Donkey Kong Land III'' received a score of 81.25% at [[GameRankings]] based on four reviews.<ref>{{cite web|title=Donkey Kong Land III|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/gameboy/564414-donkey-kong-land-iii/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517235902/http://www.gamerankings.com/gameboy/564414-donkey-kong-land-iii/index.html|archive-date=May 17, 2013|access-date=November 22, 2015|publisher=[[GameRankings]]}}</ref> Nintendojo praised the game and awarded it 8.5 out of 10, citing the "brilliantly designed" levels and "impressive" visuals.<ref>{{cite web|title=Donkey Kong Land 3|url=http://www.nintendojo.com/archives/reviews/GB/view_item.php?953658003|work=Nintendojo|last=Segers|first=Andre|access-date=November 22, 2015|archive-date=November 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123030605/http://www.nintendojo.com/archives/reviews/GB/view_item.php?953658003|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Nintendo Life]]'' gave the [[Virtual Console]] re-release 9 out of 10.<ref>{{cite web|title=Donkey Kong Land IIII|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds-eshop/donkey_kong_land_iii_gameboy|work=[[Nintendo Life]]|last=Frear|first=Dave|date=October 31, 2014|access-date=November 22, 2015|archive-date=November 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123030655/http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/3ds-eshop/donkey_kong_land_iii_gameboy|url-status=live}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Notes ==
{{notelist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite magazine|magazine=[[Retro Gamer]]|title=30 Years of the Game Boy |last1=Thorpe|first1=Nick|last2=Carroll|first2=Martyn|issue=196}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/ad3j/index.html}} {{in lang|ja}}
*[http://www.gamespot.com/gameboy/action/donkeykongland3/index.html?tag=result;title;0 Donkey Kong Land III for Game Boy] at [[GameSpot]].com
* [https://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/eshop/vc/qbcj/ Official Nintendo 3DS eshop minisite] {{in lang|ja}}
*{{moby game|id=/donkey-kong-land-iii|name=''Donkey Kong Land III''}}
* {{moby game|id=/donkey-kong-land-iii|name=''Donkey Kong Land III''}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100619123521/http://nindb.net/game/donkey-kong-land-3.html ''Donkey Kong Land III''] at [http://www.nindb.net NinDB]


{{Rare}}
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{{Donkey Kong series}}


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{{Donkey Kong}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Donkey Kong Land Iii}}
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[[Category:1997 video games]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong platform games]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong platform games]]
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[[Category:Game Boy games]]
[[Category:Game Boy Color games]]
[[Category:Game Boy Color games]]
[[Category:Nintendo games]]
[[Category:Game Boy games]]
[[Category:Rareware games]]
[[Category:Platformers]]
[[Category:1997 video games]]
[[Category:Rare (company) games]]
[[Category:2000 video games]]
[[Category:Video game sequels]]
[[Category:Video games featuring female protagonists]]

[[Category:Video games scored by Eveline Fischer Novakovic]]
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[[pt:Donkey Kong Land III]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games]]
[[fi:Donkey Kong Land III]]
[[Category:Virtual Console games for Nintendo 3DS]]
[[Category:Nintendo Switch Online games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]

Latest revision as of 20:45, 27 December 2024

Donkey Kong Land III
North American box art
Developer(s)Rare
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Designer(s)Gary Richards
Huw Ward
Writer(s)Leigh Loveday
Composer(s)Eveline Fischer
SeriesDonkey Kong
Platform(s)
ReleaseGame Boy
Game Boy Color
Genre(s)Platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Donkey Kong Land III is a 1997 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. A port for the Game Boy Color was released only in Japan in 2000 under the name Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong.[a] Like its predecessors, Donkey Kong Land III served as the portable version of and follow-up to its SNES counterpart, in this case Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, was enhanced for the Super Game Boy, and was packaged with a "banana yellow" cartridge.

The game has since been re-released via the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2014.[3][4] The game was also later added to Nintendo Switch Online in early December 2024, following the re-releases of its two predecessors from late November.[5]

Gameplay

[edit]
See also: Gameplay of Donkey Kong Land

While the level environments and themes are the same as Donkey Kong Country 3, the level designs are all unique.[6]

Plot

[edit]

A contest has begun with big prizes for the first person who discovers the Lost World. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong have already left to find it, leaving a disgruntled Dixie Kong behind. Deciding to prove herself every bit as capable as them, Dixie partners up with her toddler cousin Kiddy Kong. Baron K. Roolenstein and the Kremling Krew are also searching high and low for the fabled land.

Development

[edit]

Donkey Kong Land 3 was coded by Ian Manders. Manders started at Rare in 1994 with his first project being Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run. The game used the same engine that Robert Harrison wrote from the ground up for Donkey Kong Land 2. Manders said that programming the game was a challenge as he was new to the tighter constraints for which the CPU of the Game Boy allowed.[7]

The game deviates more from its console counterpart Donkey Kong Country 3, if not more than the first game which had new enemies in addition to new scenery and level design. Harrison stated that this was because most of the attention was being made for games for the Nintendo 64 at Rare and that using an existing game engine allowed for more original elements to be made for the game.[7]

On 28 January 2000,[8] less than three years after the game's North American and European releases, Nintendo released an updated Game Boy Color version of the game in Japan. Titled Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong, it was not released outside of Japan. This version is the same as the Game Boy version, but lacks some animations and dialogues.[1] This version was also released on the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan in 2014,[9] and again on the Japanese Nintendo Switch Online service in December 2024.

Reception

[edit]

Donkey Kong Land III received a score of 81.25% at GameRankings based on four reviews.[10] Nintendojo praised the game and awarded it 8.5 out of 10, citing the "brilliantly designed" levels and "impressive" visuals.[11] Nintendo Life gave the Virtual Console re-release 9 out of 10.[12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "'Donkey Kong Land 3'". NinDB. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  2. ^ "Nintendo - Customer Service / Game List". Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  3. ^ Life, Nintendo (February 26, 2015). "Nintendo Download: 26th February (North America)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  4. ^ Life, Nintendo (October 27, 2014). "Nintendo Download: 30th October (Europe)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  5. ^ ssf1991 (December 4, 2024). "Donkey Kong Land 3 available for Switch Online members". My Nintendo News. Retrieved December 4, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Donkey Kong Land III – Hardcore Gaming 101". Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Thorpe & Carroll, p. 30.
  8. ^ "Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong for GBC". Gamespot.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
  9. ^ "Software: Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong and Dixie Kong". Archived from the original on November 3, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  10. ^ "Donkey Kong Land III". GameRankings. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  11. ^ Segers, Andre. "Donkey Kong Land 3". Nintendojo. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  12. ^ Frear, Dave (October 31, 2014). "Donkey Kong Land IIII". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on November 23, 2015. Retrieved November 22, 2015.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong (ドンキーコングGB ディンキーコング&ディクシーコング, Donkī Kongu Jī Bī: Dinkī Kongu & Dikushī Kongu)

Sources

[edit]
  • Thorpe, Nick; Carroll, Martyn. "30 Years of the Game Boy". Retro Gamer. No. 196.
[edit]
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