. I want to look at some of the amazing aspects of this game. DKC3 did a lot of things that helped it stand out and refine it's gameplay, yet those aspects are rarely ever talked about. Here are some examples:- Bonus rooms: In DKC, the bonus rooms were too cryptic and finding them didn't reward you with anything in the end. DKC2 changed that and made it's bonus rooms a bit more logical to find, and rewarded the player with an extra world in the end. However, fully completing DKC2 is a very different experience from just playing through the game normally. You still have to check hidden walls, and some DK Coins are hidden in extremely strange places as well. DKC3 refined this system by having each level only contain 2 Bonus Barrels (except for those in Krematoa) and having one before and one after the Star Barrel. While I admit that a lot of DK Coins in DKC3 are too easy to find, I'd rather have them be too easy to find so a 103% playthrough can be done more casually.
Atmosphere: DKC3 nails it's atmosphere, and I believe that's one of it's biggest strengths. A lot of people like to say that DKC3 doesn't have a theme, but it does: nature. I can understand why fans of the original DKC might be disappointed with that, since the first game also focuses on nature, but there's enough in DKC3 to differentiate it from the first game. Since it's the third game in the trilogy, by this point the devs knew how to make their games look GOOD, and I mean extremely good, on the SNES. Just look at the background in Lakeside Limbo! The music also helps a lot with the presentation. "DKC3 is way too childish! Where's the epic adventure like in DKC2?" → DKC3 never tried to be an epic adventure, so this criticism is like saying DKC2 sucks because of how different it is to the first game. The music might not be as catchy as Wise's tracks, but you can't deny that it perfectly fits. Plus, if you don't like the SNES soundtrack, just play the GBA version! By the way, there's one aspect of the atmosphere that I have yet to see anyone talking about. That would be:
Water: DKC3 is the first game to implement water into non-water stages. Sure, DKC2 had dry sections in it's ship hold levels, but those were still water levels first and foremost. DKC3 has flooded caves, riverbank levels where you switch between running and swimming, the iconic lakeside levels, and pipelines flooded with whatever chemicals K. Roolenstein dumped in there
. Waterfall levels are also themed around water, although you can't swim in it here. The GBA version also adds a tree level which takes place underwater! DKC3's huge focus on implementing water was an amazing choice, and one that is sadly overlooked by many people.Secret codes: While not game-changing, the secret codes you can enter are a sweet cherry on top. You can change the color of Dixie and Kiddy to purple and green, can make the game harder, access the sound test, make the game autosave after each level, be rewarded all Bonus Coins, and: make the bonus rooms Christmas-themed! "Jangle Bells" is really nice to listen to, and the altered collectibles and jingles make the "MERRY" code stand out as well.
Saving anytime: Not much to say about this change, it's obviously an improvement over the last two games.
Dynamic duo: Dixie and Kiddy are a better team than Diddy and Dixie, and I will die on that hill. Diddy and Dixie both already played different, with Diddy being for more experienced/faster players while Dixie allows for more control. In DKC3, Dixie is for control, while Kiddy is for power and speed. While Dixie and Kiddy have the same speed, Kiddy's roll is significantly better, he holds barrels in front of him and he can bounce on water. If I recall correctly, Dixie is only slightly faster when walking (not running, but walking) and on ropes, but most levels don't feature ropes anyway. You have to strategize more with who you use, because Dixie throwing Kiddy is a whole different story from Kiddy throwing Dixie. Kiddy can throw Dixie to reach out of reach places, while Dixie can make Kiddy smash through the floor, or throw him against the wall, jump on him and ride him like a steel barrel! While this move isn't that useful in many levels, it's still really fun to do nonetheless.
I could spend hours talking about why I love this game so much, and there are still so many aspects I haven't talked about, like the Brothers Bear or the Banana Birds! What are your favorite aspects of DKC3?
