ULTIMATE GUIDE DONKEY KONG 3

To say that Donkey Kong 3 deviated from the first two games would be an understatement of gorilla-sized proportions. The platforming antics were out, replaced by an unsubtle shooter where newcomer Stanley has to blast waves of insects and repel Donkey Kong (who’s randomly descending the screen on vines, because DK does what he wants basically). Some have labelled it the ‘unkong’ game, on account of it intentionally disrupting a winning formula, and not necessarily for the better.

Second-guessing designer Shigeru Miyamoto is a foolish endeavour, but let’s consider that was primarily sold as a conversion kit for existing Nintendo cabs. If an arcade operator was looking to refresh a tired machine would they want another platformer? And if they did, Miyamoto had that. The tactic seemed to work. When the game debuted at the AMOA (Amusement & Music Operators Association) trade show in New Orleans in October 1983, Gene Lewin of the industry mag recommended it as a “good investment” for arcade operators. “When converted, looks just like a brand-new game,” he wrote. “So much for the idea that conversions mean inferior games.” He did have one reservation though. “It has three scenes, but they are not as different from each other as they were in the earlier games.”