Donkey Kong Land III (1997) | Nintendo Original Classic Game Boy Game

Explore Donkey Kong Land III, the 1997 Game Boy platformer from Rare and Nintendo. Play as Dixie and Kiddy Kong through challenging levels, hidden bonus stages, animal companions, and memorable boss battles.

Donkey Kong Land III (1997) – Game Boy Review

Donkey Kong Land III is a side-scrolling platform game released for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1997. Developed by Rare and published by Nintendo, it serves as the handheld counterpart to Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! on the Super Nintendo. Rather than being a direct copy of the SNES game, it offers its own levels, enemies, and challenges while keeping the familiar Donkey Kong gameplay fans enjoyed on home consoles.

This adventure follows Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong as they set out across a series of islands in search of the mysterious Lost World. Along the way, they face dangerous terrain, hidden secrets, and the returning Kremling army. Despite the limitations of the original Game Boy hardware, Rare managed to create a surprisingly large platforming experience packed with exploration and collectibles.

The game stands out for its detailed environments, varied stage themes, and impressive technical achievement on a handheld system. Players travel through forests, waterfalls, mountains, factories, and other unique locations while uncovering bonus areas and collecting hidden items. It remains one of the most ambitious platformers released for the Game Boy during its era.

Years after its original launch, Donkey Kong Land III was re-released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console and later became available through Nintendo's retro game services, making it easier for modern players to revisit this portable classic.

How to Play

The goal is to guide Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong through a series of platforming stages spread across multiple regions. Each level is filled with enemies, hazards, moving platforms, and hidden paths that require careful timing and exploration.

Players can switch between the two characters at almost any time. Dixie is lighter and can use her spinning ponytail to slow her descent, making difficult jumps easier. Kiddy is larger and stronger, allowing him to break certain obstacles and interact differently with the environment. Learning when to use each Kong is an important part of progressing through the game.

Throughout the adventure, you'll collect bananas, find hidden bonus rooms, and gather the K-O-N-G letters scattered across levels. Secret areas are often tucked behind walls, above visible paths, or hidden inside bonus barrels, rewarding players who take the time to explore.

Several stages also feature animal friends that provide unique abilities. These companions can help players reach hidden locations, move through difficult sections, or deal with enemies more effectively.

Each world ends with a boss battle that tests the skills learned throughout previous stages. As the difficulty increases, levels become more complex, introducing tougher platforming sequences and more dangerous obstacles.

Gameplay Features

Play as Dixie and Kiddy Kong

The game's two playable characters offer different strengths. Dixie excels at precision platforming thanks to her hover ability, while Kiddy provides power and can tackle certain obstacles more directly.

Diverse Level Themes

Every region introduces a different visual style and set of challenges. From dense forests and snowy mountains to industrial areas and rivers, the environments remain varied throughout the adventure.

Hidden Secrets and Bonus Areas

Exploration plays a major role. Many stages contain hidden bonus games, secret routes, collectible items, and optional challenges that encourage replaying levels.

Animal Helpers

Animal companions return to assist the Kongs in selected stages. Their special abilities add variety to the gameplay and can reveal shortcuts or hidden collectibles.

World Map Progression

Players travel across a large overworld map, unlocking new locations and stages as they advance through the game.

Controls

Game Boy Controls

• D-Pad – Move left or right, climb, and crouch
• A Button – Jump
• B Button – Run, pick up, throw, and interact with objects
• Select – Switch between Dixie and Kiddy when both are available
• Start – Pause the game

Desktop Controls

• Arrow Keys – Move left or right, climb, and crouch
• Z – Jump
• X – Run, pick up, throw, and interact with objects
• Start – Pause / Play the game

Basic Actions

• Jump across platforms and gaps
• Defeat enemies by jumping on them
• Pick up and throw barrels
• Enter barrel cannons to launch across stages
• Collect bananas, bonus coins, and K-O-N-G letters
• Discover hidden areas and bonus levels

Why Donkey Kong Land III Still Holds Up

What makes Donkey Kong Land III memorable is how much content it delivers on a handheld system. The level design is larger and more exploratory than many Game Boy platformers, and the combination of hidden secrets, character abilities, and varied environments keeps the adventure engaging from start to finish.

While it lacks the graphical detail of its SNES counterpart, it successfully captures the spirit of the Donkey Kong Country series. For players who enjoy classic platformers with plenty of collectibles and exploration, Donkey Kong Land III remains one of the stronger entries in the Game Boy library.