Donkey Kong Land (series)

The Donkey Kong Land series is an 8-bit video-game sub-series in the Donkey Kong series, created by Rareware for the Game Boy systems. The series' three games star Donkey Kong, along with other members of the Kong clan, Diddy, Dixie, and Kiddy, who travel through numerous levels in order to defeat King K. Rool and his aliases. The series was inspired by the Donkey Kong Country series, a 16-bit series of games. Because of this, the Donkey Kong Land games share much of the same characters, plots, and music as the latter series. Additionally, every game in the Donkey Kong Country series, excluding the Nintendo Wii game by Retro Studios, Donkey Kong Country Returns, has had a Donkey Kong Land game released alongside it, making the two series more closely related.

Currently, every game in the series can be played on a Super Game Boy, where they all have different special borders.

Donkey Kong Land
The first installment in the Donkey Kong Land series is Donkey Kong Land, created for the Game Boy in 1995. Unlike other Donkey Kong Land games, this game features less similarities to it Donkey Kong Country prequel. While some music and enemies are similar, the game's levels and environments are completely new. While this true, however, the game lacks several features seen in its Super Nintendo prequel, such as the presence of the level names in the game, which can only be found in the manual for Donkey Kong Land. Donkey Kong's Hand Slap move is also absent in this game. The game's story is an addition to the story in Donkey Kong Country; Cranky Kong believes that the apes' latest adventure in Donkey Kong Country was only popular because of "fancy graphics," so the two heroes set out on a second journey on an 8-bit system, where they return the Banana Hoard from King K. Rool again, to prove him wrong.
 * Year Released – 1995
 * System – Game Boy

When playing the game on a Super Game Boy, the game is shown with a special jungle-themed border.

Donkey Kong Land 2
The second installment in the Donkey Kong Land series is Donkey Kong Land 2, another game created for the Game Boy in 1996. Unlike Donkey Kong Land, this game features many similarities to its 16-bit prequel, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. The game features the same level names, enemies, music, and characters as Donkey Kong Country 2, although some of the more complex enemies, such as Kackles, do not appear. Some world maps are also redesigned, and the Team-up move introduced in Donkey Kong Country 2 is absent. Nonetheless, the game features completely different level overviews. Donkey Kong Land 2 stars both Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong, who travel to the top of Crocodile Isle to rescue Donkey Kong, the damsel in distress, from the clutches of King K. Rool, in his Kaptain K. Rool alias.
 * Year Released – 1996
 * System – Game Boy

When playing the game on a Super Game Boy, the game is shown with a special banana-themed border.

Donkey Kong Land III
The third and final installment to the Donkey Kong Land series is Donkey Kong Land III, designed for the Game Boy in 1997. Like the previous games in the series, Donkey Kong Land III features many similarities to its 16-bit prequel, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!. The game shares the similar music, characters, and enemies, although the use of vehicles, such as the Motor Boat, is absent. Additionally, the Kongs' Team-up move is no longer present as it was in Donkey Kong Country 3, and the game features completely new levels and areas. Donkey Kong Land III features a different storyline as well, where Dixie Kong and her cousin, Kiddy Kong, set out to find the Lost World.
 * Year Released – 1997
 * System – Game Boy

On January 28, 2000, the game was released in Japan on the Game Boy Color under the name, Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong. Although the game is exactly the same as the English versions of Donkey Kong Land III, the game is in full color. A few small changes have also been made, such as the world maps no longer being animated.

When playing the game on a Super Game Boy, the game is shown with a special clock-themed border.