Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is the third game in the popular Donkey Kong Country game series. It is the sequel to Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. It also has a semi-sequel for the Game Boy, Donkey Kong Land III, as well another sequel, Donkey Kong Country Returns, for the Wii. The game stars Dixie Kong and her little cousin, Kiddy Kong, as they travel through the numerous lands of the Northern Kremisphere in order to rescue Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong from the Kremling Krew and their new leader, KAOS.

A remake of the game was released for the Game Boy Advance on November 7, 2005 with new features, most noticeably six new stages and an all-new soundtrack designed for the Game Boy Advance sound system. Also, on December 24, 2007, the game was released on the Virtual Console for the Wii in North America. On December 25, it was released in Europe and Australia.

Storyline
Months after the defeat of the Kremling Krew, the Kongs are still celebrating. Both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, with Dixie Kong occasionally joining them, often sit around the beach on hammocks with banana shakes. One day, however, Dixie Kong, surprisingly finds Diddy's room deserted. Knowing that it wasn't normal for him to be gone so early, she notices a note from Diddy on the table. After reading the note, she learns that the two had gone to the islands to explore. Dixie searches for them, expecting them to be no farther than the beach.

Searching all day, Dixie does not find the two Kongs, thinking that she had just followed one of their schemes. Hoping that they were having fun, she goes to sleep, but only wakes up to find that Diddy is still missing. Dixie begins to worry as days pass without her seeing a trace of the two apes. Knowing that she needs to do something, Dixie heads to Wrinkly Kong. She suggests that the monkeys are with Funky Kong at his beach shop. After Wrinkly teaches Dixie about Banana Birds, the young ape heads out to find Funky's Rentals. At the rental shop, Dixie meets Funky, who explains that he has not had any customers other than Kiddy Kong. Dixie decides to bring Kiddy along with her, as she goes on a search for the missing Kongs. Funky allows them to use his Motor Boat, which they use to search for Donkey and Diddy Kong.

The monkeys use their new boat to travel a short way off the ocean to a small lake called Lake Orangatanga. Here, they travel through mills, by the lakesides, and in the snowy peaks. The Kongs also meet Barnacle (or Bachelor in the Game Boy Advance version) on a small island in the middle. If the Kongs search, they can even find the Smuggler's Cove, where a precious Banana Bird lies. At the most southeastern point of the lake, the monkeys find Belcha, a giant barrel who resides in a large, oblong-shaped barn. Once he is defeated, a cannon shoots the apes out of Belcha's Barn and sends them to the next area.

After defeating Belcha, Dixie and Kiddy enter a dark forest known as the Kremwood Forest. Through here, they travel through several areas in the trees, mills, and riversides. The monkeys gain a Banana Bird when they beat Brash's record in Riverside Race. At the edge of the forest, the apes encounter a giant spider named Arich in his hollow hole in a tree. With the help of barrels, the monkeys soon defeat Arich, leaving the Kongs with a patch. The monkeys head over to Funky Kong to see if the patch can be made of any good use.

After giving the patch to Funky, he fixes up a Hover Craft for the apes to use. The Hover Craft allows to heroes to ride over rocks, thus allowing them to travel farther into the Northern Kremisphere. The duo make their way into Cotton-Top Cove with the new vehicle. In the cove, the heroes meet the Brothers Bear, Blue, who is depressed because nobody has come to his birthday party. However, the apes are unable to cheer him up at the time and they continue, where they head through a few lakes and waterfalls. They also travel across a lake shore, which is infested with Klasps. Eventually, rocks blocking the way behind a waterfall sink into the water, and the two apes are able to meet the new boss, Squirt. Once he is defeated, the heroes obtain a ski, although it doesn't have any use to Funky Kong.

Still searching for Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, the monkeys head to a small, polluted island known as Mekanos. They travel through many factories in this area, as well as some pipelines. They even head up a tree that is being chopped down. The duo also meet Bazooka. The bear, if given ammunition, shoots the apes to a Banana Bird Cave. Eventually, the monkeys make it to a small building, where they meet KAOS, the supposed leader of the Kremlings. After they beat the robot, they find another ski, but neither Donkey Kong nor Diddy Kong. With both skis in hand, they head to Funky Kong, who uses the items to build a Turbo Ski. The new vehicle allows Dixie and Kiddy to travel over waterfalls.

The Kongs soon arrive in K3 on their search for the missing apes. After they climb to the top of this snow-capped mountain, they face harsh snow storms; they even have to travel through a waterfall. After traveling through a dangerous factory, they find a bear, Blizzard, in a small basecamp covered in snow. Helping him out, they deliver a present from him to another Brothers Bear, and then they head over to the one of the highest parts of the mountain, where they meet the evil snowman, Bleak. Even after defeating him, however, the apes do not find Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong; they head on to new areas.

They arrive next at Razor Ridge, a mountainous area filled with many caverns. After passing through one of its caves with the help of Quawks the Parrot, the apes meet Benny, who lets them use his chairlift to progress. On the other side of Razor Ridge, the two monkeys meet Björn, the brother of Benny who also runs a chairlift. Although his lifts are broken, he can fix them if he is given a wrench. The lifts help the heroes reach a Banana Bird Cave. Heading on, Dixie and Kiddy climb more of the dangerous mountains, and then cross a dark lake. After going through the final cavern and climbing a little higher, they find a lake with the overgrown Lurchin, Barbos (or Kroctopus in the Game Boy Advance remake). Like Bleak, however, she does not have Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong, and the two monkeys head over to the last accessible area, Pacifica.

When the apes first enter this world, they encounter a series of pipes, which they travel through. At the other end of the pipeline, they meet Barnacle, who gives them a Banana Bird if they give him a certain shell. Heading on, the monkeys head over the lake shore and travel through a series of sunken spruce trees find get back on land. After going through a mountainous part of the world, they make their way into a bigger lake than before, where they surpass the rough underwater currents. They soon go through another set of pipes, and then come up to Barbos, a giant Lurchin. With help from Enguarde, the apes defeat this foe, although they still do not find even a trace Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong. However, after the three areas are complete, the way into a new area, known as KAOS Kore, opens.

The apes ride to the area in their fast Turbo Ski, where they find a large castle on the hilltop. Traveling through jungles, caverns, and riversides full of enemies, they soon make it to the hilltop. Before they can get into the castle, though, they go through a poisonous pipeline. The gases in the pipeline make it harder to progress, but luckily, the monkeys eventually arrive at the castle doors and enter the building. There, they meet KAOS again, and the two sides fight. The apes soon destroy the robot once and for all, but right after, a curtain nearby opens, revealing Baron K. Roolenstein. The Kremling becomes angered on how the apes ruined his robot, and the fight with the Kongs continues. The Kremling leader is eventually bested, and Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are finally revealed. It is learned that their energy had been used to power KAOS all along. Even with the two apes rescued however, the monkeys' adventure is still not over.

After riding around the series of rocks around Mekanos, a hidden world, known as Krematoa, rises out of the ocean. When the apes enter this area, they encounter more areas to explore. However, many of the levels are blocked off by large rocks. Because of this barrier, the apes decide to pay Boomer with their hard-earned Bonus Coins to destroy them. As the monkeys go through each of the jungle, mountain, cave, and tree levels in the world, they find several cogs, which they return to Boomer to power up one of his machines. Once all of the cogs are placed in the device, the submarine, Knautilus, rises in the lake in the center of Krematoa. The apes swim to this submarine, only to find Baron K. Roolenstein again. After they fight this enemy, the Kremling leader flees, and the apes are awarded with a DK Coin.

The DK Coin given to them becomes part of their collection of coins. After they earn all of the coins, they head over to Funky Kong, who decides to make a new vehicle for them with the DK Coins. The apes allow him to do so, and he creates a Gyrocopter. As Dixie and Kiddy explore the area in this helicopter, they come up to the Banana Bird Queen, who has been imprisoned by Baron K. Roolenstein. The queen, trapped, asks the heroes to hunt for each of her children, the Banana Birds, who are the only way to break the Banana Bird Barrier. The primates do so and soon head to Wrinkly, where the birds are kept. When they arrive, the birds pick up the two monkeys and lift them up to the Banana Bird Queen's location. With the birds finally united, the queen is freed from her barrier. In exchange for helping her, the Banana Bird Queen chases Baron K. Roolenstein out of the Northern Kremisphere once and for all.

Gameplay
Like the previous installments in the Donkey Kong Country series, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! follows a "tag-team" system. This way, the two playable Kongs follow each other through each level. The monkey in the front of the group is the one in play. If this Kong is hit by an enemy, he or she is injured and runs away from the small group. When this happens, the lone hero must watch out for all obstacles, as if that player is injured, a life is lost. Missing Kongs can be recovered from DK Barrels, but there are only a few of these objects in every level. When one of the heroes are freed from a DK Barrel, he or she goes to the back of the line and follows the other Kong. At this point, the monkey in the back does not go to the front of the line unless the ape in the lead is hit by an enemy, or if the player presses the select button on the controller.

Kong Abilities
The object of the game is to reach the end of every level, however, this cannot be done without the apes using some of their trademark abilities. The two Kongs, Kiddy and Dixie, both have different special abilities, although their basic abilities are mostly the same. Both apes are able to swim, jump, climb, and move. They can use their jumping abilities to defeat enemies or cross gaps, and also use their climbing abilities to maneuver on the game's various ropes. When swimming, however, neither of these moves can be used. Another way to attack on land besides jumping is rolling. The attack can knock foes off of the stage easily, although some enemies, such as Bristles, are almost completely immune to this attack. Additionally, if the apes are to roll off of a ledge and jump in mid air, they preform a super-jump. The duo is also able to balance on moving Steel Kegs, which ram into foes are they ride on it.

As stated before, both apes have different special abilities. The most notable ability, used by Dixie Kong, is the Helicopter Twirl, which Kiddy Kong is unable to perform. This move allows Dixie to propel through the air until she hits the ground. Although Kiddy doesn't have this move, his strength makes up for the loss. He can throw barrels much faster than Dixie, as well as defeat foes that his partner cannot defeat alone. Another advantage Kiddy has is how he holds objects such as barrels. While Dixie holds objects over her head, Kiddy Kong holds them in front of his body, protecting himself. Therefore, if an enemy is to hit into him as he holds an object, it is likely that the attack won't hurt him at all, and it defeats the foe instead. Although not used too often in the game, Kiddy can also jump on water a few times while rolling. This can help the heroes reach high areas atop the water.

There are also some moves that both Kongs are needed to use, such as the Team-up move. When using this move, one monkey picks up the other and puts them on his or her shoulders. Then, they can throw that Kong into enemies or into high areas. Because of Kiddy's weight, Dixie is hardly able to hold the large ape. As a result, she cannot throw him too far. However, if she throws him upwards and lets him fall onto the ground, the toddler can break through the ground and find hidden items. When Kiddy teams up with Dixie and carries her, he is able to easily maneuver around, as he is quite strong. He can also throw her much farther, although she cannot break through the ground. Additionally, when both Kongs are around, Dixie can throw Kiddy into a wall, causing the toddler to bounce back. When this happens, she can jump on him as if he were a Steel Keg and ram into most enemies.

Special Areas
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is filled with various special areas, where the heroes can meet the other Kongs and Brothers Bears around the island to help out.


 * Banana Bird Caves: Each of these caves contain a Banana Bird. However, the only way to get the bird is to hit a series of crystals in the right order.
 * Brothers Bear Cabins: There are several cabins in the game, one for each of the Brothers Bears. In them, the apes can talk to the bears and help them complete a trade to earn Banana Birds.
 * Funky's Rentals: This is where the apes can rent vehicles made by Funky Kong to travel through the Northern Kremisphere. He allows them to use his Motor Boat at the beginning of the game, but after the apes gather up special items for him, he is able to make a Hover Craft, a Turbo Ski, and a Gyrocopter for them to ride in. In the Game Boy Advance remake of the game, Funky hosts Bonus Games with some of those vehicles. If they are all completed, a Banana Bird is earned.
 * Cranky's Dojo: Exclusive to the Game Boy Advance remake, Cranky's Dojo replaces Wrinkly's Save Cave from the original version of the game. The heroes can meet Cranky Kong here and play a special Bonus Game for a Banana Bird at the price of two Bear Coins. The game involves moving Cranky Kong so that he can block the incoming Spinies.
 * Swanky's Dash: Another area exclusive to the Game Boy Advance remake replaces Swanky's Sideshow from the original game. At Swanky's Dash, Dixie Kong can play a Bonus Game for a few Bear Coins, where she must run through a pipeline, avoiding obstacles and trying to collect a certain number of stars. If the Bonus Game is completed, the apes earn some special collectibles.
 * Swanky's Sideshow: This is where the monkeys can play another special Bonus Game, exclusively found in the Super Nintendo version of the game. For a few Bear Coins, the apes can face Cranky here in a ball tossing Bonus Game.
 * Wrinkly's Save Cave: This area, only found in the original version of the game, is where the Kongs' game can be saved. One appears in each word, as well as in the overworld. Wrinkly is always found here, and she is either exercising, playing her Nintendo 64, or sleeping.
 * Wrinkly's Retreat: This area is located just before Funky's Rentals, where Wrinkly resides throughout the game. The Kongs' Banana Birds are kept here.

Items and Objects
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is filled with many different collectibles and objects for the apes to use. Below is a list of the main objects, as well as a brief description on them.

Brothers Bear Items
The game features several items that must be traded between the Brothers Bears in order for the Kongs to collect all of the Banana Birds. They are required to trade if the heroes want to complete their adventure 100%. Note that some items are earned from defeating bosses and do not need to be traded with the bears. Some items must also be traded differently in the Game Boy Advance version. Below shows the items and descriptions on them, as well as what the apes should do with the objects.

Barrels
Various barrels appear throughout the game. They are the main objects in the Donkey Kong Country series, and they have many different purposes. Below is a list of each barrel and a brief description on them.

List of Levels
The game features many levels in which the heroes must travel through to complete the game. The apes have to get to the end of each level, excluding the secret levels in Krematoa, in order to meet Baron K. Roolenstein at Kastle KAOS and rescue Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Every level, excluding boss stages and Rocket Rush, have at least two or three Bonus Levels in them, which are hidden throughout the levels. Note that the following table lists the levels in the original order on the SNES version of the game.

Playable Characters
The game features two main playable characters who team up to save Donkey and Diddy Kong. Below is the two characters and a brief description about them.

Supporting Characters
Many other characters appear in the game to help out the Kongs. Below is a list of these supporting characters and a short description about them.

Animal Buddies
As with every Donkey Kong Country game, Animal Buddies appear to help out the monkeys. Several old friends return in Donkey Kong Country 3, such as Enguarde, Squawks, and Squitter, and several new ones appear, such as Ellie and Parry. Each buddy helps the apes in a different way, but are only found in certain levels. Below shows the game's Animal Buddies, along with their abilities and their first and last level appearances.

Brothers Bears
Throughout the game, the monkeys can find several cabins that are home to Brothers Bears. Most of these bears are facing a certain problem, and the monkeys must trade items with them to help them and earn Banana Birds. The table below shows each of these bears and a description on them.

Normal Enemies
Many different enemies appear in Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, each with different ways of attacking and defeating ways of being defeated. The table below list these enemies, their attacks, and their first and last level appearances.

Bosses
A boss is encountered at the end of each world. Like bosses in other games, they are much stronger than normal enemies and take longer to defeat. The bosses in Donkey Kong Country 3 all have different weaknesses. The table below shows a list of the game's bosses and a brief description on them.

Differences in the GBA Port
There are many differences between the Super Nintendo version and the Game Boy Advance version.


 * Wrinkly Kong is now only located in Wrinkly's Retreat, between Funky's Rentals and Bazaar's General Store. Banana Birds are kept in this area.
 * Cranky's Dojo replaces Wrinkly's Save Cave from the original Donkey Kong Country 3. At the dojo, the Kongs can play a Bonus Game to earn a Banana Bird.
 * The original soundtrack of the game, which is notably darker in tone in most of the levels, has been replaced by a lighter-toned soundtrack composed by David Wise, who composed the soundtrack of the first two Donkey Kong Countries, but only had a limited involvement with the soundtrack of the third on the Super Nintendo, which was in majority composed by Eveline Fischer.
 * The Brother Bear, Barnacle, is relocated to Pacifica, while Bachelor, a new character that only appears in this port, now takes residence in Lake Orangatanga.
 * Anytime after completing Mekanos, the player can visit Bramble to earn a Banana Bird.
 * New objects, such as the box of chocolates, have been added to trade amongst the Brothers Bears. Some items must also be traded differently.
 * Like in the first two Game Boy Advance remakes for the series, the supporting Kongs have Bonus Games for the heroes to complete. Funky Kong has four new Bonus Games, although the types of games available depends on how many vehicles the heroes can rent, while Cranky and Swanky both have a single Bonus Game.
 * Swanky Kong wears the same attire that he wears in Donkey Kong Country 2, unlike in the original, where his outfit is different.
 * The game introduces the new area, Pacifica, which is the seventh world of the game, located between Razor Ridge and KAOS Kore. The world carries six new levels, as well as all new Bonus Level locations.
 * After beating Mekanos and Cotton-Top Cove, the player has the option of playing through either K3, Razor Ridge, or Pacifica to progress, although they all must be completed to beat the game.
 * Barbos has been relocated to Pacifica while Kroctopus, a new boss, now inhabits Razor Ridge.
 * The houses that the Brothers Bears live in, as well as the bears themselves, have been redesigned. Also, the same music is heard in every house and no longer changes according to the bear. (The music piece is also heard in Funky's Rentals, Swanky's Dash, and Wrinkly's Retreat.)
 * There are now five extra Banana Birds to collect, increasing the total to twenty.
 * The game also borrows several elements from Donkey Kong Land III, the original Game Boy counterpart to the Super Nintendo version. These include automatically getting the DK Coin after defeating the Koin.
 * Oddly, Blizzard is now a grizzly bear, as opposed to the original, where he is a polar bear.
 * The boss, Squirt, has more attacks and has been made harder to defeat.
 * When a DK Coin is collected, it tells the player how many more are left.
 * The world maps show a closer view of the Kongs than in the original.
 * When Knautilus is unlocked in the Super Nintendo version, the background of areas in Krematoa turns red. However, this does not happen in the Game Boy Advance version.
 * The final level, Rocket Rush, has an increased difficulty, as red Buzzes damage the Rocket Barrel when touched, and there is no Star Barrel at any point of the stage.
 * The outside of Kastle KAOS is redesigned, and it no longer has a pink glow emitting from its highest tower.

References to Other Games

 * Donkey Kong Country: The game to which Donkey Kong Country 3 is a sequel. It has many similar gameplay elements and items.
 * Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest: A sequel to Donkey Kong Country and another game to which Donkey Kong Country 3 is a sequel. Many items and moves from this game are featured in its sequel.
 * Super Mario 64: Wrinkly Kong is sometimes playing this game, as heard from the Nintendo 64.
 * Donkey Kong 64: Some Kongs first appearing in this game, such as Lanky Kong and Tiny Kong, are seen in Funky's Bonus Games in the Game Boy Advance version.

References in Later Games

 * Donkey Kong Land III: A semi-sequel to Donkey Kong Country 3. It features the same music, level themes, and bosses from Donkey Kong Country 3.
 * Donkey Kong Country: In the Game Boy Advance version, if the player chooses the "One Player Hero" mode when creating a new file, Cranky makes a reference to the game's Banana Birds when he says, "Oh yes, next time you swap costumes, have a look in the mirror before leaving. You look like a banana bird."
 * Donkey Konga 3: Barnacle, a Brothers Bear first appearing in Donkey Kong Country 3, reappears in this game.
 * Donkey Kong Barrel Blast: Kopter, an enemy from Donkey Kong Country 3, appears as a playable character in this game.

Trivia

 * The game was placed 23rd in the 100th issue of Nintendo Power's "100 best Nintendo games of all time" in 1997.