"It's really not that bad"

Hows it goin' everyone? Just to let you know, this is my 2nd review written for Gamefaqs. I hope I did good!

Introduction- Donkey Kong Country 3. The third and final game in the DKC series on SNES. I really don't understand why everyone hates it that much, it's really not that bad. On to the review.

Graphics
The graphics are slightly improved over the last 2 games, but nothing much new. They're still great, however, as it's one of the best looking games on Super NES. Everything from the bristles on Bristles to Karbine's bazooka is very detailed. Graphics rating-9

Control
The game plays well and the control is very responsive and tight. However, some of the moves (like Kiddie's water skip or team throwing to the right place) can get hard to do. Not saying the control is bad, though. Control Rating-8

Story
The story is just more of the same, except this time, instead of Kong's banana hoard or Kong himself, both Diddy and Kong are kidnapped. You have to save them. The banana birds put a nice twist into it, though. Story rating-7

Gameplay
You play as either Dixie(from DKC2) or Kiddie( a new addition to the Kong family, Funky found him chewing on a tire ^_^). There's 'team throw', where Dixie can throw Kiddie into cracks in the ground to break them, or Kiddie can throw Dixie up to high, otherwise inaccessable, places.
Some of your allies are Funky, who can make you vehicles from parts you find by beating bosses, Wrinkly, who saves your game and holds your Banana birds, and the Bear Brothers, who like to trade objects, and Swanky, who lets you play his game. You have to hit targets that pop up. You get this cool view with it, behind the Kongs. You play against Cranky, the old guy from DKC;), and if you win, you walk out with prizes(bananas, bear coins). I have a complaint, though-Why did they take out Diddy?? He was my favorite Kong. Ah well, Dixie's still fun to play. She has a helicopter spin where she glides through the air with her hair. About Kiddie, Kiddie plays alot like Kong. He has a powerful roll attack, but falls behind Dixie in most areas.
Gameplay rating-8

Sound
Alright, the music really isn't that great. It's okay, but lacks the catchiness of the tunes in DKC 1&2. The sound effects are executed perfectly. It's funny, the noise a Kremling makes when you kill it. ONK!! Sound rating-7

Challenge
To the guy that said DKC2 was harder than this- I disagree. This is the hardest DKC game by far. There's even a level where the play control gets reversed!! Collecting everything and completing all 103% took me quite a while. Hardcore players might like this game for the challenge, Casual players would like DKC2 better, as it's not as challenging, and occasional players would like DKC the best, as it's the easiest game in the series. Challenge rating-9

Replay Value
Once you beat it, you might not want to come back for more. It lacks the fun levels that are fun even if you beat them 1000 times that the first 2 games had. Replay Value rating-7

Design
(I made this new section up, I'll probably use it in future reviews). OK, my new section, design. This is where I discuss the level design. DKC3 could really use some improvement here. Remember in DKC2 when you were in gloomy gulch, the haunted forest? Or in DKC when you were in Snow Barrel Blast? Well those level really gave me the feeling that I was playing in a haunted forest, ghosts and all or snow capped mountain in a blizzard at 10 degrees below zero. The levels in DKC3 lacked that feeling. Say you're playing in one of the canyon levels. It really lacks the feeling that you're 500 feet up in the air, one wrong move and you fall to your death. That's how I wanted it to feel. The design (and the music) were the main reasons I liked the first 2 games better. Design rating-5

Rent or buy?
If you liked the first 2 games, then I suggest you go out and buy this now. If you're not sure, then go out and rent a copy. If you like it, be sure to get it's better prequels.

Conclusion
Some people might be under the impression that I hate this game because of the few flaws. Well that is definitely not how I feel. It didn't live up to DKC 1&2, but it was still 100X better than any other 2-d platformer out there!(except for Yoshi's Island, of course ^_^)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/23/01, Updated 03/23/01