Donkey Kong Land III

Donkey Kong Land III is a platforming adventure game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. Released in the mid-to-late 1990s, it brought a portable take on the Donkey Kong Country formula to Nintendo's handheld system.

In Donkey Kong Land III, you take control of either Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong as they embark on a quest to find Cranky Kong, who has disappeared while investigating the nefarious Kremlings and their leader, King K. Rool. The game features a world map where you select levels, offering a degree of non-linear exploration. Once in a level, you'll run, jump, and roll across platforms, defeat enemies by bouncing on them or throwing barrels, and swing on vines to cross gaps. You can switch between Donkey and Diddy Kong on the fly, using Donkey's strength to break certain obstacles or Diddy's agility for faster movement.

Distinctive elements in Donkey Kong Land III include the use of animal buddies, who grant special abilities to help you overcome specific challenges. For instance, Squitter the spider can create web platforms to reach new areas, and Enguarde the swordfish allows for rapid movement and attacks through underwater stages. The game also introduces a more persistent world structure with secrets to uncover beyond simply reaching the end of each stage, encouraging thorough exploration of its colorful, handheld-optimized environments.