This is another under the radar gem, this game was the third and final sequel in the classic Donkey Kong run. I know this is a bizarre entry that doesn't exactly follow suit with the other two, but as I've said before this game came out at a time before sequels to just about anything had set rules. When you look at the classic Donkey Kong franchise it is rather colorful as each entry was always different, like the second sequel that game retained the same point A to B contained platform action format but with a much different approach.
This third sequel isn't a platform actioner but a shooter, yes like I said didn't want to follow suit instead wanted to change genres. Personally, I'm fine with that because they didn't want to have too much of the same thing, yeah, it's true they could of sticked to the genre the franchise is best known for, but it would have just been too much the same game just in a different dress.
It's true this game wasn't a big hit like the first two, this game could of easily of been another stand-alone game from Nintendo could have called it "Bug Zapper", or at least something that fits its theme and the person coming down wouldn't of been Donkey Kong but you could of made it a giant Spider like Shelob from "The Lord of the Rings". I don't know that could also have been a tough sell but either way I fine with this game because of one important thing it does which is being fun.
It sort of makes sense they switched it up not just to do something different but back then the space shooter games were a very big thing back in the 80's. Though here this isn't a shooter set in space but on Earth, which I like something different and here you're not shooting at invading aliens but invading bugs along with Donkey Kong that want to invade your green house for some weird reason. I like that you're not a ship, but a gardener named Stanley who is just simply protecting his green house.
The graphical presentation is very good as usual as it's the kind of presentation you'd expect from "Nintendo" with it's colorfulness but also Saturday Morning cartoon liveliness. There is a decent number of enemies, from your main villain Donkey Kong but also his minions where are killer man-eating hornets.
Evil oversized caterpillars who are kind of the blockers because when you spray them their stunned, only with the enhanced spray you can wipe them out for good.
Giant mosquitoes those are the tough ones to look out for as they not just two hit kill enemies but when destroyed they shoot out tiny mosquitoes in spread formation, the safe zone is the middle.
You really have a dark death in the game, if you get nailed by any of the bugs they just come down and eat you till there's nothing left, I'll admit seeing that just motivated me to keep alive in the game.
This game can be very frantic as there is just so much you need to constantly pay attention to and just a very narrow amount of time of doing. You are constantly trying to defend your flowers from being taken by the bugs that are just coming at you in all different directions, keeping Donkey Kong from dropping in on you, all while trying to survive doing it all. You have this platform pyramid which has three platforms bottom, middle, and top, this was a unique feature at the time because it gives and makes you constantly switch to offense and defense, which you need to do all the time as that swarm and Donkey Kong constantly come at you along with your plants.
Really like that the formatting of the stages which are different from each other, which means a new challenge to adjust and contend with. With the first stage you have all platforms whole, the second your mid platform is broken up. Stage three is the showdown with "Donkey Kong", you only have two platforms to work with and up and you have two obstacles to deal with from a network of vines which caterpillar's crawl and Donkey Kong throwing coconuts at you.
There is one power up which is the bug spray upgrade which gives you spray a longer range and more powerful kick; however this only lasts for a temporary amount of time so don't pull any punches or waste time in its use.
Overall, it's a good sequel in my book, if not the best sequel let along final entry but at least it wasn't a bad final entry unlike most others in franchises. Like most video game sequels may or may not be your type of flower, it's at least worth a sniff.
Rating: 3 stars.
This third sequel isn't a platform actioner but a shooter, yes like I said didn't want to follow suit instead wanted to change genres. Personally, I'm fine with that because they didn't want to have too much of the same thing, yeah, it's true they could of sticked to the genre the franchise is best known for, but it would have just been too much the same game just in a different dress.
It's true this game wasn't a big hit like the first two, this game could of easily of been another stand-alone game from Nintendo could have called it "Bug Zapper", or at least something that fits its theme and the person coming down wouldn't of been Donkey Kong but you could of made it a giant Spider like Shelob from "The Lord of the Rings". I don't know that could also have been a tough sell but either way I fine with this game because of one important thing it does which is being fun.
It sort of makes sense they switched it up not just to do something different but back then the space shooter games were a very big thing back in the 80's. Though here this isn't a shooter set in space but on Earth, which I like something different and here you're not shooting at invading aliens but invading bugs along with Donkey Kong that want to invade your green house for some weird reason. I like that you're not a ship, but a gardener named Stanley who is just simply protecting his green house.
The graphical presentation is very good as usual as it's the kind of presentation you'd expect from "Nintendo" with it's colorfulness but also Saturday Morning cartoon liveliness. There is a decent number of enemies, from your main villain Donkey Kong but also his minions where are killer man-eating hornets.
Evil oversized caterpillars who are kind of the blockers because when you spray them their stunned, only with the enhanced spray you can wipe them out for good.
Giant mosquitoes those are the tough ones to look out for as they not just two hit kill enemies but when destroyed they shoot out tiny mosquitoes in spread formation, the safe zone is the middle.
You really have a dark death in the game, if you get nailed by any of the bugs they just come down and eat you till there's nothing left, I'll admit seeing that just motivated me to keep alive in the game.
This game can be very frantic as there is just so much you need to constantly pay attention to and just a very narrow amount of time of doing. You are constantly trying to defend your flowers from being taken by the bugs that are just coming at you in all different directions, keeping Donkey Kong from dropping in on you, all while trying to survive doing it all. You have this platform pyramid which has three platforms bottom, middle, and top, this was a unique feature at the time because it gives and makes you constantly switch to offense and defense, which you need to do all the time as that swarm and Donkey Kong constantly come at you along with your plants.
Really like that the formatting of the stages which are different from each other, which means a new challenge to adjust and contend with. With the first stage you have all platforms whole, the second your mid platform is broken up. Stage three is the showdown with "Donkey Kong", you only have two platforms to work with and up and you have two obstacles to deal with from a network of vines which caterpillar's crawl and Donkey Kong throwing coconuts at you.
There is one power up which is the bug spray upgrade which gives you spray a longer range and more powerful kick; however this only lasts for a temporary amount of time so don't pull any punches or waste time in its use.
Overall, it's a good sequel in my book, if not the best sequel let along final entry but at least it wasn't a bad final entry unlike most others in franchises. Like most video game sequels may or may not be your type of flower, it's at least worth a sniff.
Rating: 3 stars.
