Stafy 3, considered by many as the peak of the series. Co-op with Kyorosuke added, richer levels. A Japanese release that deserves worldwide recognition.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player3+
Description
Third installment of the Densetsu no Stafy platform series, developed by TOSE and published by Nintendo in Japan in August 2004. Stafy and his cousin Starly - playable in co-op - explore nine aquatic and land worlds threatened by the villain Ogura. Two-player co-op via link cable, new costume transformations that alter abilities, original bosses and unlockable illustration gallery. The most complete installment of the GBA trilogy.
Densetsu no Stafy 3 review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
The arrival of a second playable figure changes the composition of every screen: two silhouettes, close but distinct, one yellow and one pink, must stay readable together, and the levels are redrawn to leave room for both. The scenery gains depth through more worked middle planes that heighten the sense of immersion.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
Third entry in the Stafy sub series, kept strictly Japanese until the late Nintendo Switch Online release, which makes it for the Western market a collector piece with no localised physical alternative. Nintendo rigid case with a Japanese obi marked Densetsu no Stafy 3 and a pastel cover specific to the franchise. Japan run was modest, and a complete copy with intact obi stays a target piece for Nintendo TOSE collectors mapping the saga before the DS migration.
An underrated gem
The peak of the trilogy, this third entry adds co-op with cousin Starly and nine worlds bursting with ideas. Its stubborn Japan-only status kept it off Western radars until a late fan translation. For anyone who loves generous, inventive platforming, it's an unjustly overlooked culmination of the series.
Is Densetsu no Stafy 3 still worth playing in 2026?
Never released outside Japan, Densetsu no Stafy 3 stands as the peak of a Nintendo platform series brimming with charm. The pacing breaks the adventure into short polished stages, the addition of Kyorosuke as a co op partner brings real attack variation and the dry humor writing of the series gains real confidence. The aquatic and ground controls are exemplary in their smoothness for a 2004 title. Recommended to anyone fond of cute yet demanding platformers and not put off by the language barrier.
