The third DK is also the most different: a pest shooter more than a platformer. Stanley the gardener replaces Mario. Enjoyable in its uniqueness, but not the most memorable entry.
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Category
Arcade1 player3+
Description
Third Donkey Kong entry featuring gardener Stanley battling DK in a garden. Published by Nintendo, released in the USA in 1986. Stanley spraying insects to make DK descend from his vine and original gameplay. Third Donkey Kong on NES.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
Third official entry in the Donkey Kong NES trilogy, with Stanley the gardener replacing Mario, the least played and least loved of the trio at launch. That reputation thinned its circulation versus the first two, paradoxically making it the hardest to complete for anyone assembling the boxed trilogy. The complete price reflects this end-of-series role within an iconic Nintendo collection.
Is Donkey Kong 3 still worth playing in 2026?
The third entry in the arcade trilogy, Donkey Kong 3 swaps Mario for the gardener Stanley, who fends off Donkey Kong and his insects with bug spray on fixed vertical screens. The change of formula, closer to shooting than platforming, disorients but keeps a retro arcade charm. The concept stays repetitive and less memorable than its predecessors. A historical curiosity for fans of Nintendo arcade and completists of the Donkey Kong trilogy.
