Donkey Kong Country 3 - Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (USA)
Super Nintendo (SNES)
🇬🇧🇫🇷
Reviewed in 1996
88
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✪ Reviewed on April 16, 2025
82
A more laid back third DKC, sometimes less inspired than the second but packed with level design ideas. Dixie and Kiddy steal the show.
Your verdict
Category
Platformer1 player3+
Description
Third episode of the trilogy with Dixie and Kiddy Kong rescuing Donkey and Diddy from the Kremlings. Published by Nintendo, released in North America in 1996. New playable characters including the slower but stronger Kiddy Kong, lakes and forests to explore, Banana Birds to collect for the true ending and an enchanting aquatic soundtrack by David Wise. Conclusion of the DKC trilogy on Super Nintendo.
Donkey Kong Country 3 - Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
Nordic landscapes, autumnal lands and inventive machinery broaden the series' visual palette still further. The pre-rendered settings gain in variety and surprising detail. This graphic generosity, colourful and polished, closes the Rare trilogy with fine mastery.
Still carried by David Wise's inventiveness, the entry blends aquatic atmospheres, electronic rhythms and melodic themes of great gentleness. Each world has its own sonic colour, underlining the richness of the exploration. This discreet elegance, sometimes underrated, magnificently completes the trilogy.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Roaming a map dotted with hidden passages and side challenges fleshes out a platforming adventure more exploratory than its predecessors. The Dixie-Kiddy duo and the animal buddies vary the sensations in every stage. A touch less inspired in its theme, it makes up for it with a density of content and pinpoint handling that still hold up beautifully.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Exploring a vast world dotted with secrets and hidden zones, accompanied by baby Kiddy with complementary abilities: this third entry bets on exploration and inventiveness. The levels teem with ideas and the bonus hunt rewards curiosity. Gorgeous, clever and generous, it closes the trilogy with a richness that grips for hours, pad in hand.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Exploring an open world by running through finely crafted levels and collecting coins and secret bears sustains a tenacious quest for completion. Each zone hides a boss, a shortcut, or an item to track down—reason enough to keep exploring without pause. Less memorable than its predecessors, it still holds a generosity of content that keeps you around for a long while.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Exploring Kremisphere's lakes and forests offers far more than a straight run: tracking down every Banana Bird hidden across secret caves is required for the true ending, while bonus coins and hidden levels swell the completion count. Kiddy and Dixie unlock separate paths, and the overworld's brothers' puzzles add another layer. That surprisingly deep hunt makes it the trilogy's most demanding entry to fully finish, sustaining its underrated reputation.
Technical info
💾3 MB📅18/11/1996
Published by Nintendo
Donkey Kong Country 3 - Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (SNES) price, value & rarity
The US NTSC SNES version of Donkey Kong Country 3, the final Rare entry in the trilogy, released in late 1996 as North American attention was already shifting to the Nintendo 64. The US printing, later than the first two DKC games, stays reasonably common but is harder to source in flawless CIB. Desirability rests on the Rare trilogy completion effect and on its status as the studio's 16-bit swan song on the American market.
Is Donkey Kong Country 3 - Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! still worth playing in 2026?
Donkey Kong Country 3 hands the adventure to Dixie and Kiddy in a calmer, more puzzle leaning frame. The boat hub, the many Banana Bird mini quests and the abundance of secrets shift the pace compared with DKC2. The pastel palette and Eveline Fischer's soundtrack give the game a softer, distinct identity. Less explosive than the second but more contemplative, this chapter rewards curiosity. Recommended for fans who love DKC for its design more than its fury.
