Editing Donkey Kong 3

{{about|the arcade version of ''Donkey Kong 3''|for other uses of the title "Donkey Kong 3"|[[Donkey Kong 3 (disambiguation)]]}}

{{redirect|DK3|the third installment in the "Donkey Konga" series|[[Donkey Konga 3: Tabehōdai! Haru Mogitate 50 Kyoku]]|the microgame from ''[[WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase]]''|[[DK 3]]}}

|release='''Arcade:'''<br>{{release|Japan|October 21, 1983<ref>[https://archive.org/details/game-machine-magazine-19831115p/page/n11/mode/1up ''Game Machine''. November 15, 1983 issue. Page 22.]</ref>|USA|November 1983|Europe|1983}} '''Famicom/NES:'''<br>{{release|Japan|July 4, 1984|USA|June 1986|Europe|September 15, 1987}} '''[[e-Reader]] ([[Game Boy Advance]]):'''<br>{{release|USA|April 21, 2003}}'''[[Virtual Console#Wii|Virtual Console]] ([[Wii]]):'''<br>{{release|USA|July 14, 2008|Japan|July 23, 2008|Europe|January 9, 2009|Australia|January 9, 2009}} '''[[Virtual Console#Nintendo 3DS|Virtual Console]] ([[Nintendo 3DS]]):'''<br>{{release|Japan|March 27, 2013|USA|December 5, 2013|Europe|December 12, 2013|Australia|December 12, 2013|South Korea|July 6, 2016}} '''[[Virtual Console#Wii U|Virtual Console]] ([[Wii U]]):'''<br>{{release|USA|September 26, 2013|Europe|October 24, 2013|Australia|October 24, 2013|Japan|November 6, 2013}} '''[[Nintendo Switch]] (''[[Arcade Archives]]''):'''<br>{{release|Japan|April 5, 2019|USA|April 5, 2019|Europe|April 5, 2019|Australia|April 5, 2019}} '''[[Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online]]:'''<br>{{release|Japan|July 17, 2019|USA|July 17, 2019<ref>[https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1148758737718534145 ''Wrecking Crew'' and ''Donkey Kong 3'' for Nintendo Switch]</ref>|Europe|July 17, 2019|Australia|July 17, 2019|HK|July 17, 2019|South Korea|July 17, 2019}}

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'''''Donkey Kong 3''''' is the third game in the ''[[Donkey Kong (series)|Donkey Kong]]'' arcade series. Unlike its predecessors, ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]'', it does not feature [[Mario]] and instead stars [[Stanley]], having been designed with the [[Game & Watch]] game ''[[Greenhouse]]'' in mind.<ref>[https://www.zeldadungeon.net/wiki/Interview:The_Illustrated_History_of_Electronic_Games An interview with Shigeru Miyamoto from ''The Illustrated History of Electronic Games'', transcribed on ZeldaDungeon] ''As for the Donkey Kong 3, because the game was designed with another game called "Green House" for Game & Watch (Nintendo's early 80s handheld game series) in mind, we decided not to use Mario.''</ref> Functionally an expansion on ''Greenhouse'', the game's approach is closer to a shoot 'em up rather than a platformer, further distinguishing it from the previous ''Donkey Kong'' games.

[[Hudson Soft]] developed a semi-sequel to ''Donkey Kong 3'', titled ''[[Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushū]]'', featuring new levels and gameplay. ''Donkey Kong 3'' was ported to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] under the [[Arcade Classics Series]] of games, came out for the [[e-Reader]] as part of Series Three, along with seeing a [[Virtual Console]] release for the [[Wii]], [[Nintendo 3DS]], and [[Wii U]]. The Japanese and international arcade versions were released under {{wp|Hamster Corporation}}'s ''[[Arcade Archives]]'' brand on the [[Nintendo Switch]]'s [[Nintendo eShop#Nintendo Switch|eShop]] on April 5, 2019.<ref>Brian. (April 2, 2019). [https://nintendoeverything.com/arcade-archives-donkey-kong-3-coming-to-switch-this-week/ Arcade Archives Donkey Kong 3 coming to Switch this week]. ''Nintendo Everything''. Retrieved April 3, 2019.</ref> In addition, an emulation of the NES port exists as an obtainable item in ''[[nookipedia:Animal Crossing (GCN)|Animal Crossing]]''.

The game is very simplistic, requiring the player to gather points as the object rather than have any specific long-term goal in mind. There are three screens per level, and once the player completes all three, they return to the first. Throughout the screens are scattered various enemies: [[Buzzbee]]s, [[Creepy|Creepies]], [[Super Bee]]s, [[Vine Eater]]s, [[Beespy|Beespies]] which shatter into stingers when destroyed, [[Attacker]]s, [[Kabutomushi]], and [[Butterfly (Donkey Kong 3)|Butterflies]]. Buzzbees and Butterflies attempt to steal [[Stanley]]'s [[flower (Donkey Kong 3)|flower]]s, and must be destroyed before reaching the plants.

[[Donkey Kong]] himself hangs from two vines at the top of the screen. Spraying him drives him upwards and eventually off the screen to win. However, if Donkey Kong stays on the bottom of the vines for too long, he will drop on the ground and instantly defeat Stanley, resulting in a loss of a life. This can also happen if the [[Vine Eater]]s cuts off the vines Donkey Kong is holding onto in the arcade version, or if the player runs out of time in the NES version.

In the arcade version, defeating him in the [[greenhouse (yellow)|yellow greenhouse]] causes his head to be pushed into a [[beehive]]. Stanley automatically moves out of his way as Donkey Kong falls, where the beehive splits in half. He becomes stunned, and Stanley does a victory dance.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwY6zEYittw Gameplay of the arcade version.]</ref> In the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] version, the beehive falls on his head, but the rest of the cutscene is absent.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFrsivMbaO0 Gameplay of the NES version]</ref> If Stanley is defeated, the insects immediately eat him, though this is removed in the NES port.

In some stages, a [[Super Sprayer]] can be found, attached to the vines Donkey Kong hangs by. When he is pushed up to its levels, it falls, allowing Stanley to equip it for a limited time. It turns his insecticide yellow and it becomes more powerful, even being able to defeat Creepies.

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|The most basic insect enemies, which toss spears and try to steal the flowers. After round 12 (9 on NES), their appearance changes.

|Inchworms that crawl along vines. Yellow ones go after flowers, but gray ones simply block shots.

|Speedy, aggressive bees that are the result of a Buzzbee grabbing a flower. They are absent in the NES version.

|Buzzbee queens that take two hits to defeat and are sometimes escorted by standard Buzzbees. Upon defeat, four spears rain forth.

|Erratic flyers that go after both Stanley and the flowers.

According to ''The Ultimate History of Video Games'', the arcade version of ''Donkey Kong 3'' moved 5,000 units in North America, representing a steep decline from the previous installments (which sold 60,000 and 30,000 unit respectively, according to the same book).<ref>[https://archive.org/details/ultimatehistoryo0000kent/page/352/mode/2up?view=theater ''The Ultimate History of Video Games: from Pong to Pokémon and beyond...the story behind the craze that touched our lives and changed the world''. October 2, 2001. Page 352.]</ref> Unlike earlier titles, ''Donkey Kong 3'' never had dedicated cabinets,<!-- There may have been Japan-only dedicated cabinets. --> but was sold only as Nintendo-Pak conversion kits to ''Donkey Kong'', ''Donkey Kong Jr.'', and ''{{wp|Popeye (video game)|Popeye}}'' cabinets. This foreshadowed the [[VS. System]], the [[Nintendo PlayChoice-10]], and the {{wp|Nintendo Super System}}.

*The {{media link|DK3 NES Box Back.png|back of the United States NES boxart}} for the game has two misspelled words back-to-back, saying "Donkey Kong has plenty ''og cocnuts'' to hurl at you."