Donkey Kong 3

Donkey Kong 3 from 1983 is the least known entry in Nintendo's original Donkey Kong trilogy, and also the strangest. Instead of a jumping plumber, the player controls gardener Stanley, who tries to defend his flower greenhouse from the giant gorilla Donkey Kong and a swarm of annoying insects. The game thus abandons the platforming principle of the first two entries and turns into a vertical shooter, where accurate aim and quick reflexes matter most.

Stanley stands at the bottom of the screen operating a sprayer, with which he shoots down bees and other bugs released by Donkey Kong, who hangs from vines near the ceiling. Each hit pushes the gorilla a bit higher – the goal is to eventually push him completely off the screen before he manages to get too close to the flowers below. Between levels there are bonus interludes in which the player collects falling items to boost their score.

Donkey Kong 3 diverged from the rest of the series so much that it provoked mixed reactions among players and critics alike – it lacked the iconic feeling of climbing ladders and jumping over barrels. Still, thanks to its distinctive mechanics and rising pace it found a group of loyal fans, and today it is valued as an interesting detour from the established formula that is worth knowing for a full understanding of the brand's early history.

Why play it: It offers an unexpectedly different take on the Donkey Kong brand through a tense shooter with its own rhythm.