As Stanley the gardener, you're trying to repel a swarm of pests unleashed by that meanest of pixellated gorillas, while also using your pesticide to propel him off the screen. Protect your flowers and yourself, and wear plenty of Off. (Nintendo, 1984)

The third entry in the still-ongoing series of games spawned by the original Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong 3 wasn't even remotely successful, unlike the previous sequel, Donkey Kong Jr.. One possible reason for this could be Nintendo's brief abandonment of the climbing/jumping game elements in favor of a shooting game whose roots could easily be traced back to Space Invaders.

It's no coincidence that the next Donkey Kong-inspired game did away with the monkey business altogether, as well as the shooting game elements. The third Donkey Kong sequel was a little empire-building creation known as Mario Bros. But, just for the record, Donkey Kong 3 wasn't a bad game - it's actually rather fun. In making a detour from the established pattern of Donkey Kong climbing games, Donkey Kong 3 simply became an obscurity, and not an arcade favorite.

Rating:  Three quarters - worth repeat play, but with some annoying features that might alienate less patient arcade veterans.

Reviewed by Earl Green
theLogBook.com editor/webmaster