Donkey Kong Country 3 on the GBA is one of those games that just feels good to play—even if you missed it back in the SNES days. You start off as Dixie Kong (ponytail helicopter spin forever) and her weirdly buff baby cousin Kiddy, bouncing through lush forests and dodging those classic Kremling traps. The first few levels ease you in, but don’t get too comfy—those minecart rides and barrel puzzles get brutal fast.

What I love is how much personality the world has. Every level’s got some dumb little secret, like a hidden DK coin tucked behind a waterfall or a bonus room full of bananas. And yeah, the graphics still hold up—those pre-rendered sprites give everything this chunky, colorful charm. Kiddy’s kinda useless until you realize he can skip across water like a stone, which… okay, fine, he grows on you.

If you’ve played the first two, this one mixes things up with new animal buddies and some sneaky overworld exploration. It’s not just left-to-right platforming—you’re backtracking with new abilities, hunting for collectibles, and occasionally getting wrecked by a boss because you underestimated a giant bee. Classic DK chaos.