DKC3 as a whole was very gimmicky. When the gimmicks landed, they were some of the best levels in the series. And the polar opposite whenever they didn’t land. Gimmicky levels aren’t inherently bad, it really depends on how much they complement or disrupt the flow.
Honestly that's why I'm unsure if I can agree that DKC2 is the best. It's mostly gimmicks where the straightforward platforming of DKC1 take the backseat. While they still exist you get far more stages like the rollercoaster, balloon above the lava, etc. I'm not a big fan of those. Sometimes I just wanna run to the right and avoid obstacles for a while before I'm thrown into a weird autoscroller or something.
@@yoshimallow Lightning Lookout. DKC3 is the only one of the trilogy I've never beaten (I beat the Game Boy version, though) and that level is the reason. I just didn't catch onto the trick.
From a design standpoint, the first idea that came to mind as a fix for this level is: replace the falling barrels with falling barrel cannons (with opening facing upwards). This solves multiple problems: 1. The barrel cannons are larger, which makes them easier to land in. 2. The collision on barrel canons sort of "sucks you in" to it, which removes the annoying "slippery" problem of sideways barrel platforms. 3. The level designers could do more interesting things with falling barrel cannons, such has have tumbling (rotating) barrels that you have to time you blast from. 4. Barrel cannons would allow for much more interesting verticality in the level, since the barrels wouldn't be limited to spacing them only at "jump height" accessible distances. 5. Having the players jump into barrels that fall down a waterfall would be a cool historical nod to the real life "barrel rides" that people did down the Niagra falls, making the level itself a sort of clever real world reference. The other major fix would be to obviously fix the barrel spawning issue. But other than that, 90% of this levels problems would be solved with barrel cannons.
The thing is there's already another waterfall stage in the game with barrel cannons - Tracker Barrel Trek, which the player has already played by the time they reach this level. Yes, the barrels are gimmicked, of course, in the fact that they follow your movement once you are shot out of them, but despite that, putting barrel cannons in this level too, whether they are gimmicked or not, would make it feel way too samey.
@@WhitePointerGaming I think it's OK to have a sheer test of platforming skill one in a while. It's a lot of trial and error, learning though it may be frustrating, overcoming the challenge feels so good then you can go back to simpler levels with forgiving mechanics. DKC is kind of legendary for having levels that just suddenly put a sheer cliff of difficulty in front of you to force yourself get better at the platforming.
It's a pretty good idea the only thing is they would have to be cannons that you control when they shot you out. I can imagine that a cannon could shoot you too high and then you wouldn't know where to aim to get into the next one as it could be too far down. Unless they implemented some sort of vertical background graphic, where you could note immediately based on the background graphic where to aim and then even if you can't see the barrel you're aiming for you already noted where to align yourself to
One thing DKC is good about is placing secrets in a way that encourages exploration. This is one of those levels that does the opposite and punishes secret exploration. The one level I found more frustrating in this aspect was the one where the fish follows you and have to feed it before it attacks you. Not only was the fish mechanic wonky, but backtracking for bonus was a chore since there was nothing for the fish to eat, so it attacked me
Yeah, Fish Food Frenzy. I hated that level for the same reasons you exposed: it couldn´t decide if it was a fast-paced, constrained level (time and resources to keep the fish from biting you), or a slow, more methodical level. Either way, the exploration part was severely punished: you either had to go fast keeping the Nibbla from eating you, or you went trough the level concentrating on the Nibbla and the color it took. Both gave VERY little leeway for your gameplay to check and explore the level, and finding the Bonus Barrels was always quite a risky gamble. At least that was my experience with the level.
Yeah that's probably my least favourite standard level (some of the levels in the bonus world are worse) in the game too, the one where you have to feed the fish. It's just annoying how you have to avoid letting it get close to any bad food that'll make it angry, except every fish like that has the gravity of the sun and will attract your fish when within a solar system of it. It took a while to learn how to go through the level in such a way that that doesn't happen. You basically have to swim through the level in a very strange way, abusing how the game's engine works, in order to be able to get through it unscathed. It seems like a good idea for a level that they just didn't have time to properly develop and playtest and so it didn't quite work. Actually a lot of the level gimmicks in the game feel like that, like they could be good, but that they feel rushed and they needed a bit more polish and play testing before releasing the game. They probably had to get the game out ASAP because it was only a few months before the release of the N64 and once that console came out, people would think of their SNES as old fashioned and stop playing it as much, and maybe even traded it in for money off of the price of the n64 or PlayStation or whatever they chose to get. So Rare must have thought it was good enough, even if they themselves also knew it did need a bit more polish in an ideal world if they had the time. I still love DKC 3 though. I never had a SNES as a kid, or any Nintendo console in fact, I had a mega drive and then PlayStations. And I didn't play the DKC games until my 30s, a few years ago. So I never had the reaction a lot of kids seemed to have where they hated DKC 3 because they hated the baby character you play as. I still don't understand why people hate him so much. Yeah Diddy Kong would be better, but it's no big deal. The first DKC game bad a character who was just as big, donkey Kong himself. So yeah I have no nostalgia goggled making me love the first 2 games more, or anything like that. They're all great games. But it's obvious that the 3rd one needed a bit more time in the oven.
You're probably better off ditching Kiddy for the entirety of this stage because you do NOT want to end up with just him at the halfway barrel. Dixie's hair twirl really does help in addressing the issues this level has, though. :3
Hey now, let's be fair, Kiddy does have an important job in this level. He takes the lead near enemies any time you don't need to platform, because he has the advantage of being disposable.
As someone who grew up with a lil who played with me, lemme tell you about how you should just choose all kiddy all the time because hes just that much fun you just gotta choose to be gud
@@CoinBox170 I haven't played this level since the late 90's, I had the same sentiment. Zero recollection of barrel spawning issues or any other unintentional frustrations such as lag. I just remember liking the level (and DKC3 as a whole).
I love how as adults we can go into detail articulating all of our problems of our childhood games. As a kid though, it was pretty much scream in anger and throw the controller, rip out the game cart and put in something else.
I LIKED THAT LEVEL. But everything you said, the way the barrels work, how easy it is to fall off; how haphazardly the bonuses are found, leading you to jump to your doom while looking for them. IT'S ALL TRUE! 😢 I think I like the idea of the level more than the execution. Excellent video and analysis.
@@MarMaxGaming I liked that it showed how king k. Rool was trying to industrialize kong island. First with snippets of mines here and there, then later full on factories. A technologically "superior" society invading the homeland of peaceful natives and taking their resources... bananas.
Right when I was at the end of the video I exited full screen, causing the video to restart. I quickly jumped back to the end and managed to time the jump perfectly to make it sound like you were saying "The Donkey Kong Country series has like the worst level in ALL of Donkey Kong Country."
This stage drove me mad, and I partially did not 103% this game simply because returning to this stage and clearing bonus stages built on falling barrels sounded like one of the middle circles of hell. The lag was so nasty.
I definitely understand your criticisms of Barrel Drop Bounce. DKC3 has been my favorite of the trilogy for a long time now and even I have to admit this level is just not great. I pretty much never fall off the barrels as an adult, but I remember how frustrating it was to platform off of those as a kid. There's a part where you have to ride on a bunch of barrels that I still have no idea how to get through without Dixie's hair glide, whenever I only got Kiddy in this part of the level (which thankfully isn't often) I have to purposefully die and start again. I imagine there has to be some kind of way to get through that with just Kiddy, but I was never able to figure it out even after I just 103% the game lately. On the plus side I was able to find all the bonuses in my recent 103% run without having to look up a guide but a large part of that is just because I've been playing the game for so long that I remember where a lot of the secrets are just from that trial and error of playing it so many times.
@Shawn Desper That's some criticism I can agree with. They tried to make Kiddy Kong and Dixie Kong's dynamic like a more exaggerated version of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in DKC1; one's the bigger, slower, harder hitting character, one is the faster, weaker, and smaller character. That could have been cool, but the way its executed in DKC3 just makes Kiddy feel like he's always worse than Dixie. I don't mind playing as Kiddy Kong, I'm one of the few that likes his weird silly character design and thinks he mostly plays fine. However, there are a few sections of the game that don't feel like they're designed with his unique weaknesses in mind. I think they should have tried to balance things out to give more incentive to pick Kiddy; as it is now, most players will see him as a liability. Kind of extra funny considering how, in the story of this game, Funky Kong kinda just throws Kiddy onto Dixie because he didn't feel like babysitting
I disagree the Hakuna Matata from Lion King is much worse, because here in DKC3 the barrels have synchronization and are made for you to jump in certain order and many times you can save yourself, while in Lion King left you for the randomness and the logs are upwards making them tiny so a single mistake and you are dead.
@@CoolMagmar When I was a kid, I had both games and I straight up never made it through Lion King's. That was basically the end of the game for me as I was just hard stuck there despite getting to that level probably 100 times. And I wasn't a bad gamer or anything, the other levels people call hard weren't really ever a serious problem for me. I remembered that DKC3's was a bit annoying but it was still nowhere near as bad. It was just a minor annoyance instead of an impossible mind numbing brick wall.
@@tehemail.7062 Lion King XD only 2 stages were rly hard....second stage at the ostrich riding part and the stampede...the logs part in the jungle stage actually had a pattern for the falls...once you figure it out easy climb.....honestly try again if thats the only part that gave you issue....well Lion King is still far from Battletoad difficulty XD.....wall splatting everytime near the end of the race XD
I wouldn’t say hard just frustrating. At least in the saw and lightning levels you can get insta killed, but in this one you just fall back to the bottom, needing to climb back up..again
The lightning level is much less difficult when you realize that the game does give you a heads up if you look at the lightning in the background first. I was so frustrated because it seemed totally random but then a website or video clued me in.
Either the gba version just makes it easier or you guys are over exaggerating it. As a kid I always breezed through this level without looking back. The cavern levels were awful for me.
I wasn't sure if Barrel Drop Bounce was even remote to the worst level of the entire DKC series, since DKC3 was the game I completed the fastest for the original trio and this was one of those levels I didn't "die" the most (also I don't even remember the lag but maybe that's just me) UNTIL you mentioned Krack Shot Kroc. Then I remembered I spent so much time learning the patron of the barrels and how to use Kiddy for half of the game just because Dixie kept diving onto the blue crocodiles, that I got incredibly clunky with Squitter for the next level, which made it the worst for me until I had to backtrack for some bonuses. There may be worse levels than this, or maybe this is only a subjective matter, but I totally understand why the hatred.
I’m surprised that you don’t mention the additional frustration of having a platform below the barrels. The barrels break when they hit a platform. Often you need to land on a barrel and immediately jump off just before it breaks. For me, that was the single most difficult thing about the level.
Rocketbarrel stages in Returns, partly for the theme, give me big car impressions. So I like that they are 1 hit and that's it. They're not so long that a daredevil clear is unreasonable, but they are as tense as the theme and ride suggest. I wouldn't mind single hit mine carts either if the tone of the level suited it.
I do like the general idea, but I both find it a tease that they give you two hit points in the UI before going "lol no" and also think that it inhibits a first playthrough quite a lot. Going Daredevil on a repeat playthrough or for a bonus I'm all for, but requiring it up front with every single rocketbarrel level (of which Returns has many) is a bit much for me!
I know it is an old video but I agree, barrel drop was so badly designed. That part of the waterfall climb across various barrels is literally impossible without Dixie, the only stage in which it is impossible to progress unless you use a specific Kong. I don't know how that made it past quality control.
i just finished replaying all Dkc triolgy. i have to say dkc3 is so underrated its nuts. the only level in this game that frustrated me was lightning lookout. i beat everything else in like 3 or 4 tries. Dkc2 on other hand is the king of bullshit. toxic tower. web woods. animal antics. screechs sprint. F those parrot levels.
DKC3 is my favorite in the series, and eventually I learned this level like the back of my hand, so I completely forgot how jank it was, but yeah this is completely fair. That music tho.
@@StewNWT More creative bosses, unique level gimmicks, clearer platform indicators, explorable map, fun collectables, better difficulty curve. The music was definitely more hit or miss, and all 3 games are fantastic, but I think 3 gave us the best overall package, even though it had some compromises.
I honestly liked Shoal Atoll. The layout of the level can easily be learned. The gimmick of inserting keys into their color matching chests works out so well.
Congratulations! This series has sold me on playing the original country games on my switch. I'm gonna not watch anymore about the original trilogy to go in as blind as I can, but thanks for putting this all together. I'll return once I finish them up!
Awesome to hear! Those games mean a whole lot to me, so I'm really glad I was able to express even a little of why I enjoy them to someone! Hope you like 'em, too!
I think I actually enjoyed this level as a kid because it was pretty much a safe space with minimal danger, compared to CrackShot Croc, Lightning Level or the Bees.. you could not relax and you were being actively pursued
I gotta ask are you aware that you can roll off an edge and then jump mid fall. Based on the gameplay that I'm seeing it might be you just not being good at it. Do you also know that you can skip many of these parts by throwing dixie up? I don't see you using these abilities at all in 3. In the footage of 2 you do use it which leads me to think you are just not using it on purpose. At the parts with the 2 green bees I see you using dixie to fall slower and try and get to the ledge several times instead of rolling under them, jumping after passing them for more height, and then using her hair to fall slower with enough height.
To this day I have no idea why 3 is my favorite in the series. It has glaring flaws and this level alone provides some good examples, but I still have fun with it. It's the only entry I've ever beaten 100%.
The level is good its his problem. There is only 1 bad level and its the thunder storm one since its random and you cant plan around it. If i were to listen to every YT whats the worst level in dkc then every level is bad because everyone has a diferent mind set as to what makes a level bad. And the aswer is like 99% of the time your skill. I had never any problems with this level so his exaples are just dumb in my opinion.
Great video. I've been a fan of Donkey Kong Country ever since receiving the first installment for xmas '94. I love well-produced DKC content, and your video most certainly fits that bill.
DKC1 - 4th world (snow) 1st level of that world - Snow Barrel Blast I recall terrible feeling about that level, seriously. The heavy snowstorm + those quick-moving barrels was such a pain to go thru, that at multiple times, I recall just getting lazy and abandoning the SNES when I reached this stage.
In DK Land 2 for Gameboy, I didn't have the instructions manual and I didn't get past the level where you have to shoot the web then press select to make it stick, for like 7 years! I spent hours trying everything to get past that as a kid.
From a writing standpoint, I’ll simply say the build up of that intro was so good that there’s a big comedic pop to when the actual topic of the video is dropped. Tldr; that was a greatly written intro m8
I remember breaking my controller on the lightning level in DKC3 as a kid. I never realized that you had to stay where the last lighting striked (because lightning never strikes the same spot twice was the gimmick!)
I started playing Tropical Freeze recently, and while the momentum / inertia system is really cool from a technical perspective, it makes for some really frustrating gameplay. I guess once / if it clicks, it's not a big deal, but it can just feel really slippery at first. It makes for some really impressive speed run strategies, but for casual players it can be a bit much. Beautiful game, questionable mechanics
Done Tropical Freeze a couple times and used to its mechanics but i thought the same at first. Don’t play it thinking it’s as responsive and precise as the original DKC trilogy is what i’ll tell people
I'm not a fan of the changes to its physics (especially on the toboggan stages) and the soundtrack is about 50/50 for me if I prefer it to the original. I don't think it's bad in any regard, but I wouldn't ever play it over the original. As for the added content... I'll have thoughts on that in a few days, I'm sure.
I like Winky's Walkway because for until Snow Barrel Blast's 100 banana shortcut (and frog tokens and that one balloon), that was my one and only failsafe that ensured easy success while being able to stockpile a crap ton of lives for later stages
I don’t recall the lag issues that much in this game, then again they did adjust the item placements between NTSC and PAL versions to allow it to run smoother.
Never had too much trouble with this one, but I actually got stuck with some bad barrel spawns just a few days ago making the level impossible with Kiddy Kong and could only climb up with Dixie’s twirl. Now I sort of get it.
I was aware of the lag that this stage (wasn't as bad as my end as it was for your video, but it's still noticeable). As for that one bonus barrel dropping platform, well it's janky still but I figured out there is a consistent way to make it spawn. See, it actually depends on the camera, yes. If you scroll the camera first to show the right side of the screen for like a second, and no matter how long you wait, it always consistently spawned. If I had the camera on the left side of the screen, and I turned around quickly and made a jump for it, it never spawned at all. What you say is true that it combines some of the worst traits of donkey kong country in one stage, all of those aspects you mentioned are true, but they are all also spectrum of itself. This stage isn't nearly as frustrating as some other stages, or obtuse with its secrets that are really hard to grab as in with others, it's certainly not the most boring stage either to me. It's got a little bit of everything, but not nearly enough to downgrade it to a horrible stage, or even mid tier stage (though I can understand if someone finds it mid). I will say, I never really noticed how there's a lack of threats in this stage, it is a good point looking back at it, how it's basically on par with the first world first stage with its hazard count, despite it being in a later world in the game.
Yeah that level is what I struggled the most, it was so brutal that when I played on switch I had to rewind many times in order to end this struggling, I don’t like cheating but this level made me do it just to end my suffering, I usually dont mind losing in video games but being stuck on same level without progressing is a different story I’m like “let me through so I can explore more levels” and the game is like “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!” And they’re like mocking you when you’re too desperate to advance further
Can we acknowledge how terrible the background is the noisy texture combined with the overlayed water fall not only looks nasty but, the total lack of visual distinctions between background and interactive all elements makes platforming more difficult. Most 2d games use different amounts of saturation, blur or just shading.
I remember playing that game when I was a kid as though it was yesterday. That level is frustrating, it’s all about timing. Which I never had when I was a kid but have now as an adult 😏 I’m a Donkey Kong lover, great video keep up the great work.
My brother is playing this game for the first time and he found this level extremely easy. He's on Razor Ridge World now. I'd have to agree with him, he said going off screen and coming back the barrels spawn the exact same way. So I dunno.
My man legit shat out a 12 minute argument to cope with his skill issue. The only level DKC3 ever gave me trouble at FIRST was the one where there is a gas that reversed my movements. And thats cause i was a little kid, from a rough background too, i was a pretty dumb kid and even then the game was "fair enough" for me most of the time.
i like this video a lot. and your argument is compelling! my main takeaway, though, is that platformers, particularly DK games, can lead to very subjective experiences. i’ve been so frustrated with levels that others had zero problem with, and i’ve torn through levels that others think are super hard. in a way it speaks to the great overall design of most DK levels
While I despise the lightning level more, I feel the same pain as you. That waterfall Barrel Drop Bounce level gave me a lot of grief when I played DKC 3. I also had that slippery platform edge problem when fighting the waterfall boss as Ellie - the one with the eyes.
I feel like a lot of people who make these kind of videos, were not seasoned gamers that had won all the Mario games prior to DKC, so they came into the DKC series as kids that got stuck on stuff that I figured out within 20 minutes tops.
This level isn't that hard. You might slip a few times, but that usually just means falling to a lower level. Same with looking for the secrets. And if you do fall in a pit, extra lives are plentiful. There are some frustratingly difficult levels, but it's hard for me to really point to anything in this game that is bad design...
well, maybe Kiddy's water bounce, which has very specific timing is is only needed once, if that (since there is a way to do it with Dixie that is easier).
It's not about the level being 'hard', it's just poorly designed in regards to layout. All the other waterfall areas aren't nearly as cryptic. The level requires more exploration and beginner's leaps of faith than most, and the one waterfall with the 3 dropping barrels *is* challenging to do if you only have Kiddy. That said, there are harder levels...much harder, but this level just falls short on all fronts. But I'll gladly play this over those Returns games.
4:27 Holy shit, that waterfall level from The Lion King made me rage quit as a kid. It was so hard for no reason. I eventually figured out the pattern, but that was after going through all my lives and continues and having to restart the game from the beginning 😂
Rocket barrel blast is a nightmare of a stage because it very easy at the start but at the checkpoint one mistake can easily ruined you chance at winning. I think this level was throw in last second.
Never had a big problem with this level. Was just replaying the game and remembered your attempt at analysis. 7:10 Probably yes, tested it a few times with Kiddy just for you - and it's totally fine, the timing isn't tight and hitting barrels is easy. It's even easier as Dixie. So, what is you problem with this part? 9:02 No, it doesn't teach you this. All 3 secrets can all be "found" without falling down. The paths leading to the DK coin and the second BB can both be found by just jumping/rolling of cliff and going back (the second BB can only be found and accessed by Dixie, I think?). The hint to both of them is - "your path goes up, but there's a lot of empty space to the right" and there's only 1 similar place - where 3 zingers are (I will talk about it later). I'm not saying that "place is suspicious from level design perspective" is a good hint, and I'm not going to excuse the first BB - but a lot of secrets in the series is like this. And what you've said is just incorrect. 9:30 Most of these places are meant to bring you back if fall, so you won't have to replay half the level. Place behind 3 zingers is like this as well. And if you mistake such place for a secret and decide to jump off there - you can just go back immediately. So... what's the problem?
So this level’s sloppy spawn mechanics and slippery barrels not only make this stage broken, but its almost like the developers deliberately try to trick you into exploring area with nothing in them? It feels intentionally bad and rushed.
This video was so spot on! Barrel Drop Bounce is not a level I've heard talked about much, whether good or bad, but it was such an annoying level for me for a long time, and all the reasons you said were spot on for why. And then you were also agreed that Krack Shot Kroc right afterwards is fire, it's my favourite level in the game (I like playing as Squitter a lot, Web Woods is also one of my favourites in DKC2). The level's less annoying now I've played the game through so many times, but yeah...
Of the three, DKC3 has a very special place in my heart. It was one of a few games my parents would pay for, and featured some of the most diverse (and gimmicky) levels I played, and I LOVED it. Remember the level(s) where you're climbing a rope some enemy lights on fire, and you find out the rope is actually a fuse, and it's the only real footing you have to climb all the way up? Those levels are my absolute favorite. I just love it so much. The boss battles weren't the best (the snowman and the Roolenstein robot boss battles were kinda fun), but the treasure seeking and world building the game seemed to make was just incredible.
As a kid, I definitely struggled more with Lightning Lookout. It was difficult for me to figure out the pattern when I was that young. Having replayed the game dozens of times, this level is certainly not great. For DKC2, the level I struggled with the most as a kid is Klobber Karnage. I just DID NOT understand how to properly use those barrels and spent MANY hours frustratingly trying to complete the level. Heck, I didn’t even struggle with Animal Antics at all, but Klonber Karnage… maaaaan
That barrel waterfall stage is obnoxious, it feels like a secretly clever level from a rom hack that just gets messed up by the creator using an older emulator that makes playing the level on a console or more accurate emulator reveal a ton of new bugs and lag.
Was still far easier than animal antics. Retrying those hard jumps only took a few seconds compared to failing animal antics when you were on the parrot stage and going all the way back.
I FEEL SO VALIDATED. I played this game as a child not long after it came out, and I remember getting to this level and getting stuck on "the screen" wondering if I had hit a dead end, not realising the game was failing to A) clearly convey what it was that I was supposed to do at that point, and B) consistently spawning barrels. I think I put down the game for a couple days before coming back. Then I played the level again and everything clicked. I didn't feel satisfied though; I felt like I'd been cheated, like the game had played a trick on me. It really left me with a bitter aftertaste that luckily was erased by Krack-Shot Kroc which as you said is an absolute banger of a level.
Oh yeah. I had forgotten, but this was the level that broke my "no save-state streak" way back when I emulated this one to see why it is the most divisive DKC game.
did you play this on an emulator or virtual console? I 103% this game as a kid and i dont remember any of these lag or inconsistency issues, so i wonder if these could be emulation problems since i played mine on the original console. I also remember that the waterfall levels were all among my favorites. pretty sure i dont remember lag ever being a problem in this game. I also dont remember barrels having weird edges or being hard to platform. and while i'm sure the level design wouldnt be different, i think maybe you missed a hint somewhere because i 103% this game when broadband internet wasnt a thing yet and i didnt have any access to guides and i never was the type to do blind jumps off every ledge i see in search of secrets.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
People don't like "Squeals on Wheels"?! They can eat butt, cause I love it.
I don't love it, but I think it's a nice level.
I love eating butt! Cute men and women
Facts, I love squeals on wheels
It's just too slow paced and overall looks dull. Nothing compared to 99% of DKC1 and 2.
Baron K. Roolenstein: "Don't forget: You're here forever."
Diddy Kong: "Do it for her."
This is exactly what I thought of when I saw the thumbnail.
Grand slam of a Simpsons reference.
DKC3 as a whole was very gimmicky. When the gimmicks landed, they were some of the best levels in the series. And the polar opposite whenever they didn’t land. Gimmicky levels aren’t inherently bad, it really depends on how much they complement or disrupt the flow.
Never forget the stage where you fake out a Thunderstorm
Honestly that's why I'm unsure if I can agree that DKC2 is the best. It's mostly gimmicks where the straightforward platforming of DKC1 take the backseat. While they still exist you get far more stages like the rollercoaster, balloon above the lava, etc. I'm not a big fan of those. Sometimes I just wanna run to the right and avoid obstacles for a while before I'm thrown into a weird autoscroller or something.
all dkc's had gimmicky levels i don't know why people single out dkc3 as a some blacksheep
@@Deadflower20xx ikd I feel DKC 2 had the best balance between platforming and level gimmicks.
@@yoshimallow Lightning Lookout. DKC3 is the only one of the trilogy I've never beaten (I beat the Game Boy version, though) and that level is the reason. I just didn't catch onto the trick.
From a design standpoint, the first idea that came to mind as a fix for this level is: replace the falling barrels with falling barrel cannons (with opening facing upwards). This solves multiple problems:
1. The barrel cannons are larger, which makes them easier to land in.
2. The collision on barrel canons sort of "sucks you in" to it, which removes the annoying "slippery" problem of sideways barrel platforms.
3. The level designers could do more interesting things with falling barrel cannons, such has have tumbling (rotating) barrels that you have to time you blast from.
4. Barrel cannons would allow for much more interesting verticality in the level, since the barrels wouldn't be limited to spacing them only at "jump height" accessible distances.
5. Having the players jump into barrels that fall down a waterfall would be a cool historical nod to the real life "barrel rides" that people did down the Niagra falls, making the level itself a sort of clever real world reference.
The other major fix would be to obviously fix the barrel spawning issue. But other than that, 90% of this levels problems would be solved with barrel cannons.
Great points.
The thing is there's already another waterfall stage in the game with barrel cannons - Tracker Barrel Trek, which the player has already played by the time they reach this level. Yes, the barrels are gimmicked, of course, in the fact that they follow your movement once you are shot out of them, but despite that, putting barrel cannons in this level too, whether they are gimmicked or not, would make it feel way too samey.
@@WhitePointerGaming I think it's OK to have a sheer test of platforming skill one in a while. It's a lot of trial and error, learning though it may be frustrating, overcoming the challenge feels so good then you can go back to simpler levels with forgiving mechanics. DKC is kind of legendary for having levels that just suddenly put a sheer cliff of difficulty in front of you to force yourself get better at the platforming.
Fix the ledges of those cliffs.
It's a pretty good idea the only thing is they would have to be cannons that you control when they shot you out. I can imagine that a cannon could shoot you too high and then you wouldn't know where to aim to get into the next one as it could be too far down. Unless they implemented some sort of vertical background graphic, where you could note immediately based on the background graphic where to aim and then even if you can't see the barrel you're aiming for you already noted where to align yourself to
One thing DKC is good about is placing secrets in a way that encourages exploration. This is one of those levels that does the opposite and punishes secret exploration. The one level I found more frustrating in this aspect was the one where the fish follows you and have to feed it before it attacks you. Not only was the fish mechanic wonky, but backtracking for bonus was a chore since there was nothing for the fish to eat, so it attacked me
Yeah, Fish Food Frenzy. I hated that level for the same reasons you exposed: it couldn´t decide if it was a fast-paced, constrained level (time and resources to keep the fish from biting you), or a slow, more methodical level. Either way, the exploration part was severely punished: you either had to go fast keeping the Nibbla from eating you, or you went trough the level concentrating on the Nibbla and the color it took. Both gave VERY little leeway for your gameplay to check and explore the level, and finding the Bonus Barrels was always quite a risky gamble. At least that was my experience with the level.
Yeah that's probably my least favourite standard level (some of the levels in the bonus world are worse) in the game too, the one where you have to feed the fish. It's just annoying how you have to avoid letting it get close to any bad food that'll make it angry, except every fish like that has the gravity of the sun and will attract your fish when within a solar system of it. It took a while to learn how to go through the level in such a way that that doesn't happen. You basically have to swim through the level in a very strange way, abusing how the game's engine works, in order to be able to get through it unscathed. It seems like a good idea for a level that they just didn't have time to properly develop and playtest and so it didn't quite work. Actually a lot of the level gimmicks in the game feel like that, like they could be good, but that they feel rushed and they needed a bit more polish and play testing before releasing the game.
They probably had to get the game out ASAP because it was only a few months before the release of the N64 and once that console came out, people would think of their SNES as old fashioned and stop playing it as much, and maybe even traded it in for money off of the price of the n64 or PlayStation or whatever they chose to get. So Rare must have thought it was good enough, even if they themselves also knew it did need a bit more polish in an ideal world if they had the time.
I still love DKC 3 though. I never had a SNES as a kid, or any Nintendo console in fact, I had a mega drive and then PlayStations. And I didn't play the DKC games until my 30s, a few years ago. So I never had the reaction a lot of kids seemed to have where they hated DKC 3 because they hated the baby character you play as. I still don't understand why people hate him so much. Yeah Diddy Kong would be better, but it's no big deal. The first DKC game bad a character who was just as big, donkey Kong himself. So yeah I have no nostalgia goggled making me love the first 2 games more, or anything like that. They're all great games. But it's obvious that the 3rd one needed a bit more time in the oven.
You're probably better off ditching Kiddy for the entirety of this stage because you do NOT want to end up with just him at the halfway barrel. Dixie's hair twirl really does help in addressing the issues this level has, though. :3
Hey now, let's be fair, Kiddy does have an important job in this level.
He takes the lead near enemies any time you don't need to platform, because he has the advantage of being disposable.
@@pearofclubs6280 As long as Dixie never takes a hit with him behind her, that is. :3
As someone who grew up with a lil who played with me, lemme tell you about how you should just choose all kiddy all the time because hes just that much fun you just gotta choose to be gud
I was ready to type up a defense for this level, but I wasn't aware of the inconsistent barrel spawning. Totally valid
This youtuber likes to bitch about games
@@CoinBox170 I haven't played this level since the late 90's, I had the same sentiment. Zero recollection of barrel spawning issues or any other unintentional frustrations such as lag. I just remember liking the level (and DKC3 as a whole).
I love how as adults we can go into detail articulating all of our problems of our childhood games. As a kid though, it was pretty much scream in anger and throw the controller, rip out the game cart and put in something else.
@@cattysplat Also, our love/hate/confusion for kids' TV shows and movies.
"...is clever" *shows Kleavar on screen*. Thanks I hate and love it
2:28 takes second place.
I LIKED THAT LEVEL. But everything you said, the way the barrels work, how easy it is to fall off; how haphazardly the bonuses are found, leading you to jump to your doom while looking for them. IT'S ALL TRUE! 😢
I think I like the idea of the level more than the execution. Excellent video and analysis.
It had a good premise. And with some fine tuning, it could've been a lot of fun.
Winky’s walkway is a cool stage, I like how it came right after the first world and seemed so industrial and creepy
@@MarMaxGaming I liked that it showed how king k. Rool was trying to industrialize kong island. First with snippets of mines here and there, then later full on factories. A technologically "superior" society invading the homeland of peaceful natives and taking their resources... bananas.
Final video will be a "Kiddy Kong is best character" essay
9:44 ...that fucking tiny wriggling arrow... it doesn't happen often that I choke on something laughing, but that one got me so hard...
2:28 my humor is so broken, a simple image of a gnawty with the caption "gnaw" made me lose my shit
0:48 I see what you did there.
This just seems like a 12 min video of a skill issue
Yea, i dont even think the level is bad at all
Right when I was at the end of the video I exited full screen, causing the video to restart. I quickly jumped back to the end and managed to time the jump perfectly to make it sound like you were saying "The Donkey Kong Country series has like the worst level in ALL of Donkey Kong Country."
This stage drove me mad, and I partially did not 103% this game simply because returning to this stage and clearing bonus stages built on falling barrels sounded like one of the middle circles of hell. The lag was so nasty.
If you type in the "HARDR" code which removes all DK and star barrels, you get 105% when you beat the game.
@@shawntraub7249 Isn't that "TUFST"?
I definitely understand your criticisms of Barrel Drop Bounce. DKC3 has been my favorite of the trilogy for a long time now and even I have to admit this level is just not great. I pretty much never fall off the barrels as an adult, but I remember how frustrating it was to platform off of those as a kid. There's a part where you have to ride on a bunch of barrels that I still have no idea how to get through without Dixie's hair glide, whenever I only got Kiddy in this part of the level (which thankfully isn't often) I have to purposefully die and start again. I imagine there has to be some kind of way to get through that with just Kiddy, but I was never able to figure it out even after I just 103% the game lately. On the plus side I was able to find all the bonuses in my recent 103% run without having to look up a guide but a large part of that is just because I've been playing the game for so long that I remember where a lot of the secrets are just from that trial and error of playing it so many times.
No way man, DKC 2 is totally the best. 3 felt really clunky for some reason.
@Shawn Desper
That's some criticism I can agree with. They tried to make Kiddy Kong and Dixie Kong's dynamic like a more exaggerated version of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in DKC1; one's the bigger, slower, harder hitting character, one is the faster, weaker, and smaller character. That could have been cool, but the way its executed in DKC3 just makes Kiddy feel like he's always worse than Dixie. I don't mind playing as Kiddy Kong, I'm one of the few that likes his weird silly character design and thinks he mostly plays fine. However, there are a few sections of the game that don't feel like they're designed with his unique weaknesses in mind. I think they should have tried to balance things out to give more incentive to pick Kiddy; as it is now, most players will see him as a liability. Kind of extra funny considering how, in the story of this game, Funky Kong kinda just throws Kiddy onto Dixie because he didn't feel like babysitting
how is DKC 3 your fave? like, actually, how?
There have been 2D platformers that had waterfalls with falling logs, but nothing this crazy.
I disagree the Hakuna Matata from Lion King is much worse, because here in DKC3 the barrels have synchronization and are made for you to jump in certain order and many times you can save yourself, while in Lion King left you for the randomness and the logs are upwards making them tiny so a single mistake and you are dead.
@@CoolMagmar When I was a kid, I had both games and I straight up never made it through Lion King's. That was basically the end of the game for me as I was just hard stuck there despite getting to that level probably 100 times. And I wasn't a bad gamer or anything, the other levels people call hard weren't really ever a serious problem for me.
I remembered that DKC3's was a bit annoying but it was still nowhere near as bad. It was just a minor annoyance instead of an impossible mind numbing brick wall.
@@tehemail.7062 Lion King XD only 2 stages were rly hard....second stage at the ostrich riding part and the stampede...the logs part in the jungle stage actually had a pattern for the falls...once you figure it out easy climb.....honestly try again if thats the only part that gave you issue....well Lion King is still far from Battletoad difficulty XD.....wall splatting everytime near the end of the race XD
See exhibit a) the Lion King for SNES, the Hakuna Matata stage. Not worse than this one, but equally as difficult
@@CoolMagmar I came here to say that exact same thing.
People call either the saw level or the lightning level the hardest level in DKC3, but this level is the hardest in the game
I wouldn’t say hard just frustrating. At least in the saw and lightning levels you can get insta killed, but in this one you just fall back to the bottom, needing to climb back up..again
The lightning level is much less difficult when you realize that the game does give you a heads up if you look at the lightning in the background first. I was so frustrated because it seemed totally random but then a website or video clued me in.
I say the rocket level is the worst
Either the gba version just makes it easier or you guys are over exaggerating it. As a kid I always breezed through this level without looking back. The cavern levels were awful for me.
@@Dzuno18 agree
I wasn't sure if Barrel Drop Bounce was even remote to the worst level of the entire DKC series, since DKC3 was the game I completed the fastest for the original trio and this was one of those levels I didn't "die" the most (also I don't even remember the lag but maybe that's just me) UNTIL you mentioned Krack Shot Kroc. Then I remembered I spent so much time learning the patron of the barrels and how to use Kiddy for half of the game just because Dixie kept diving onto the blue crocodiles, that I got incredibly clunky with Squitter for the next level, which made it the worst for me until I had to backtrack for some bonuses.
There may be worse levels than this, or maybe this is only a subjective matter, but I totally understand why the hatred.
Your first example of the barrels being hard to stand on was ENTIRELY a skill issue lmao
I’m surprised that you don’t mention the additional frustration of having a platform below the barrels. The barrels break when they hit a platform. Often you need to land on a barrel and immediately jump off just before it breaks. For me, that was the single most difficult thing about the level.
I have never had issues with this level, I don't get it.
Rocketbarrel stages in Returns, partly for the theme, give me big car impressions.
So I like that they are 1 hit and that's it. They're not so long that a daredevil clear is unreasonable, but they are as tense as the theme and ride suggest. I wouldn't mind single hit mine carts either if the tone of the level suited it.
I do like the general idea, but I both find it a tease that they give you two hit points in the UI before going "lol no" and also think that it inhibits a first playthrough quite a lot. Going Daredevil on a repeat playthrough or for a bonus I'm all for, but requiring it up front with every single rocketbarrel level (of which Returns has many) is a bit much for me!
@@DesigningFor Donkey Kong rip off video?
Have you ever tried pressing „Y“?
Pro Tip: Just press „Y“.
I know it is an old video but I agree, barrel drop was so badly designed. That part of the waterfall climb across various barrels is literally impossible without Dixie, the only stage in which it is impossible to progress unless you use a specific Kong. I don't know how that made it past quality control.
i just finished replaying all Dkc triolgy. i have to say dkc3 is so underrated its nuts. the only level in this game that frustrated me was lightning lookout. i beat everything else in like 3 or 4 tries.
Dkc2 on other hand is the king of bullshit. toxic tower. web woods. animal antics. screechs sprint. F those parrot levels.
DKC3 is my favorite in the series, and eventually I learned this level like the back of my hand, so I completely forgot how jank it was, but yeah this is completely fair.
That music tho.
how is DKC 3 your fave? it has by far the worst OST in the series. So many elements I did like about it but the crap music really ruined it for me.
@@StewNWT More creative bosses, unique level gimmicks, clearer platform indicators, explorable map, fun collectables, better difficulty curve. The music was definitely more hit or miss, and all 3 games are fantastic, but I think 3 gave us the best overall package, even though it had some compromises.
that fucking end screen terrifies me when I was a child, I’ve never wanted to lose because of that
I honestly liked Shoal Atoll. The layout of the level can easily be learned. The gimmick of inserting keys into their color matching chests works out so well.
My Least favorite level for each DKC
DKC1 loopy lights
DKC2 animal antics
DKC3 poisonous pipeline
DKCR tidal terror
DKCTF shoal atoll
Tidal terror as your least favorite level of Returns??? This level is f*cking awesome dude.
@@legrandliseurtri7495 yeah it's because I'm wreckless so I end up dying a lot
Loopy Lights, Animal Antics, and Poisonous Pipeline are all great. Especially Animal Antics, one of the best levels in the series.
@@tessaPMpro i said my least favorites not worst lol
Congratulations! This series has sold me on playing the original country games on my switch. I'm gonna not watch anymore about the original trilogy to go in as blind as I can, but thanks for putting this all together. I'll return once I finish them up!
Awesome to hear! Those games mean a whole lot to me, so I'm really glad I was able to express even a little of why I enjoy them to someone! Hope you like 'em, too!
Have fun! DKC2 especially it's a masterpiece
red hot ride was a fun level.
I think I actually enjoyed this level as a kid because it was pretty much a safe space with minimal danger, compared to CrackShot Croc, Lightning Level or the Bees.. you could not relax and you were being actively pursued
I enjoy these videos on DKC3 the most, as it’s the most nostalgic to me.
Barrel Drop Bounce is honestly my least favorite level in the game.
I gotta ask are you aware that you can roll off an edge and then jump mid fall. Based on the gameplay that I'm seeing it might be you just not being good at it. Do you also know that you can skip many of these parts by throwing dixie up? I don't see you using these abilities at all in 3. In the footage of 2 you do use it which leads me to think you are just not using it on purpose. At the parts with the 2 green bees I see you using dixie to fall slower and try and get to the ledge several times instead of rolling under them, jumping after passing them for more height, and then using her hair to fall slower with enough height.
I agree this level suck, but that Level in DK2 where you play as the parrot flying was the real worst for me.
To this day I have no idea why 3 is my favorite in the series. It has glaring flaws and this level alone provides some good examples, but I still have fun with it. It's the only entry I've ever beaten 100%.
DKC3 is a very cozy game. Always a blast to play.
The level is good its his problem.
There is only 1 bad level and its the thunder storm one since its random and you cant plan around it. If i were to listen to every YT whats the worst level in dkc then every level is bad because everyone has a diferent mind set as to what makes a level bad.
And the aswer is like 99% of the time your skill. I had never any problems with this level so his exaples are just dumb in my opinion.
@@HandheldGamer1991 the lightning tells you exactly where it's going to hit, that's what the fakeouts are for
Great video. I've been a fan of Donkey Kong Country ever since receiving the first installment for xmas '94. I love well-produced DKC content, and your video most certainly fits that bill.
DKC1 - 4th world (snow)
1st level of that world - Snow Barrel Blast
I recall terrible feeling about that level, seriously.
The heavy snowstorm + those quick-moving barrels was such a pain to go thru, that at multiple times, I recall just getting lazy and abandoning the SNES when I reached this stage.
In DK Land 2 for Gameboy, I didn't have the instructions manual and I didn't get past the level where you have to shoot the web then press select to make it stick, for like 7 years! I spent hours trying everything to get past that as a kid.
Considering DK Land ran at like 10 FPS, trying to do anything that required timing was rough.
From a writing standpoint, I’ll simply say the build up of that intro was so good that there’s a big comedic pop to when the actual topic of the video is dropped.
Tldr; that was a greatly written intro m8
I wish people would stop throwing trash at this game
I don’k need sleep, I need more Donkey Kong December
I just replayed this game earlier this year and yeah...I was stuck on that level for way too long. How did I do it as a kid?!!?
Seems they fixed the lag on the PAL version, I don't remember any at all
I remember breaking my controller on the lightning level in DKC3 as a kid. I never realized that you had to stay where the last lighting striked (because lightning never strikes the same spot twice was the gimmick!)
thanks for your opinion, i have another one.
I started playing Tropical Freeze recently, and while the momentum / inertia system is really cool from a technical perspective, it makes for some really frustrating gameplay. I guess once / if it clicks, it's not a big deal, but it can just feel really slippery at first. It makes for some really impressive speed run strategies, but for casual players it can be a bit much. Beautiful game, questionable mechanics
Done Tropical Freeze a couple times and used to its mechanics but i thought the same at first. Don’t play it thinking it’s as responsive and precise as the original DKC trilogy is what i’ll tell people
Quick question
What do you think of the gba version of dkc3?
I'm not a fan of the changes to its physics (especially on the toboggan stages) and the soundtrack is about 50/50 for me if I prefer it to the original. I don't think it's bad in any regard, but I wouldn't ever play it over the original. As for the added content... I'll have thoughts on that in a few days, I'm sure.
3:38 Dude, it landed on top of you. You clearly touched it. 🤣
I like Winky's Walkway because for until Snow Barrel Blast's 100 banana shortcut (and frog tokens and that one balloon), that was my one and only failsafe that ensured easy success while being able to stockpile a crap ton of lives for later stages
I don’t recall the lag issues that much in this game, then again they did adjust the item placements between NTSC and PAL versions to allow it to run smoother.
Never had too much trouble with this one, but I actually got stuck with some bad barrel spawns just a few days ago making the level impossible with Kiddy Kong and could only climb up with Dixie’s twirl. Now I sort of get it.
This video could have easily been 5 minutes long. It took over 4 minutes to get to the point
I was aware of the lag that this stage (wasn't as bad as my end as it was for your video, but it's still noticeable). As for that one bonus barrel dropping platform, well it's janky still but I figured out there is a consistent way to make it spawn. See, it actually depends on the camera, yes. If you scroll the camera first to show the right side of the screen for like a second, and no matter how long you wait, it always consistently spawned. If I had the camera on the left side of the screen, and I turned around quickly and made a jump for it, it never spawned at all.
What you say is true that it combines some of the worst traits of donkey kong country in one stage, all of those aspects you mentioned are true, but they are all also spectrum of itself. This stage isn't nearly as frustrating as some other stages, or obtuse with its secrets that are really hard to grab as in with others, it's certainly not the most boring stage either to me. It's got a little bit of everything, but not nearly enough to downgrade it to a horrible stage, or even mid tier stage (though I can understand if someone finds it mid).
I will say, I never really noticed how there's a lack of threats in this stage, it is a good point looking back at it, how it's basically on par with the first world first stage with its hazard count, despite it being in a later world in the game.
Yeah that level is what I struggled the most, it was so brutal that when I played on switch I had to rewind many times in order to end this struggling, I don’t like cheating but this level made me do it just to end my suffering, I usually dont mind losing in video games but being stuck on same level without progressing is a different story I’m like “let me through so I can explore more levels” and the game is like “YOU SHALL NOT PASS!” And they’re like mocking you when you’re too desperate to advance further
The log waterfall on the lion king gave me a harder time.
Is this even an issue in the gba version?
Can we acknowledge how terrible the background is the noisy texture combined with the overlayed water fall not only looks nasty but, the total lack of visual distinctions between background and interactive all elements makes platforming more difficult. Most 2d games use different amounts of saturation, blur or just shading.
I absolutely agree with you. It's hideous.
I'd hate to see your take on exploring all the unmarked secrets in The Legend of Zelda series.
This level is fun, the cavern levels where you play as the purple parrot where the true worst levels for me.
But this video isn’t focusing on Squeals on Wheels, regardless I’m glad that we’re getting video per day for this heh.
I remember playing that game when I was a kid as though it was yesterday. That level is frustrating, it’s all about timing. Which I never had when I was a kid but have now as an adult 😏
I’m a Donkey Kong lover, great video keep up the great work.
My brother is playing this game for the first time and he found this level extremely easy. He's on Razor Ridge World now. I'd have to agree with him, he said going off screen and coming back the barrels spawn the exact same way.
So I dunno.
Are you doing Donkey Kong December
My man legit shat out a 12 minute argument to cope with his skill issue. The only level DKC3 ever gave me trouble at FIRST was the one where there is a gas that reversed my movements. And thats cause i was a little kid, from a rough background too, i was a pretty dumb kid and even then the game was "fair enough" for me most of the time.
I played this stage on the Snes online... i just kept the triggers in reach...
i like this video a lot. and your argument is compelling! my main takeaway, though, is that platformers, particularly DK games, can lead to very subjective experiences. i’ve been so frustrated with levels that others had zero problem with, and i’ve torn through levels that others think are super hard. in a way it speaks to the great overall design of most DK levels
While I despise the lightning level more, I feel the same pain as you. That waterfall Barrel Drop Bounce level gave me a lot of grief when I played DKC 3. I also had that slippery platform edge problem when fighting the waterfall boss as Ellie - the one with the eyes.
This level really isn’t that bad. You might just not be very good at the game.
I feel like a lot of people who make these kind of videos, were not seasoned gamers that had won all the Mario games prior to DKC, so they came into the DKC series as kids that got stuck on stuff that I figured out within 20 minutes tops.
This level isn't that hard. You might slip a few times, but that usually just means falling to a lower level. Same with looking for the secrets. And if you do fall in a pit, extra lives are plentiful.
There are some frustratingly difficult levels, but it's hard for me to really point to anything in this game that is bad design...
well, maybe Kiddy's water bounce, which has very specific timing is is only needed once, if that (since there is a way to do it with Dixie that is easier).
It's not about the level being 'hard', it's just poorly designed in regards to layout. All the other waterfall areas aren't nearly as cryptic. The level requires more exploration and beginner's leaps of faith than most, and the one waterfall with the 3 dropping barrels *is* challenging to do if you only have Kiddy.
That said, there are harder levels...much harder, but this level just falls short on all fronts. But I'll gladly play this over those Returns games.
Did they change how the barrels spawn on the GBA?
4:27 Holy shit, that waterfall level from The Lion King made me rage quit as a kid. It was so hard for no reason. I eventually figured out the pattern, but that was after going through all my lives and continues and having to restart the game from the beginning 😂
Rocket barrel blast is a nightmare of a stage because it very easy at the start but at the checkpoint one mistake can easily ruined you chance at winning. I think this level was throw in last second.
To be honest I didn't expect this to happen so I don't know what to do exactly.
I actually like placing secrets off the beaten path because it encourages exploration and adds diversity to how secrets can be found.
Did they fix the lag issue in the switch online version?
"Can we buy Getting Over It?"
"No, we have Getting Over It at home.
Getting Over It at home:
Never had a big problem with this level. Was just replaying the game and remembered your attempt at analysis.
7:10 Probably yes, tested it a few times with Kiddy just for you - and it's totally fine, the timing isn't tight and hitting barrels is easy. It's even easier as Dixie. So, what is you problem with this part?
9:02 No, it doesn't teach you this. All 3 secrets can all be "found" without falling down. The paths leading to the DK coin and the second BB can both be found by just jumping/rolling of cliff and going back (the second BB can only be found and accessed by Dixie, I think?). The hint to both of them is - "your path goes up, but there's a lot of empty space to the right" and there's only 1 similar place - where 3 zingers are (I will talk about it later).
I'm not saying that "place is suspicious from level design perspective" is a good hint, and I'm not going to excuse the first BB - but a lot of secrets in the series is like this. And what you've said is just incorrect.
9:30 Most of these places are meant to bring you back if fall, so you won't have to replay half the level. Place behind 3 zingers is like this as well. And if you mistake such place for a secret and decide to jump off there - you can just go back immediately. So... what's the problem?
So this level’s sloppy spawn mechanics and slippery barrels not only make this stage broken, but its almost like the developers deliberately try to trick you into exploring area with nothing in them?
It feels intentionally bad and rushed.
It's funny you mention the criticism of falling to the bottom and slogging your way back up- this is my main criticism of Mario 64
Sounds like a skill issue to me.
This video was so spot on! Barrel Drop Bounce is not a level I've heard talked about much, whether good or bad, but it was such an annoying level for me for a long time, and all the reasons you said were spot on for why. And then you were also agreed that Krack Shot Kroc right afterwards is fire, it's my favourite level in the game (I like playing as Squitter a lot, Web Woods is also one of my favourites in DKC2). The level's less annoying now I've played the game through so many times, but yeah...
9:38
"Give me death. Just like Sonic" is fucking perfect for this game given what we saw in the previous game.
Of the three, DKC3 has a very special place in my heart. It was one of a few games my parents would pay for, and featured some of the most diverse (and gimmicky) levels I played, and I LOVED it. Remember the level(s) where you're climbing a rope some enemy lights on fire, and you find out the rope is actually a fuse, and it's the only real footing you have to climb all the way up? Those levels are my absolute favorite. I just love it so much. The boss battles weren't the best (the snowman and the Roolenstein robot boss battles were kinda fun), but the treasure seeking and world building the game seemed to make was just incredible.
DKC3 is the best in the series. You can't change my mind.
you make a good argument, but from my experience I'd say Ski High Caper from Donkey Kong Land is worse.
Never saw this level as a hard one tbh this comes as a surprise to me
Yeah me neither. I hated Low G labyrinth as a kid
@@incognitod8444 i hated the one that reverses controls when you are in water
Where did you get that music from
As a kid, I definitely struggled more with Lightning Lookout. It was difficult for me to figure out the pattern when I was that young. Having replayed the game dozens of times, this level is certainly not great.
For DKC2, the level I struggled with the most as a kid is Klobber Karnage. I just DID NOT understand how to properly use those barrels and spent MANY hours frustratingly trying to complete the level. Heck, I didn’t even struggle with Animal Antics at all, but Klonber Karnage… maaaaan
That barrel waterfall stage is obnoxious, it feels like a secretly clever level from a rom hack that just gets messed up by the creator using an older emulator that makes playing the level on a console or more accurate emulator reveal a ton of new bugs and lag.
Was still far easier than animal antics. Retrying those hard jumps only took a few seconds compared to failing animal antics when you were on the parrot stage and going all the way back.
I FEEL SO VALIDATED. I played this game as a child not long after it came out, and I remember getting to this level and getting stuck on "the screen" wondering if I had hit a dead end, not realising the game was failing to A) clearly convey what it was that I was supposed to do at that point, and B) consistently spawning barrels. I think I put down the game for a couple days before coming back. Then I played the level again and everything clicked. I didn't feel satisfied though; I felt like I'd been cheated, like the game had played a trick on me. It really left me with a bitter aftertaste that luckily was erased by Krack-Shot Kroc which as you said is an absolute banger of a level.
"his wife's life savings"
The Rareware world really is wacky
I was trying to explain to someone a while back why this level was so bad. I think I'll just link them this video.
Oh yeah. I had forgotten, but this was the level that broke my "no save-state streak" way back when I emulated this one to see why it is the most divisive DKC game.
I haven't played DKC3 in a long time and couldn't think of what level it would be, but as soon as I saw the barrels falling "Ohhhh that one"".
Love the dkc trilogy. This channel was a total treat to stumble across.
Only just found your channel, just what I've been looking for, levels from my favorite series being broken down from a design perspective 🧡🧡
did you play this on an emulator or virtual console? I 103% this game as a kid and i dont remember any of these lag or inconsistency issues, so i wonder if these could be emulation problems since i played mine on the original console. I also remember that the waterfall levels were all among my favorites. pretty sure i dont remember lag ever being a problem in this game. I also dont remember barrels having weird edges or being hard to platform. and while i'm sure the level design wouldnt be different, i think maybe you missed a hint somewhere because i 103% this game when broadband internet wasnt a thing yet and i didnt have any access to guides and i never was the type to do blind jumps off every ledge i see in search of secrets.