MAME ROW #68 - Donkey Kong 3

[obsidianspider]

This is the MAME Random Of the Week #68

The three random numbers for this week are: 432 363 1559

Click here to vote! Which game do you choose for MAME ROW #68?

The result of the poll is posted on Wednesday, so we have Monday and Tuesday for experimentation.

432
Game Name: Donkey Kong 3 (US)
Company: Nintendo of America
Year: 1983
ROM file name: dkong3.zip

363
Game Name: Curve Ball
Company: Mylstar
Year: 1984
ROM file name: curvebal.zip

1341
Game Name: Pepper II
Company: Exidy
Year: 1982
ROM file name: pepper2.zip

What is the MAME ROW?

MAME ROW stands for MAME Random Of the Week. We randomly select an arcade game from the 0.78 MAME Reference Set to play on the week. The idea is to play games we've never played before, interact with other forum members, post hi-scores, share game strategies, fun facts, and (the most important) HAVE FUN!

Notes:

1. We usually post hi-scores screenshots after playing with only one credit. If you used more than one credit, please mention it on your post.

2. There's no need to use RetroPie to join the MAME ROW! You can play it on any platform you want.

3. Feel free to post your hi-score (or any content about the game) anytime you want on the previous rounds topics (link below).

Every Monday we create a topic at the "General Discussion and Gaming > MAME Random Of the Week" forum section with the 3 random games to be voted. And on Wednesday we check the result.

These "rules" are constantly being improved!

Previous Rounds

[Fruitybit]

I thought Donkey King would be a given, but I’m voting for Pepper II!

[mediamogul]

At a time when 'Galaga' was still consuming nearly twice as many quarters as it's competitors, Nintendo needed a second sequel to the platformer that established their brand in America. What we got as a result was one part platformer and one part vertical shooter. 'Donkey Kong 3' is the peanut butter and jelly of retro video gaming. Originally cited as abusing his pet gorilla in the marketing materials of 'Donkey Kong' and then being relegated to the antagonist role in 'Donkey Kong Jr.', Nintendo begins to disassociate their rising star Mario from DK here to avoid any further confusion towards his hero status... until of course he goes all jerkface again and torments Wario as a child, thus creating his future rival. However, that's another story.

Stanley the bugman takes center stage here and despite the Game & Watch title 'Greenhouse', an appearance on 'Saturday Supercade' and a Smash Bros. trophy, DK3 would be his only major appearance. It's a real shame too because he's got a lot going for him. He's got a unique gimmick, great character design and some sweet dance moves. On top of everything else, he's got established beef with one of Nintendo's A-listers, Donkey Kong. I would have loved to see him occasionally show up and do his thing over the years. He would have been perfect as a co-star to Mario in the 'Vs. Donkey Kong' games, such as Oswald the Rabbit was to Mickey Mouse in 'Epic Mickey 2'.

Anyway, I couldn't resist writing this, as it's a personal favorite of mine that I throw on whenever I can't decide between games that go "boing boing" or "pew pew". Also, a friend of mine holds the number 3 score on this at the infamous Funspot arcade in New Hampshire where 'The King of Kong' was filmed. If any of you ever make it out that way, try to beat TMN's score.

[obsidianspider]

The Gaming Historian did a nice video about Donkey Kong 3.

[mediamogul]

@obsidianspider

Great video! I didn't know that Nintendo never released a dedicated cabinet for DK3. One of those 5000 conversion models ended up at a Skate-a-Round in my home town and I played it relentlessly. It sat next to a 'Pac-Man Plus' cabinet that was my arch nemesis.

[UDb23]

@mediamogul Interesting story, thanks!
You convinced me: dk3 gets my vote.

[mediamogul]

@udb23

Glad I could help put a thumb down on the scales for this sometimes overlooked classic. I should also point out that it's purely out of nostalgia. To stay on top of things lately, I've had to temporarily cut out nearly all gaming. I did manage to find time to beat the twelfth level of 'Famicom Wars' the other day, leaving me with only five more to go. Talk about getting your money's worth out of a game, I would not have regretting buying it as a kid. I might have even beaten it by my teenage years.

[UDb23]

FYI: @simbz23 made an overlay for DK3 some time ago.

[obsidianspider]

This week's winner is Donkey Kong 3

[AndersHP]

This game is so great! Throwing in my first hiscore of 43.300

[meleu]

@andershp picture or it didn't happen.
(err... my job's proxy was blocking your screenshot, I saw it when get home 😅)

[obsidianspider]

45,600 for now. Also, I'm pretty sure "registrated" is not a word.

[meleu]

You're lucky I'm away from my arcade build, and wil be for more 2 weeks. :-)

[pjft]

Well, I never played this so I'll try to give it a go :) I had seen in come up on the random game screensaver every now and then, so it's as good a time as any to give it a shot (no pun intended) :)

[AndersHP]

Do your version save hiscores? My score from above is not remembered in the game..
I'm running the FBA .42 version...

[cyperghost]

My entry for this nice game 56400 Pts
You get a better insecticide (made by Monsanto??) per live if you hunt Donkey Kong up the rope!

@pjft Try this! It's a nice game for casual players and one coin lasts not for long....

[mediamogul]

I reset my high score and played a little bit today. After a few stages, I have more luck focusing on killing all the insects rather than trying to push DK all the way to the top. It's still important to give him a healthy boost at the very beginning, otherwise he'll fall on top of you before you have a chance to kill everything.

[Domogram Rovers]

My best so far is a paltry 26000-ish.
I work in a warehouse and a guy I worked with thought boxes of Monsanto stuff was an Italian wine!

[obsidianspider]

MAME ROW #69 is live!

[VictimRLSH]

@obsidianspider

This is essentially a vertical shooter. Don't focus on spraying DK all the way to the top unless you have the super sprayer, just kill all the bugs and the level will end. This is especially key on the level with the missing platform in the center.

On the level where he is throwing coconuts at you, he alternates between throwing one directly at you, and throwing one at a hive to release bugs. Keep track of which one he is on, and be ready to dodge the one coming for you. You need to move quick, don't be in the middle of a level change or jumping in the air to shoot him. On these levels you do have to spray him to the top, but it is quite easy to do as he doesn't release very many bugs at once. Remember that shooting the caterpillars just stuns them and keeps them in your way, so when you are trying to spray DK to the top on this round, don't hit the caterpillars, let them crawl past your line of fire.

Don't "run and gun" the bumblebees, as they split into parts that will kill you, always be directly under them and stay there until the shrapnel is past.

The blue wasps will fix on your vertical position from the sides and then VERY quickly move in for the kill. Get under them by dropping down one level and shooting them from underneath after they fix on you but BEFORE they move in. If you see blue wasps coming out of the hives, do NOT be on the very bottom , as you won't be able to kill them after you dodge their attack until you move under them again.