The "Donkey Kong Country" series, quietly, started to become one of my favorite franchises in gaming recently. The original two games are some absolute stunners that are still loads of fun to play today, and the latest installment in the series, "Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze," is yet another reminder of Nintendo's excellence when it comes to crafting 2D platformers. Hell, even though it doesn't necessarily count as a "Country" game, "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" is also an excellent game that remains clever and fun today. My love of those games inspired me to marathon some of the "Donkey Kong Country" games that I hadn't beaten (I also tried to play "Donkey Kong 64" but...the less I have to say about that game, the better), and that brought me to "Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble," often considered to be the weakest of the original trilogy. While I would agree with that, it's really a testament to how good that original trilogy is that this is the weakest entry, because it's still loads of fun.
"Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble" features tons of the great platforming gameplay that the original titles presented, and Dixie was always extremely fun to play with, so centering this game around her was a very good move. I also enjoyed the chemistry between her and Kiddy Kong, which more than helped make up for the fact that Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong were not playable. As usual with Nintendo, the level design is still very strong, and while the game feels a bit easier than the first two, I think that's a good thing in this case in how it keeps the game from becoming unfair. The graphics are still vibrant and colorful today, and while the soundtrack doesn't match the legendary music of the first two games, it's still solid on its own.
I will agree, though, that the game is not without its faults. At times, it doesn't really do a whole lot to differentiate itself from its predecessors, which might feel disappointing coming off of a game like "Donkey Kong Country 2." Also, the levels often feel a lot shorter than before, which gives them a feeling of "wait, that's it?" in some moments.
Overall, "Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble" is another great moment in the "Donkey Kong Country" series. If this was really the weakest the series could go, I'd honestly gladly take that. It's still a blast to play, and it definitely comes highly recommended. While you're at it, play through the entire original trilogy. It's really awesome stuff.
Final rating: 8 out of 10 "Great"