DKC3: Most Difficult Levels

After playing through Donkey Kong Country 3, I felt compelled to examine the game's most challenging levels.

Back when first playing DKC3, stages where you ride a sled like Demolition Drainpipe (4-2) or Tearaway Toboggan (5-2) would have been among the most challenging... Much like the mine cart levels in DKC. Now that I seem to have quicker reflexes and more experience, it's fun to take a look at which levels still snag seasoned DKC veterans.

Ripsaw Rage (4-3) makes the short list for many players. A huge-ass saw blade continually forces you to climb your way up higher through the trees. Personally, I had trouble with the DK Coin on Krevice Kreepers (5-1).

Years ago, Barrel Drop Bounce (5-3) gave me a hard time. Jumping from barrel to barrel as they flow down the waterfall... Falling down and having to re-start, plus they're starting to make us work for the bonuses and DK coin. Buzzer Barrage (6-1) is an underground cavern with Kopters and Buzz bees, another level on the blacklist.




 

Kong-Fused Cliffs (6-2) is disliked by some, mainly due to the ropes you're climbing are actively burning, requiring a fast climb upwards as you jump to dodge bees and incoming Kopters. Pot-Hole Panic (6-4) is also disliked by many players, possibly due to the atmosphere and coloring.

An honorable mention for Creepy Caverns (7-2). It can take a while to get timing of the ghost barrels, and not getting blasting yourself into a Buzz saw. Finding Squitter and getting him to the bonus area is a bit unintuitive, but I think that's the point...

I remember it used to take me forever to figure out how to snag the DK coin in Creepy Caverns. Involves a perfectly timed jump into a ghost barrel. The metal keg is tossed over this Buzz, with a simple throw that goes high, up and over, so it'll take as long as possible to reach Koin... Giving you time to position yourself so it hits him properly.

Another noteworthy  mention goes to Koindozer Klamber (7-4). Most players have it on their list. (I know it reminds me of Klobber Karnage from DK2's lost world. Hell, even the jungle brush and scenery bears an odd similarity...) Can take a minute to find the switch to change Bazuka's TNT barrels to steel kegs to defeat the lone green Kremling that's carrying the actual DK coin. A bonus barrel is also hidden up in the leaves in a similar fashion.




It's always tough to rank one stage as truly more difficult than another, but I've settled on two levels that are surely to be on every players short list as the most difficult in the game...

Lightning Lookout (7-3). This level had me almost ready to throw the controller through the screen. Sure, I could pick it up now, and probably complete the level with a life or two... But even after playing through the game again more than twenty years later, I died more times here than on any other level. Even the bonus level to "Collect 15 Green Bananas" is in the friggin' lightning! Thankfully the first bonus level "Bash the Baddies" didn't have lightning... (Adding lightning to that first bonus game could have made it damn near impossible to complete)

Poisonous Pipeline (7-5)
No, your controller isn't messed up. They've just reversed your controls... Ensuring when you instinctively try to avoid something, you'll crash right into it and die. That's just plain evil. I think we ended up holding our controllers backwards, which though difficult, seemed easier than having your controls reversed. The DK coin can be a tad tricky until you figure out the angle - bounce the keg off the wall while you jump, timing it so Koin will be shielding high when the keg hits him.





Not surprising, the most challenging levels of all are found in DKC3's Lost World of Krematoa:

*Stampede Sprint (Lost World 8-1) Running full speed ahead as Ellie the elephant, trying to dodge everything.

*Swoopy Salvo (Lost World Level 8-4) Climb through trees and avoid swooping woodpeckers and red Buzz saw bees.

*Rocket Rush (Lost World Level 8-5) Little room for error as you pilot a rocket-fueled ship made out of a barrel. Many space monkeys died to complete this mission.

Reaching Into The Bond Archives...

Artificial Military 'Intelligence'

A quick glance at another favorite GoldenEye mission, the Military Intelligence Archives in St. Petersburg.

Mad Dash Through the Archives
(11th Mission of GoldenEye 007)

00 Agents who finish the Archives mission quickly enough (1:20 or less) will be awarded with the Bond Invisible Cheat (also known as the Achievement "Cheater!").

Not only is the Cheat itself fun to play around with, but also offers the opportunity to peer into the boring lives of guards who swat flies and scratch their asses.

A successful run within the Target Time is something that even relatively new 00 Agents can accomplish.

Many of us did this task before even owning a copy of the game.

Just a quick overview. Hoping to post a more detailed strategy guide eventually.
(Basic Mission Walkthru: Archives)


A speedrun through the Archives is  nowhere near as frustrating as the Facility - Although random AI characters can screw up the mission (which can be maddening).



After a quick escape from the Interrogation room, grab the girl,
(obtain an item from a safe) then break a window for an exit.

Useless Trivia: The guard who patrols through the Mishkin room is the same guard who can be seen on one of the opening Intro Cameras.

The main point of frustration is a rendezvous with Defense Minister Mishkin in a tiny little room, where random character animations can be the death of you (quite literally).

One guard will almost certainly patrol through the room itself, while another guard or two might happen to follow you all the way there.

Sometimes one can improvise by slamming the door in the guard's face...
With any luck, maybe he gets stuck spinning around behind the door.
But these guys tend to be pretty persistent.

Most important thing is to keep those words flowing at the top of the screen, otherwise valuable time is lost.

Dealing with the guards can be a nuisance, because if Natalya hears Bond fire a single shot, she could run away... Gotta take out every guard with a Slapper.

If Bond steps away from Mishkin to deal with a problematic guard, the conversation can get interrupted, losing valuable seconds towards a successful speedrun.

Failure to deal with one of these guards, and run the risk of him blowing up your chances to finish the mission at all. It's a constant trade-off.

Some people have managed to absolutely crush the Target Time in any particular mission (take Facility, Control Center or Water Caverns, for instance).

The Archives is unique because the requirement is 1:20, which is relatively tight. The best players in the world have amazingly done it in 53 seconds. Pretty damn impressive. Still, it's just 27 seconds within the Target.

Even though the Archives mission offers one of the easier Cheats to unlock, it's also the mission that allows the least amount of leeway.





Key in hand, item retrieved from the safe, and a dash for the exit.

Escaping through the window in true Bond fashion.

There's also good continuity, with the exit of the level matching where Bond starts the very next mission (the Streets).

Land, Sea and Air...

Super Mario Bros 3 - Game Ending Screens

Upon completing Super Mario Bros. 3, the player is treated to a few quick graphics representing each level (which was pretty big stuff at the time).

In a few images captured from the All-Stars version, couldn't help but notice that the world names have been changed slightly... The "updated" names actually seem to match the official Strategy Guide.

Super Mario Bros 3
(Super Mario All-Stars Version)

"SKY WORLD" becomes "THE SKY"

World 5 Map, The Sky World

"PIPE WORLD" becomes "PIPE MAZE".

World 8 Map - Practically on King Koopa's Doorstep.

"DARK WORLD" becomes "CASTLE OF KOOPA"

Mild Graphic

Getting Set Up With Janus...

Gotta love those old Rareware promotional graphics for GoldenEye 007.
This is one that we don't see quite as often - James Bond in the Statue Park mission.

I believe the original title was "Midnight in Statue Park".

Playing Director...

Lights, Camera, Action Blocks

The camera angles in GoldenEye's Bunker 2 mission were fine just the way they were... But it's always fun to have more, and see things you don't normally see.

A Dual Klobb-Wielding, Keycard Carrying Arctic Commando.

Modifying the Intro Cameras in GoldenEye 007. The game will display one of three different camera angles during the opening cinematic. Added some new angles that I feel are just as interesting.

Doing a bit of spying on the guard who carries Keycard B. It gains access to the doors visible behind him, where Bond will collect a red clipboard from a guard.

The potential is there to do so much more with this (already) amazing game.
Some levels (like Silo) offer just one a single intro camera by default.

Looking down as he walks towards the camera...

A pair of high angle shots.

Looking down as the guard walks away

The guards will start their patrol paths as soon as the level loads, which is particularly entertaining to watch.

Captured this same guard from FOUR different camera angles...

Especially cool because he walks through a set of doors during the intro.

Another low angle shot. Almost as good as the first one.

Worst Lap Ever!

Watching The Grass Grow...

Mario parks his Kart, and enjoys a relaxing afternoon in the country...

What happens when you walk away and inadvertently leave your Mario Kart game running?
The timer will max out at 99 minutes and 59 seconds.

The other racers were still zipping around after completing who knows how many laps...

All-Star Cast of Obscure Cameos...

SMB3: The King Has Been Transformed!

Touched on this royal subject before, but don't think the snapshots were ever posted altogether.

A topic that encompasses four Mario games...
The Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros. 3, which of course features brief appearances by characters from Super Mario Bros. 2 and Super Mario World.

Super Mario All-Stars!
(Super Mario Bros 3)

When "The King has been transformed!"
I don't see what the big rush is to change him back...
Some of these magical spells are kinda cool.

The transformations on the SNES version are different than the original NES version, but I personally find them to be more memorable.

Call 'em Easter Eggs, Cameos, or just fun little details.

Cobrat the snake is one of my favorites...

(Also reminds me that the Koopa Kids also had their ugly mugs updated for the All-Stars version)








The Full Monty:
World 1: Cobrat (SMB2)
World 2: Hoopster (SMB2)
World 3: Dino Rhino (SMW)
World 4: Donkey Kong Junior
World 5: Albatross (SMB2)
World 6: Monty Mole (SMW)
World 7: Yoshi (SMW)

World 2: Hoopster (SMB2)

The original version featured a random spider... Using the beetle Hoopster from SMB2 was a nice touch.

World 3: Dino Rhino (SMW)

Not quite sure why Dino Rhino is purple instead of green...
(That's what happens when stuff is outsourced to Korea)

Dino Rhino in Super Mario World

World 4: Donkey Kong Junior

Here's a really old throwback... DK Junior!
(Who technically grew up to be modern-day Donkey Kong...)

World 5: Albatross (SMB2)

Albatross. Only oldschool Mario veterans would have been aware of him.

World 6: Monty Mole (SMW)

Monty Mole looks like an even bigger prick with that crown on his head... We all hated this critter!







If you can make it all the way through the hellish World 7 (Piranha Plant-Infested Pipe Maze of Death), you'll be treated to one of the more familiar character cameos - Mario's dino pal Yoshi.

World 7: Yoshi (SMW)

Any chance we can borrow that green Yoshi for our trip to Bowser's Castle?
Didn't think so.