game
icon
title Donkey Kong 3 (US)
set name dkong3
manufacturer Nintendo of America
year 1983
genre Platform (hof)
category Platform / Run Jump (hof)
driver status good
driver source dkong.c
snapshots MW: in game / CT: in game | title | artwork / Mr. Do: artwork / Dany69: artwork / PS: in game | title | scores
zoom
rating

65.7% after 53 votes
 
clones Donkey Kong 3 (bootleg on Donkey Kong Jr. hardware)
Donkey Kong 3 (Japan)
display
colour emulation good
palette 521
display type raster
orientation vertical
resolution 224x256
frequency 60.606061Hz
sound
sound emulation good
channels mono
controls
players 2
nplayers 2P alt
controls 4 way joystick
buttons 1
coin slots 3
hardware
cpu Z80 @ 4MHz
cpu N2A03 @ 1.789772MHz
cpu N2A03 @ 1.789772MHz
audio N2A03 @ 1.789772MHz
audio N2A03 @ 1.789772MHz
data
version added .011
last change(s) .127
roms
name size crc set flags sha1
dk3c.7b  8192  38d5f38e  dkong3    5a6bb0e5070211515e3d56bd7d4c2d1655ac1621 
dk3c.7c  8192  c9134379  dkong3    ecddb3694b93cb3dc98c3b1aeeee928e27529aba 
dk3c.7d  8192  d22e2921  dkong3    59a4a1a36aaca19ee0a7255d832df9d042ba34fb 
dk3c.7e  8192  615f14b7  dkong3    145674073e95d97c9131b6f2b03303eadb57ca78 
dk3c.5l  8192  7ff88885  dkong3    d530581778aab260e21f04c38e57ba34edea7c64 
dk3c.6h  8192  36d7200c  dkong3    7965fcb9bc1c0fdcae8a8e79df9c7b7439c506d8 
dk3v.3n  4096  415a99c7  dkong3    e0855b03bb1dc0d8ae46da9fe33ca30ecf6a2e96 
dk3v.3p  4096  25744ea0  dkong3    4866e43e80b010ccf2c8cc94c232786521f9e26e 
dk3v.7c  4096  8ffa1737  dkong3    fa5896124227d412fbdf83f129ddffa32cf2053b 
dk3v.7d  4096  9ac84686  dkong3    a089376b9c23094490703152ad98ed27f519402d 
dk3v.7e  4096  0c0af3fb  dkong3    03e0c3f51bc3c20f95cb02f76f2d80188d5dbe36 
dk3v.7f  4096  55c58662  dkong3    7f3d5a1b386cc37d466e42392ffefc928666a8dc 
dkc1-c.1d  512  df54befc  dkong3    7912dbf0a0c8ef68f4ae0f95e55ab164da80e4a1 
dkc1-c.1c  512  66a77f40  dkong3    c408d65990f0edd78c4590c447426f383fcd2d88 
dkc1-v.2n  256  50e33434  dkong3    b63da9bed9dc4c7da78e4c26d4ba14b65f2b7e72 
dkc1-v.5e  32  d3e2eaf8  dkong3    87bb298137c26570dafb4ac495c87e82441e70e5 
cabinet art
cabinet dkong3.png
marquee dkong3.png
control panel dkong3.png
flyer dkong3.png
additional information
info 0.11 [Mirko Buffoni]

TEST MODE:
  • Press F2 + F3 for Test-Mode
WIP:
  • 0.127u2: Replaced I8035 CPU2 with MB8884 in clone Donkey Kong 3 (bootleg on Donkey Kong Jr. hardware).
  • 0.127: Couriersud added address decode prom dkc1-v.5e (18S030) to Donkey Kong 3 and clone (Japan).
  • 0.125u7: Cleaned up Z80DMA interface [Couriersud]: Removed compatibility to old Z80DMA driver. Now uses std. callbacks (READ8_HANDLER, WRITE8_HANDLER). Updated Donkey Kong 3 accordingly.
  • 0.125u3: Added 2x 'Unknown' dipswitches.
  • 0.122u4: Added Z80 DMA chip [Couriersud]: Only implements intelligence to emulate Donkey Kong 3. Fixed a misleading comment in 8257dma.h.
  • 0.122u2: Couriersud added dipswitch locations to clone (bootleg on Donkey Kong Jr. hardware) and replaced DAC/Samples sound with Discrete.
  • 0.121u3: Couriersud fixed bug in clone (bootleg on Donkey Kong Jr. hardware) memory map.
  • 0.120u4: Added 'Service Mode' dipswitch.
  • 0.116u3: Changed VSync to 60.606061 Hz. Fixed proms loading.
  • 0.116: Couriersud implemented discrete sound and color generation (resistor mixer) from schematics in Donkey Kong 3.
  • 13th October 2005: Guru - Donkey Kong 3 on Galaxian h/w arrived a few days ago. Thanks to Tingoes.
  • 0.97u1: Pierpaolo Prazzoli fixed Donkey Kong 3 (bootleg) colors.
  • 0.93: Added clock parameter to NES sound (1789772 Hz).
  • 0.74u2: Pierpaolo Prazzoli added clone Donkey Kong 3 (bootleg on Donkey Kong Jr. hardware).
  • 1st October 2003: Pierpaolo Prazzoli added Donkey Kong 3 bootleg to the dkong driver.
  • 0.36b13: Changed N2A03 CPU1/2 clock speeds to 1789772 Hz. Replaced 2x NES and DAC sound with 2x Nintendo.
  • 26th December 1999: wwtk@mail.com and Matthew Conte contributed a new NES sound driver for Punch Out and Donkey Kong 3, and also some fixes to SNK games sound.
  • 0.36b9: Added clone Donkey Kong 3 (Japan).
  • 0.36b5: Replaced the M6502 CPU2/3 with 2x N2A03 CPUs.
  • 0.31: Nicola Salmoria did a first attempt at sound in Donkey Kong 3 / Punch Out. These two Nintendo games use the same sound hardware as the NES console. Tim Lindquist accurate the colors in Donkey Kong 3.
  • 0.29: Accurate colors in Donkey Kong 3 (well, not really). The colors come from a bootleg board. They might not be the same as the original version.
  • 0.28: Merged Dkong and Dkong 3 driver and vidhrdw driver.
  • 0.16: Matthew Hillmer submitted a new palette for Donkey Kong 3. It is not intended to be correct, but at least it gets rid of the annoying checkerboard effect.
  • 0.14: Donkey Kong 3 now preserve the high score.
  • 0.11: Mirko Buffoni provided a driver for Donkey Kong 3 (Nintendo of America 1983).
LEVELS: 4

Other Emulators:
  • CottAGE
  • JAE
  • JEmu2
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Romset: 74 kb / 16 files / 40.8 zip
history Donkey Kong 3 (c) 1983 Nintendo.


The 3rd and final arcade outing for Donkey Kong sees the giant ape once again cast as the enemy. Unlike the first 2 Kong games, the legendary character Mario doesn't feature, with the player taking on the role of 'Stanley', a gardener who is armed with a bug spray with which he must destroy the swarms of insects that attack Stanley and try to steal his plants.


Each level has five plants that must be protected. Stanley must also spray Kong to force the ape to the top of the screen and complete the level.


- TECHNICAL -


Main CPU : Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)

Sound CPU : (2x) N2A03 (@ 1.789772 Mhz)

Sound Chips : (2x) N2A03 (@ 1.789772 Mhz)


Screen orientation : Vertical

Video resolution : 224 x 256 pixels

Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz

Palette colors : 256


Players : 2

Control : 4-way joystick

Buttons : 1 (SPRAY)


- TRIVIA -


Released in October 1983, Donkey Kong 3 was Nintendo's 3rd arcade featuring the hapless ape.


This game came out at the time of the big arcade game collapse. Companies such as Atari, Konami, and Taito saw a drastic reduction in sales for their arcade machines. Smaller arcade companies such as Centuri (producer of "Pleiades" and "Phoenix") simply went out of business. Although some notable games such as "Cloak and Dagger", "Track and Field", and "Elevator Action" were released, none of them had strong sales. Donkey Kong 3 was no exception to what was going on.


First of all, Donkey Kong 3 changed the look of their game. Second, Instead of Mario, they now used Stanley the Exterminator (This is the only Nintendo game to feature the character of Stanley). Unfortunately, Donkey Kong 3 was not well received at the arcades and did pretty poorly in sales. It did develop a cult of games who remained loyal to the Donkey Kong series, but it never offered any serious competition.


Lloyd Bromola holds the official record for this game with 2,132,100 points on June 27, 1985.


A bootleg was made by Kazutome in 1984 on the "Donkey Kong Junior" hardware!


- SCORING -


Beespy : 100 points

Buttifly (Blue Bee) : 200 points

Saving a Plant : 400 points + bug's value

Caterpillar : 400 points

Moth : 700 points


The Queen Bee's scoring depends on how many Beespies are escorting her :

Queen Bee with no escorts : 400 points

Queen Bee with one escort : 700 points

Queen Bee with two escorts : 1000 points


You get 500 points per plant saved. If you save all the plants in consecutive levels, you get the following bonus :

First two consecutive levels (at this point, plants are not all full size) : 2000 points.

Third consecutive level onward (saving all plants after all 5 have grown to full size) : 5000 points.

If you lose a plant, you will get no plant bonus. Afterward you'll have to grow a new plant, resetting the plant bonus to 2000.


You also get the remaining bonus points added to your score when you complete a level. The bonus points start off at 8000.


- TIPS AND TRICKS -


* When you start the game, Stanley will start at the bottom, middle of the screen. You job is to move him up to push Donkey Kong out of the area and to defend against the various insects that will plague Stanley. Using the joystick, you can easily navigate on the platforms as long as there is a platform above and below Stanley. Use this ability to maneuver to keep out of harms way.


* Your big goal is to prevent the insects from getting all of your plants. If you lose all of your plants, you lose the game. If you do happen to lose a plant, it takes two levels to grow another one.


* Some players use this to their advantage in order to increase their scores. They let the insect capture the plant, then they shoot the insect to get both the plant and insect bonus. In addition, they collect the bonus for having all five plants at the end of the level.


* When using the regular bug spray, you will have to go to the top of the platformed area and jump up to force Donkey Kong higher while defending yourself against the insects.


* Keep in mind, that the bug spray you start with is pretty weak; both in terms of range and power. Your immediate goal is to get Donkey Kong far enough up the ropes so that the super-bug spray can gets dropped. This will enable you to hit him from the bottom of the platforms and give you more running room to avoid the insects. Keep in mind, this super-bug spray only last for that level.


* The above will be especially crucial during the Caterpillar levels. The bug spray merely causes the Caterpillars to choke and cough and it doesn't kill them. Instead, you may end up creating a wall of choking Caterpillars that block your line of fire from Donkey Kong. Make sure you fire in-between the four rows of Caterpillars.


* You will note that on the Temple levels, there is no middle level, per se. Instead, you must work your way around to the right or left to get to the top platform. This delay could prove crucial since you will have to be very wary of the insects that will have had a head start on you.


* In the Caterpillar level, Donkey Kong likes to throw coconuts down on Stanley. There is a pattern to his throwing. He will first throw one to the left, then one to the center, then one to the right. The left and right coconuts that are thrown are aimed at the beehives, which will release a Beespy or Buttifly.


* In the later levels, after 18, for the non-Caterpillar levels, the pattern is a little different regarding the coconut throwing. Donkey Kong will throw a coconut to the right, then the left, then to the center.


* As you progress further into the levels, the insects become faster and more aggressive. As a matter of fact, after level 15, their shots are much more accurate when they shoot at Stanley. Also, the insects that don't shoot will home in on Stanley. This will require good joystick control if you are to survive.


* Be aware that the Queen Bees explode into shrapnel when killed. Four pieces will radiate downward. Most of the time, if you are centered under them, the shrapnel will go around Stanley. If you are moving, though, be aware that even though you killed the Queen Bee, you will still have to deal with the aftermath.


* Watch for patterns on the Jungle and Temple levels. The bees have a pattern when they swarm from their hives and come down to attack. Even on the later levels, when extra bees are involved in the attack, they still show patterns. Use this to your advantage.


- SERIES -
  1. Donkey Kong (1981)
  2. Donkey Kong Junior (1982)
  3. Donkey Kong 3 (1983)
  4. - STAFF -
    • Designed and programmed by : Shigeru Miyamoto
    • - PORTS -
    • * Consoles :
    • Nintendo Famicom (1984)
    • Nintendo Game Boy Advance (2003, "e-READER Series")
    • - SOURCES -
    • Game's rom.
    • Machine's picture.
    • F.A.Q. by Kevin Butler A.K.A. War Doc
    • Edit this entry at Arcade-History.com: http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=donkey-kong-3&page=detail&id=667&o=2
resource links view in MAWS
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view high score and replay at MARP
view in Progetto EMMA (Italian)
view in arcade-history.com
view in GameFAQs
view in KLOV
view in MamEnd
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in VGMuseum Gamepics
view in VGMuseum Gamepics
cheats
cheats
code comments
00000000:6BF1:00000063:FFFFFFFF  Infinite Credits
00000000:601A:00000006:FFFFFFFF  Infinite Lives
20800000:0E97:000000C9:FFFFFFFF  Invincibility
20810000:0EB1:000000C9:FFFFFFFF  Invincibility (2/4):1st = Enemy, 2nd = Fire
20810000:2032:00000018:FFFFFFFF  Invincibility (3/4):Spread Bee
20810000:4BC0:000000C9:FFFFFFFF  Invincibility (4/4):Fall of Kong
00000000:603D:00000000:FFFFFFFF  Infinite SShooter upon pickup
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