Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe’s guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo’s download service. Written by Sam C Gittins and Joshua Phillips

While it might not seem that long since DKC3 was reviewed on the Wii U VC, Josh and I tackle the New 3DS version giving you more reviews for your viewing pleasure plus we meet a few bears along the way. Anyway enough from us and on with the game! 
  
Available for download this week we have...  

Ah the wonderful, traversable map screen in all of its glory.

 The big main addition this time around is a much larger map which acts more like an overworld as there are no set paths as such and you are free to roam this map as you see fit by doing this you will eventually get to the smaller integrated area maps which allow you to access the games levels. Smaller maps are just as they were in previous games but having the overworld map really gives a grander sense of scale this time around, sets the scene nicely and provides a central hub for the many secrets that can be discovered.

Other than that it's the same brilliant tried, tested and well loved formula that powered the originals working away silently in the background; you can complete each stage with either controllable character but in order to find everything you will need to utilise both apes abilities and their animal associates. Returning ridable animals include fan favorites Enguarde the Swordfish, Squitter the Spider and Squawks the Parrot with newcomers Ellie the Elephant and Parry the Parallel bird who prove themselves to be equally exceptional extras.

Obligatory underwater image.

Essentially this is a shining example of one of the finest SNES platformers ever made and it's equally as deserving of it's high level of praise just as much as the two previous outings are. Whether it's the best of the trilogy however is entirely down to which one you like; personally I prefer the original but each has pushed the envelope that little bit further and for that reason DKC 3 is equally as good as it's primate prequels. 

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Donkey Kong Country and Diddy’s Kong Quest are two of my all-time favourite titles and the Donkey Kong series itself is something I hold very close to my heart but as far as my gaming history is concerned there has always been one glaring omission – Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble.

I’ve dabbled with the title a few times before, once borrowing it from a friend in the SNES days and again in the Wii era on Virtual Console but both times I could never get into it and struggled to get past World 1. The game just felt so different and too far removed from the Donkey Kong I loved. I couldn’t get on with Ellie the elephant, she seemed to randomly run away and die, and Kiddy seemed too big and clunky. But on this third and final attempt for New 3DS I was surprised to find a thoroughly enjoyable game when I was able to open my mind just a little.

Here a bear...

Double Trouble pits Dixie Kong as the main character and her famous hair gliding is back from Kong Quest, sadly though, her partner isn’t quite as nimble as Diddy Kong used to be. A strong but otherwise clumsy brute in the form of Kiddy Kong joins you on your journey but whilst initially he seems like a useless extra to use once Dixie has perished, he actually has some useful tricks up his sleeve. Rolling into the water and jumping at the right time will see him bounce over lakes, this is great for when you’re trying to speed through a level and, thanks to the constantly growing height with each new successful bounce, can take you up to previously unreachable places that hide bonus boxes.

My other previous pet peeve was Ellie but again, with a little more time spent with her, I grew very fond of the new abilities on offer. She’s doesn’t ‘randomly run away’ in fear, instead she runs at the sight of a mouse. As long as you keep your distance whilst the light is on a mouse and make sure to pound it with a barrel, you’ll be fine.

In fact, the suction ability of Ellie is one of the best yet, as she sucks up barrels to send hurtling into enemies, or water which she can store droplets and shoot out at enemies in a similar vein to Yoshi and his eggs.

...there a bear!

The music didn’t impress me on my first two rounds but just like Ellie and Kiddy, after giving this game the chance it deserves and sitting down with it for hours on end, I grew fond of the foot tapping simple tunes and whilst nothing is as memorable as the previous soundtracks by David Wise, Eveline Fischer did a great job of putting her own style on the series that meshed well with the calm Canada setting.

In fact, I not only started playing this and accepting it as an okay completion to the series, but as a fantastic in-depth adventure. My problem previously was that I compared it too much to the other two titles whereas this really is in a separate league. Much in the same way Mario Sunshine and Wind Waker are massively different to their former entries, Donkey Kong Country 3 becomes incredibly enjoyable when you enjoy it for what it is as oppose to what it isn’t.

The game runs along at a slower pace but is more involved, especially with the overworld map as you manually move your characters around from a top down view, something that was inspired by Super Mario RPG. Being able to choose which world to go first as oppose to following a set path on a menu and obtaining upgrades for your hovercraft to reach further worlds as the game progresses gave it much more of an open world feel.

Everywhere a Brothers Bear!

The characters got a new lease of life as well. The likes of Swanky are seen in a whole new light as he plays host to not just quiz shows but separate mini-games that let you face off against a CPU Cranky. Wrinkly Kong also seems to be full of energy in her new fitness garb with a few nice easter eggs in her hut as well (keep an ear out for the Princess Peach’s Castle music).

Most importantly though, Double Trouble introduces us to a series of characters that are so Rare and so 90’s I couldn’t help but fall madly in love… The Brothers Bear. With one in each world, they all have a personality and impressive wardrobe of their own. Portly bears in pink shirts and fedora, a lovely knitted jumper or very tight shorts, they each have a task of their own in their respective huts for you to complete as you go about your adventure.

You've got to love a bear in uniform.