Donkey Kong 3 (1984). Play online

Summary

Donkey Kong 3 on the NES swaps the plumber for an exterminator named Stanley, who battles Donkey Kong and an assortment of bugs with bug spray. The action unfolds on stacked platforms beneath Donkey Kong’s vines, and players can push the ape upward by repeatedly spraying a Super Sprayer that appears after each successful hit. Insects range from buzzbees and beetles to queen beespies that shatter into dangerous fragments, while lost flowers at the bottom dent your round bonus. The game cycles through three repeating levels, rewards an extra life at 50,000 points, and eventually switches to a relentless "survival of the fittest" mode. Though the arcade version was modestly successful in Japan, the North American release flopped, making the NES port a rarity that later resurfaced through e‑Reader bundles and Virtual Console re‑releases.

Storyline

In Donkey Kong 3, the mischievous ape crashes into Stanley’s greenhouse garden, perching on the rafters and stirring up swarms of bugs. His rampage awakens nests of insects that threaten to devour the five prized flowers Stanley is tending.

Armed with a handheld sprayer, Stanley must spray bug spray at the critters, clearing each screen of bees, beetles and other pests. By exterminating the insects and dousing Donkey Kong himself, he keeps the flowers from being eaten and forces the ape to retreat. The cycle repeats across increasingly crowded levels, turning a simple greenhouse into a frantic bug‑busting showdown.