Donkey Kong 3: The Great Counterattack (3.5″ disk version)

A rare shooter for early NEC systems

Donkey Kong 3: The Great Counterattack, known in Japan as Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushū, is a very rare fixed shooter game, and one of the lesser known Donkey Kong titles, officially licensed by Nintendo in 1983 to development partner Hudson Soft.

The game was released across 4 platforms, NEC PC-6001mkII, NEC PC-6601, NEC PC-8801, and Sharp X1, with subtle cosmetic and gameplay differences for each.

The game featured is the NEC PC-6601 3.5″ disk version and stands out as one of the unique releases in the Donkey Kong franchise, providing a shooter twist to the traditional platforming gameplay.

A shift in gameplay style

Unlike the original Donkey Kong arcade games, this installment takes a different approach, blending the original franchise’s characters with the fast-paced action of a shooter. Players control the character Stanly, who must protect his crops from attacking bugs, all while trying to keep Donkey Kong at bay. The game is notably different from its predecessors, using a more top-down, shooter-style perspective, offering a fresh take on the series during a time when gaming was still experimenting with genre blends.

A valuable addition to retro collections

The release of Donkey Kong 3: The Great Counterattack on 3.5″ disk for the NEC PC-6601 adds a rare gem to any collector’s library. As part of Hudson Soft’s efforts to adapt the Donkey Kong franchise for different systems, this version was released only on home computers, making it harder to find compared to console versions. For those interested in the broader history of Nintendo’s cross-platform ventures and the evolution of early gaming, this game is a must-have collectible.

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