The originalDonkey Kong Countrytrilogy for the Super Nintendo has, without a doubt, some of the best soundtracks in the history of gaming. Nintendo is very much aware of this, seeing as it recently added the music from the first and second entries to the new Nintendo Music app.
Back in November,after the company added theDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Questsoundtrackto the app, I was left wondering if it was going to take long to add music from the third game to the trilogy. After more than 2 months, it finally happened:the soundtrack ofDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Troubleis now available on the Nintendo Music appforDonkey Kongfans all around the world to listen to anywhere and anytime.
This wonderful addition keeps proving how both late 2024 and early 2025 are great forDonkey Kongfans: Nintendo added the soundtracks of the entireDKCSNES trilogy to the Nintendo Music app,theDonkey Kong Countrytheme park opened in Universal Studios Japanback in December,andDonkey Kong Country Returns HD, a modern remaster of the excellent Wii platformer from 2010, is coming out on Nintendo Switch this January 16.
The only thing truly missing from this party is a completely newDonkey Konggame (not a remaster, a port, or a re-release), but there’s always the possibility that Nintendo is waiting to launch the Nintendo Switch’s successor before announcing a project like that.
The surprisingly beautiful soundtrack of Donkey Kong Country 3
Released on the SNES back in November 1996,Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble!was a late addition to the 16-bit console’s catalog, and yet it immediately became one of its best offerings, since Rare managed to maintain the same level of quality as its predecessors. Aside from its flawless gameplay and cutting-edge graphics, its beautiful soundtrack, composed byEveline Novakovic(with the help of longtime series’ composer, David Wise) was one of its most impressive and memorable features.
Like the previous two games,Donkey Kong Country 3featured a versatile soundtrack that fits the atmosphere depending on the situation: Songs likeBrother BearandSwanky’s Sideshoware fun and lighthearted, while other songs likeTreetop TumbleandBig Boss Bluescan be atmospheric and intimidating. While the soundtracks of its predecessors are arguably better,Donkey Kong Country 3still introduced gamers to some of the best music in Nintendo’s history, and they’re all worth listening to via the Nintendo Music app.
Since music from the entire original SNESDonkey Kong Countrytrilogy is now available on the Nintendo Music app, the company should keep moving forward and add themes from subsequent games in the series, likeDonkey Kong 64orDonkey Kong Land. Another glaring omission is music from the other DKC games that Rare didn’t develop:Donkey Kong Country ReturnsandDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. With the release ofReturns HDright around the corner, I’m sure Nintendo will put those soundtracks in the Nintendo Music App sometime this year.
