Donkey Kong Country 3 is the final game in the Rare-made trilogy of platform games. This game takes place in the Northern Kremisphere, a previously unexplored area of Donkey Kong Country. This time, the players are Dixie Kong (from DKC2) and her incredibly large baby cousin, Kiddy Kong. Donkey and Diddy Kong have been kidnapped, and it's up to the pair to explore the new territory to save them.

Dixie's Helicopter Spin move returns, allowing her to safely float down to the ground. A new move is Kiddy's Water Skip move, which allows him to hop across the water a few times. In addition to this, Dixie can also hurl Kiddy against a wall and ride him like a barrel while he's rolling.

New additions to the game include an all-new world for players to discover, called "Pacifica". This world has six tough levels to test even the most experienced DKC players. Other new mini-games include Funky's boat races, Cranky's Dojo, where you're assaulted by spiked creatures which you must block with a shield, and a tunnel race called Swanky's Dash.