Besides being mentioned in the game's plot and manual, Donkey Kong does not appear in this game. This makes Donkey Kong Land III the only Rare Donkey Kong game where Donkey Kong does not make a physical appearance.
Approximately three years after the game's original release for the Game Boy, an updated color version was released in 2000 called "Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong" for the Game Boy Color. Apart from having some other minor changes, the game was released only in Japan.