I've only played the first despite having the other two always available. I've always been a dk arcade/Gameboy/Mario.vs dk (before it became a lemmings knockoff) guy. I like a single screen non scrolling platformer. The arcade ones are of course generally cool but I like how the later iterations on the original dk formula were a neat kind of puzzle platformer.
With that, I miss a puzzle platformer where the platforming is the puzzle, prince of Persia sands of time is the ultimate example and they made thet into assassin's creed free running and will never look back