DK64 had great atmosphere and a decent bit of funky ideas. I think toning down the types of collectibles, even more than the quantity, would make for a great game.
On a side-note, Ie went back to my 3DS lately as I found a couple of games for cheap and I am considering searching for a New 3DS model. My original XL is generally fine but I like the 3D effect enough that I want to try the eye tracking found in the new models and the B button is becoming unresponsive. Also, some games get way to pixel-y on the XL so that's why I am leaning towards the normal N3DS model.