Donkey Kong (game)

Donkey Kong
Developer	Nintendo R&D 1
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Arcade, NES, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console (Wii, 3DS, Wii U), Nintendo Switch, Various Non-Nintendo Systems
Release Date	Arcade 1981 NES JP July 15, 1983 US June 1986 EU October 15, 1986 E-Reader US November 12, 2002 Gameboy Advance JP December 14, 2004 US June 2, 2004 EU July 9, 2004 Wii Virtual Console US November 19, 2006 JP December 2, 2006 EU December 8, 2006 3DS Virtual Console JP October 17, 2012 US April 15, 2013 EU November 21, 2013 EU September 18, 2014 (Original Edition) SK March 2, 2016 Wii U Virtual Console July 15, 2013 Switch June 14/15, 2018
Gallery	GH Gallery
Rating	E

Donkey Kong was a 1981 platforming action game that was developed by Nintendo. It is known as the true beginning of both the Mario and Donkey Kong series, and the origin of Nintendo's original properties in general. The game introduces the main character, Mario (or Jumpman as he was called in the original release) as well as some basic gameplay mechanics of the Mario series (such as the focus on jumping), and the introduction of the titular Donkey Kong.

Development

Donkey Kong was the first game developed by Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto was asked to make a game that would fill the 2,000 empty arcade cabinets for Nintendo's Radar Scope, which had done terribly sales-wise. The game was originally planned to be a Popeye game based on the famous comic strip and cartoons. But the rights to work with the franchise ultimately fell through, at which point Miyamoto opted to replace the three main characters (Popeye, Bluto and Olive Oil) with his own original characters. This resulted in the development of Mario, Pauline and Donkey Kong. The former two were originally known by more generic names (Jumpman and Lady), but they were later named by Nintendo fo America. Although it became very popular in Japan, Nintendo of America was skeptical about the game, until the game soon proved to be financially successful.

Story

Donkey Kong was one of the earliest games with an actual story, and so it was a simple one; the ape Donkey Kong had kidnapped Pauline. Pauline's boyfriend, Mario (or Jumpman as he was called in the original release), decided to chase down Donkey Kong in order to save Pauline. At the end of the game, Donkey Kong topples from the building while Mario is reunited with Pauline.

Gameplay

The player controls Mario as he ascends four levels in search of Donkey Kong. Mario's primary move is jumping. Unlike other games, he cannot stomp on enemies. His jumping abilities are only used to dodge enemies and obstacles, and to leap across gaps. Mario can only go on the offensive with the aid of the game's only weapon, the Hammer. The hammer turns Mario invincible and allows him to destroy any enemy that wanders into the hammer's path. However, the weapon's effects are temporary, and Mario's cannot jump high or climb ladders while using it. Mario can also collect Pauline's dropped items (a bonnet, a purse and an umbrella) for extra points.

Levels

There are four levels in the game, each one taking up one screen and seeming to take place in a construction site of some sort due to all the girders. Each level is accompanied by an increase in altitude; the first level goes up to 25 meters high, the second 50 meters high, the third 75, and finally the fourth 100 meters. The first levels are completed by bringing Mario up to Pauline's level while avoiding Donkey Kong and his minions. Donkey Kong would than grab Pauline and take her up to the next level. In the final level, Mario must "defeat" Donkey Kong by destroying the ground beneath him.

• Level 1 (25m) - The most well-known level. This area is a series of girders that have been bent by Donkey Kong's poundings. To climb the area, Mario must either jump his way up or climb a series of ladders. Donkey Kong throws barrels that Mario must jump over. Some barrels enter a flaming oil drum at the bottom of the screen, producing a flaming enemy (similar to the Podoboo of the later games) that will pursue Mario. The flame enemies also appear in all following levels.
• Level 2 (50m) - This level contains several conveyor belts which switch direction randomly. The conveyor belts also carry giant pies that will harm Mario. Another threat in the level comes from several retractable ladders, and from a flaming oil drum in the center of the screen.
• Level 3 (75m) - This level contains a series of rising and sinking elevators. Mario must jump from one to another with perfect timing in order to avoid falling to his doom. At the top of the screen, Donkey Kong tosses trampolines that Mario must use even more perfect timing to dodge.
• Level 4 (100m) - The game's final level is a blue area with straight girders. This level is completed differently than the others; this time Mario's goal is to run over eight yellow blocks which are placed in the girders of this level. This will make the blocks disappear. After all the blocks disappear, the platform Donkey Kong stands on can no longer support his weight, leading him to fall on his head. After the game is completed, it will restart.

Legacy

Donkey Kong quickly became one of the most popular and well-known arcade games. It spawned a pair of lesser-known sequels in the arcades as well while Mario would later be spun off into his own games. The original Donkey Kong has been referenced often in various other video games, both by Nintendo and outside parties, as well as in general popular culture.

Ports/Remakes

• Donkey Kong was released on various consoles throughout the 80's: the Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, Atari 7800, Colecovision, Intellivision, Spectrum, Commodre 64, Apple II and PC. Most of these versions featured graphics inferior to the console version, and the second "pie factory" level was often omitted.
• The original arcade version was also included in Donkey Kong 64, where the arcade machine could be activated in the Frantic Factory level.
• A Game & Watch version was released in 1982. This game featured two screens in a new version of the "girder level".
• Donkey Kong was released for the NES in 1983 in Japan, and in 1986 in America. This version also excluded the second level, although it was graphically identical to the arcade version. This version is the one that has ended up being ported more commonly over the years.
  • It was later packaged with Donkey Kong Jr. as Donkey Kong Classics in 1988.
  • The NES Donkey Kong was released in 2001 as an unlockable game in Animal Crossing, in 2002 as an e-Reader game, in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance as part of the Classic NES Series, in 2006 on the Wii Virtual Console, in 2012 for the 3DS Virtual Console, in 2013 for the Wii U Virtual Console and as one of the games included in the 2016 release of the NES Classic Edition. A demo version of the Wii Virtual Console release was included as an unlockable Masterpiece in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
  • The NES version was also among the NES games made available for play through the Nintendo Switch Online service, as part of its first wave of games available at the service's launch in September 2018. This release included cooperative and competitive online multiplayer options.
• In 1994, Donkey Kong GB was released for the Game Boy. It acted as part-remake and part-sequel to the original arcade game, as it had the original four levels from Donkey Kong, and afterwards it introduced 96 original levels.
• In 2010, a special Virtual Console version called Donkey Kong: Original Version started receiving limited release. This version did not have the quality of the arcade version, but it was modified from the NES version and included the second level, which had been left out of the standard NES version. This version was originally available exclusively pre-installed on Wiis sold in Europe only in 2010. In 2012, this version was made available for the 3DS Virtual Console as part of a special Club Nintendo promotion when certain other games were bought during a limited time frame. In Japan, this was between July and September 2012, while in America it was between October 2012 and January 2013. The Original Version only received a full release in Europe for the 3DS Virtual Console in September 2014.
• In 2018, an emulation of the original arcade game was released for download on the Nintendo Switch as part of the Arcade Archives series.

Sequels

Donkey Kong was succeeded by Donkey Kong Jr. in 1982 and Donkey Kong 3, which featured Stanley instead of Mario, in 1983. Neither of these games were as successful as the first, so the series went into decline until the Donkey Kong name was revived by Donkey Kong GB and Donkey Kong Country. Prior to that, a sequel to the arcade games called Return of Donkey Kong was planned for the NES, but it was soon canceled (and possibly reworked into Donkey Kong GB)

In later years, the original premise of the Donkey Kong series was revived in Mario Vs. Donkey Kong, although that game seemed to be more inspired by Donkey Kong GB than the original Donkey Kong and its sequels focused more on gameplay involving the Mini-Mario toys.

References/Homages

There are additionally many references and homages to Donkey Kong in various Nintendo games, especially the game's iconic first level with the falling barrels. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons both contained their own versions of the barrel stage. The level 75m is featured in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a faithful recreation of the level in pixelated form as one of the game's unlockable battle stages. In Super Mario Odyssey, one of the locations is New Donk City of the Metro Kingdom, which is established as having been the setting of the Donkey Kong game from an in-universe perspective and is filled with references to Donkey Kong (as well as to Donkey Kong Country in the form of street/establishment names), complete with advertisements using actual artwork and sprites from the arcade game, graffiti of the characters and a segment where the player controls an 8-bit Mario in navigating areas based on the game during a festival celebrating the city's history, ending with a new version of the 25m stage.

Other

In 1983, the cartoon Saturday Supercade featured a segment based on Donkey Kong. This portrayed Donkey Kong more as a lovable, mischief-making cartoon who was constantly on the run from Mario. Mario served as the Ranger Smith character who tried catching Donkey Kong many times, with embarrassing results. Mario was accompanied by Pauline, who was depicted as being his niece in this version.

During the 90s, Nintendo faced problems in the form of a lawsuit from Universal Studios, who believed that the Donkey Kong game was plagiarizing their classic film, King Kong. That film was itself about an antagonistic large ape who kidnapped a woman and scaled a building. Ultimately, Nintendo was able to defend the game's originality and win the case. Ironically, the next game would feature Donkey Kong's son in Donkey Kong Junior, while the sequel to King Kong was called Son of Kong and featured King Kong's son.