Donkey Kong

aka: DK, Donkey Kong-e
Moby ID: 574

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Critic Reviews add missing review

Average score: 68% (based on 15 ratings)

Player Reviews

Average score: 3.3 out of 5 (based on 75 ratings with 2 reviews)

One of the first platform games out there, still popular to this day

The Good
My first glimpse of Donkey Kong was playing it on a miniature arcade machine that you placed on the kitchen table. Its design mimicked that of the original coin-op, but the graphics and sound were inferior, with simple beeps and tiny sprites. It was the sort of mini arcade that you could take to the bathroom with you and have a game or two while you were doing your business, but I declined to do this as the smell would make its way inside the machine.

The game was released at a time when shoot-em-ups were popular in the arcades. But what makes Donkey Kong stand out from the others is that it is considered one of the first platform games. It was also a first for Shigeru Miyamoto, who went on create the legendary Super Mario series. Donkey Kong was quite popular that the game was ported to virtually every machine that existed at the time, with the NES being the first to get a version.

This version of the game is pretty much faithful to the arcade game. Most of the animations are there, and the sounand music is the same (except for that musical piece on the menu screen). While it's easy to criticize the NES version for lacking several features, such as the “How High Can You Get?” screen and the cement factory, you have to keep in mind that there is limited storage space on the cartridges the games are d stored on. (I believe that NES cartridges only hold 4MB, while the coin-op holds much more than that.)

Donkey Kong was one of the first games where it is easy to get a really high score that no one can achieve, if you know the strategy to beat the more difficult levels later on. Although you get points by rescuing your girlfriend from the big ape, there are a lot more bonus points to be gained by getting her belongings and smashing obstacles with a hammer. The more levels you advance, the higher these items are. So far, the furthest I got was level three.

The Bad
I can't think of anything bad about the game.

The Bottom Line
Donkey Kong is considered one of the first platform games, and the NES received one of the first ports. Aside from a few differences, it is very much faithful to the original coin-op in terms of graphics and sound. The game can be used to top your previous high score every time, or it's good to have a blast at it after you get home from work.

NES · by Katakis | カタキス (43092) · 2017

The unfinished work

The Good
The Famicom version is probably the best portage of the arcade game. The graphics and musics are pretty similar to the original and it is really funny to play, especially if you tried the Atari 2600 and Intellivision versions. If you always use your 8-bit console, or if you are a collector, this is definitely the cartridge you need.

The Bad
The game contains only three levels instead of five.

The Bottom Line
This is the adaptation of the arcade game Donkey Kong Super Famicom. A very fun and original game, but unfortunately incomplete.

NES · by Wave Magatama (3) · 2016

Contributors to this Entry

Critic reviews added by Big John WV, Alsy, RhYnoECfnW, Riemann80, Alaka, ☺☺☺☺☺, Patrick Bregger, Lampbane.