Donkey Kong Junior

The Good
Donkey Kong was a successful arcade game in which you played as Mario (then Jumpman) trying to save his damsel-in-distress from the aptly named gorilla. The game spawned two sequels, both of which were released on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I have played the original game so many times as a kid that I know the game mechanics off by heart, and I wasn't even aware that there was a sequel, probably because it never appeared on the Commodore 64, until this day.

In Donkey Kong Jr., Mario gets revenge by capturing the gorilla in a cage and stealing the key needed to unlock it, and it is up to his son to rescue him by navigating his way to the top of the screen and getting the key back. Junior needs to also avoid several enemies including Snapjaws, Nitpickers, and Sparks. There are four levels in the game, and gameplay in each one varies.

I enjoyed the different themes the game has to offer. The first two levels have a jungle theme with Junior climbing vines and getting fruit to knock the enemies down, and level three introduces a electricity-themed level where the platforms and ladders are colored blue. The graphics are colorful and the animations are smooth.

The background music for each level is just a short loop, but it's not annoying. The piece that you hear when you get the key varies between levels. The sound effects for Donkey Kong Jr. are quite similar to its predecessor. The controls are quick to get used to, and the game resembles that ”just one more go” addictiveness, in an attempt to beat your previous high score every time.

The Bad
Err...

The Bottom Line
As a sequel, Donkey Kong Jr. is not a bad game at all. The themes are interesting, and the game is just as addictive as the first one. The graphics are more colorful, and the music and sound is on par with the first game, with its short and catchy tunes. You'll enjoy this one. It and the original game are much better than the third offering.