Donkey Kong has one of the most interesting histories across the entire video game industry. It came at a time when Nintendo was in trouble. The arcade developer had recently released a cabinet with their latest game Radar Scope and ordered thousands of machines. Unfortunately this title was a major flop, and it left a huge crater in their wallet. Left with the problem of just what to do with these cabinets a young and unproven developer, Shigeru Miyamoto, was tasked with turning them into something that might get the company some sort of return for their investment. That’s where Donkey Kong comes in to play. Miyamoto managed to create this title that he was able to retrofit on to the arcade boards for the aforementioned flop, and though skepticism ran high Nintendo still pushed out this unique title that for all intents and purposes invented the platformer genre. The rest is history. Although the franchise has evolved into something entirely different now there’s still something truly magical about the original Donkey Kong. When Nintendo entered the console business this was of course one of the first games they ported to it. The port has a few problems (and one big one), but it was my first exposure to the world of Donkey Kong and for that it will always hold a special place in my heart. Today I’m here to take a look at this version of the release.
Donkey Kong stars Jumpman. He looks, runs and jumps just like Mario, but was created at a time well before the plumber became the star of Nintendo’s library. So for all intents and purposes he’ll be referenced as ‘Jumpman’ in this review. As this portly fellow it’s your job to climb to the top of several construction sites in an effort to rescue his girlfriend Pauline. Oh, and did I mention that a giant gorilla is guarding her and throwing barrels at him? Well that’s an important fact because that’s what gameplay centers around for the most part. You must jump from platform to platform, climb ladders, and ride elevators in order to reach the top. Instead of stomping on the primates head you win simply by getting to the upper most platform. Along the way you will be tasked with dodging a myriad of obstacles. These include barrels (thrown by DK himself), fire based foes, falling springs, etc. Jumping over specific enemies grants you extra points. This is important because of the fact that there are only three stages and at the end you’re simply thrown back to the beginning. High scores are everything here, and this game will be short lived for those who don’t care.
With that said If you don’t have any prior nostalgia for this title there’s a good chance it won’t hold your interest. Many of the elements here will no doubt be considered archaic. For example, the controls are a little loose. Jumpman runs like he’s moving through molasses and his jump is very short by Mario standards. What’s more is that the physics are unlike those in most other video games. Once you jump you’re invested and cannot alter your trajectory at all. This is one of the earliest platforming titles so it gets a free pass on this, but Jumpman’s slow descend is really annoying as well. To make matters worse he dies instantly when hit by an enemy, and this also occurs when he falls from a specific height. I can understand why these limitations might turn someone off, but I’ve always found that they work well with the basic design. There are only three screens (or levels If you will) and when you complete them they simply repeat. There isn’t a lot of content included within this cartridge, but it’s almost a spot on port of the arcade hit.
I say ‘almost’ because this isn’t quite spot on. That’s both a good and bad thing. The graphics are pretty much spot on making this release (to the best of my knowledge) the first home version that actually looks like it did in the cabinet. Unfortunately you’ll notice right away that the opening sequence featuring Donkey Kong climbing the girders in the first stage is oddly absent. I’m sure the NES could have rendered this, and it’s questionable why they didn’t include it in this release. The music is pretty much spot on, but it’s actually slightly higher quality here. The effects are louder and more crisp which is pretty cool in my opinion. Easily the biggest difference between this port and the original release is the fact that, for some unknown reason, Nintendo cut an entire level out of the package. The cement factory did not make the cut here. Because this was the first version of Donkey Kong I ever played when I did throw some quarters into the arcade cabinet I was shocked when I realized there was a whole other stage that I never knew about.
If you’re a big fan of the original Donkey Kong then chances are this is the home console version you own. Donkey Kong hit most major consoles before the introduction of the Nintendo Entertainment System, but this was the first port that truly looked like the game did in the arcade. It’s just unfortunate that Nintendo skimped on the content; we all know good and well the cartridge could have stored the game in its entirety. It will forever remain a question mark. You can’t go wrong with at least one version of Donkey Kong in your collection and this release isn’t a terrible choice. Nothing beats the full blown arcade cabinet though.
