The Great Ape Escape
A Donkey Kong Review
Genre: Platformer
Number of Players: 1-2
Developer: Nintendo R&D1
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: July 15, 1983 (JP), June 1986 (US), October 15, 1986 (EU)
Platform: NES
Also Available On: Arcade, Game & Watch, Atari 2600/7800, Intellivision, ColecoVision, Coleco Mini-Arcade, Atari 8-Bit, TI-99/4A, IBM PC, Commodore 64, VIC-20, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Nintendo e-Reader, Game Boy Advance
Donkey Kong has undoubtedly come a long way. From titular villain to helpless victim (Donkey Kong Jr.) to vine-swinging victor (Donkey Kong Country), Donkey Kong is tied with Mario as one of the most enduring video game characters.
It all began in 1981 when Nintendo—a relatively obscure arcade machine manufacturer—had a problem with their latest game, Radar Scope. The machines were underperforming in terms of revenue, so Nintendo decided to refit the unsold units with a brand new game.
Young staff artist Shigeru Miyamoto was tasked with creating an arcade game that would capture the attention of the American audience. The finished product starred a portly carpenter, a damsel in distress, and a stressed-out gorilla with an infinite supply of barrels and not afraid to use them. Such is the world of Donkey Kong.
The game succeeded beyond expectations, and Donkey Kong became an international blockbuster. It was only natural that it would eventually be ported to the NES after the console's launch in the US. However, this version of the game unfortunately lacked the one crucial element it needed to be a near arcade-perfect port—the cement factory level.
As for me, I was aware of none of this as a kid. I don't recall when Donkey Kong first came into our home. Based on what little I can remember, I’ll hazard a guess and say that it was sometime between kindergarten and 1st grade in 1990.
What I do clearly remember is that, having played Super Mario Bros. before Donkey Kong, I was in for a shock when I had Mario jump down a short distance—by Super Mario platforming standards anyway—only to see him keel over immediately.
But before we touch on that, let’s go over the basics of the game. You are placed in the overalls of Mario—a carpenter in quite a predicament. His girlfriend, Pauline, is snatched away by Donkey Kong, and he’s holding her hostage high atop a construction site.
The main gameplay elements involve climbing ladders, jumping over barrels, and battling walking flames, all of which culminate in a showdown on the steel girders, where Mario must remove the support rivets, causing the oversized monkey to fall in defeat.
The concept is simple enough, but things can get challenging when barrels unexpectedly roll down ladders or those pesky flames multiply, causing you additional grief. Fortunately, Mario can demolish these two obstacles by grabbing a hammer and smashing them into oblivion. The caveat is that you cannot climb ladders or jump over gaps, severely limiting your movement to only a small section of the level while using the hammer.
However, the point values for smashed hazards are 5x the normal amount awarded for merely jumping over them. Similarly, collecting Daisy’s accessories strewn about some of the levels nets you big points as well. Those are crucial factors if you’re trying to rack up 20,000 points for an extra life.
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As I alluded to earlier, unlike his adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom, here Mario is bound by Newton’s Second Law. In short, taking leaps or falls greater than his height will lead to his demise. It can be difficult to judge, especially when negotiating a jump from a moving elevator to a stationary platform. Is it somewhat bothersome? Sure. But considering that the game is simply a port of the arcade version, which was developed before platforming was refined in the Super Mario series, I’m willing to look the other way on this one.
The graphics are simplistic but still accurately represent the arcade version. Every character and moving object is distinguishable and well animated. At times, Kong will tauntingly beat his chest as if daring Mario to come up there and challenge him. The fireball creatures are lively, depicted with eyes and bouncing movements independent of what’s going on around them.
Controlling Mario feels a little stiff, especially when climbing ladders. It often leads to the problem of thinking you’ve reached the very top of a ladder, only to realize you still need to hold the up direction for a moment longer before the character pixel completes the animation. It isn’t uncommon for me to lose a life due to a hazard overtaking me while stuck on the ladder.
As mentioned earlier, the cement factory level is missing from the NES port. It had to be cut due to the space limitations of early cartridges at the time. But the missing knick-knacks don’t end there. Gone is the “how high can you try” screen that precedes each level.
The animations of DK climbing to the top and stomping around, giving the girders their familiar crooked positioning, were cut from the opening scene. Likewise, the cutscene of him snatching up Pauline to greater heights once Mario makes his way to her is also gone.
Nintendo eventually produced an enhanced re-release in 2010—Donkey Kong: Original Edition—with the cement level and several cutscenes restored. However, accessing it was tricky from the start. It was first released as a pre-install Virtual Console game on special anniversary Wii console bundles in Europe.
Two years later in 2012, it was available on the 3DS (via eShop) in Japan and the US, but only as an exclusive for Club Nintendo members who purchased select games and registered them within a strict two-month timeframe. Currently, there is no official way to get it in the US. It is a sad reflection of how the company treats its older IPs (and the fanbase that supported them).
I think it’s fair to say that Donkey Kong hasn’t aged as well as other vintage hits over the decades. It’s highly repetitive and gives few reasons to keep replaying the same three levels beyond the goal of just seeing how many loops you can play through before getting the eventual Game Over screen.
The missing content and stiffness of the controls aren’t doing it any favors either. However, that isn’t to say that the game doesn’t deserve the reverence it has received over the years. And the game can be fun in short bursts, so long as you approach it with modest expectations. Fortunately, the arcade version is available via Nintendo eShop on the Switch. Check it out if you want the most bang for your buck in terms of experiencing the game's complete offerings as intended.
While Donkey Kong may not have been the definitive birthplace of the platformer genre, it certainly popularized the gameplay mechanics. Elevator platforms, crossing chasms, fall damage—all concepts that were pioneered here. From Super Mario Bros. to Blaster Master to Ratchet & Clank and beyond, no one can deny that the vast majority of platforming games past and present owe their existence in one way or another to Mr. Miyamoto’s monkey business.
Enjoyed the review.
I grew up with a used copy of DK Classics (which included this and DK Jr.) in my collection. I played it a fair bit, as a sort of palate cleanser. I'd normally play through a loop of both DK games 1-2 times each, in sequence, then move on to something else.
However, I never really played the arcade game until the last 5 years. There is indeed a lot missing here, from what is already a pretty simple game. I never realized, over all those years, that an entire level was missing.
But in addition to the changes you mention, the arcade game also seems just plain harder to me. It feels like it supports more sprites on the screen, which translates to more enemies at once, or more barrels. Or maybe the controls are less responsive in the arcade.
Another point I didn't realize until recently: Donkey Kong and Popeye were the only launch titles for the Famicom in Japan. What a different experience that must have been! Your only game is this palate cleanser that wears out its welcome after 10 minutes.
This is a good review. I have played a version of Donkey Kong, but it was within Donkey Kong 64. That game (and a modified version of Jetpac) contained a special coin you needed to complete the game 100% (and Kranky Kong would always be claiming he could do it better than me). So I had to get good at it to get far enough to get the coin.