

The player starts with three lives with a bonus life awarded at 7,000 points, adjustable via DIP switches. Points are awarded for the following: leaping over obstacles destroying objects with a hammer power-up collecting items such as hats, parasols, and purses (presumably belonging to Pauline) removing rivets from platforms and completing each stage according to a steadily decreasing bonus counter. In addition to the goal of saving Pauline, the player has a score. With its four unique stages, Donkey Kong is the most complex arcade game of the time, and one of the first arcade games with multiple stages, following games such as 1980's Phoenix and 1981's Gorf and Scramble. As the first platform game to feature jumping, Donkey Kong requires the player to jump between gaps and over obstacles or approaching enemies, setting the template for the future of the genre.

gaming press used climbing game for games with platforms and ladders. Donkey Kong is one of the most important titles from the Golden Age of Video Arcade Games, and became one of the most popular arcade games of all time.įollowing 1980's Space Panic, Donkey Kong is one of the earliest examples of the platform game genre even prior to the term being coined the U.S. The hero and ape later became two of Nintendo's most popular and recognizable characters. In the game, Jumpman (since renamed Mario) must rescue a damsel in distress, Lady (now named Pauline), from a giant ape named Donkey Kong (who would later become Cranky Kong).
#Original donkeykong series#
It is an early example of the platform game genre, as the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles. This game can be played also in a versions for Atari 2600, Atari 7800 and DOS.ĭonkey Kong is an arcade game released by Nintendo in 1981. In my humble opinion Donkey Kong deserves it's status, long may it continue.The following emulators are available for this game: NeptunJS (JavaScript), Nesbox (Flash), RetroGames (JS) and vNES (Java). It's game play still holds up even today for many an avid gamer seeking retro gaming action. Donkey Kong was developed during the golden age of video gaming, and the programming behind it has to be admired. But none of them reaching the status of the original, and rightly so. The game has spawned many clones such as Crazy Kong, Monkey Kong and Donkey King to name but a few. Since then Donkey Kong has also appeared on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance. In 1982 the game was released on various other platforms such as, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, and an MS Dos version. These included Ramps, Rivets, Elevators and The Pie Factory.
#Original donkeykong plus#
Cut scenes were introduced to heighten the excitement of the player and move the plot along, plus there were the multiple stages, each of progressing difficulty to contend with. The game introduced graphical techniques that were previously unseen, and broke new ground. All this despite the initial discontent of Nintendo staff in the United States. The arcade version of Donkey Kong was first released by Nintendo in 1981, and it became an instant success selling over 65,000 units. The character Jumpman changed his name to Mario, and the gorilla? Well, he was to become known as.Donkey Kong! His task being to save the damsel in distress from a huge gorilla. The game would involve moving the main character, then called “Jumpman” around various platforms while avoiding all obstacles in his way. His name was Shigeru Miyamoto, and the game he would come to design would become a legend. His search ended when he came across a young designer who had been with the company since the late 70s. He searched for a developer who could turn around the companies fortunes, and design a game that would break into the American market. In order to save face, the companies president a Mr Hiroshi Yamauchi decided he wanted to convert Radar Scope into something completely different. The final straw seem to come with the disaster that was Radar Scope. Time and time again they tried with various offerings, but their efforts were in vain. Donkey Kong Game History In the early 1980s a video game company called Nintendo first tried to break into the American gaming market.
