Donkey Kong (series)

This article is about the Donkey Kong series of games. For the entire franchise, see Donkey Kong (franchise). For the duology of peg-climbing games, see DK (series).

Donkey Kong
First installment	Donkey Kong (1981)
Latest installment	Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004)
Franchise	Donkey Kong

The Donkey Kong series is a video game series in the Donkey Kong franchise, starting with the original 1981 arcade game of the same name.

List of games

Title
Cover, original release and system	Synopsis
Donkey Kong
1981 Arcade	In 1981, Nintendo had their first blockbuster release with Shigeru Miyamoto's creation - Donkey Kong. Originally released in the arcades, Donkey Kong became a very popular game amongst gamers, eventually spawning many remakes and ports. In this game, Donkey Kong was the antagonist who kidnapped Mario's girlfriend Lady (later renamed Pauline). It was later ported to the many home systems including the Atari 2600, the ColecoVision and the Nintendo Entertainment System. This is a simple platformer, where the player must control Mario while jumping and avoiding obstacles and making it to Donkey Kong.
Donkey Kong Jr.
1982 Arcade	The following year, another arcade game was created, Donkey Kong Jr. This time, the roles were reversed. Mario was the villain, and DK was a damsel in distress. Here, Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong's son, had to save his kidnapped father from Mario. The gameplay is the same as the original Donkey Kong; Donkey Kong Jr. must avoid traps set off by Mario to save Donkey Kong by jumping and simply avoiding them.
Donkey Kong 3
1983 Arcade	Donkey Kong 3 was the third installment of the Donkey Kong series, where Stanley fought Donkey Kong. This game differed from its predecessors in that it is a shooter/platformer hybrid and did not include Mario as a character.
Donkey Kong Jr. Math
1983 NES	Donkey Kong Jr. Math was Donkey Kong Jr.'s second game, an edutainment title released in 1983 for the NES. Donkey Kong will hold up a sign, and Donkey Kong Jr. must find the numbers and math sign to get to that number to get a point.
Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushū
1984 NEC PC-6601/PC8801/X1	An obscure Japanese-only sequel to Donkey Kong 3, Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushū was developed and released by Hudson Soft for home computers in 1984. The gameplay is simplified compared to its forebear, with Stanley's ability to jump removed, along with the need to protect plants, making it much closer to something like Galaga.
Donkey Kong (Game Boy)
1994 Game Boy	Donkey Kong (also known as Game Boy Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong '94) is the first Donkey Kong Game Boy title in the series. The Start is based on the original arcade version of Donkey Kong, but the rest of the game is greatly expanded and entirely different.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
May 24, 2004 Game Boy Advance	Mario vs. Donkey Kong is the final title in the original Donkey Kong series and is a successor to the Game Boy game (of which it was originally intended to be a direct remake). In it, Donkey Kong steals several toy Mini Marios and Mario goes to recover them. It spawned a spinoff series of its own with wildly different gameplay mechanics.

Game & Watch

Title
Cover, original release and system	Synopsis
Donkey Kong
June 3, 1982 Game & Watch	Donkey Kong is a dual-screen Game & Watch version of the classic arcade game. The game was later ported to Game & Watch Gallery 2 and Game & Watch Gallery 4.
Donkey Kong Jr.
October 26, 1982 Game & Watch	Donkey Kong Jr. is a Game & Watch edition of Donkey Kong Jr., based on the first level of the arcade game of the same name. As in the original arcade game, Donkey Kong is captured by Mario, and Donkey Kong Jr. must save him. There are two major revisions - the original version in the New Wide Screen series, and the colorized game in the Table Top and Panorama Screen series released the following year with an entirely different level and obstacle layout. Only the New Wide Screen version was ported to Game & Watch Gallery 3, Game & Watch Gallery 4, and DSiWare. The game also has an indirect sequel in the form of Donkey Kong II, based on later levels of the arcade game.
Donkey Kong II
1983 Game & Watch	Donkey Kong II is a Game & Watch game that is very similar to Donkey Kong Jr. It is based on the third and fourth levels of Donkey Kong Jr. and has the same plotline, but Mario is absent (except as an alarm sprite). Its gameplay involves Donkey Kong Jr. unlocking several chains to free Donkey Kong. It was later re-released as part of Game & Watch Gallery 3.
Donkey Kong 3
August 20, 1984 Game & Watch	Donkey Kong 3 is a Game & Watch title for either one or two players, released on August 20, 1984. It was later included as a minigame in Game & Watch Gallery 4.
Donkey Kong Circus
1984 Game & Watch	Donkey Kong Circus is a Game & Watch title released as part of the Panorama series. Donkey Kong is forced to juggle in a circus. If he messes up, Mario will laugh at him.
Donkey Kong Hockey
1984 Game & Watch	Donkey Kong Hockey is one of the few two-player Game & Watch games ever manufactured. Donkey Kong and Mario must engage each other in a two-player game of ice hockey.

Compilations

Title
Cover, original release and system	Synopsis
Donkey Kong Jr. + Jr. Sansū Lesson
1983 Famicom	Donkey Kong Jr. + Jr. Sansū Lesson was released exclusively as the pack-in game for the Sharp C1 Famicom TV, a combined Family Computer and television unit in Japan. It is a compilation of the games Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong Jr. Math. The game is not exactly a combination, but rather a "platter" of the two Donkey Kong-related games. It combines half of the 1- and 2-Player game modes from Donkey Kong Jr. and the +-×÷ Exercise mode from Donkey Kong Jr. Math. The latter is from the prototype version as Donkey Kong Jr. Math was still in development upon this game's release.
Donkey Kong Classics
September 9, 1988 August 10, 1989 NES	Donkey Kong Classics is a video game collection of the Donkey Kong series, consisting of the games Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. This compilation is for the Nintendo Entertainment System, which was developed by Nintendo EAD.
Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Junior/Mario Bros.
2004 Arcade	Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Junior/Mario Bros. is an arcade system, only found in America, in which players could choose which of the three games they wanted to play.

Related

Title
Cover, original release and system	Synopsis
Donkey Kong (Nelsonic Game Watch)
1994 Nelsonic Game Watch	The Donkey Kong game watch is an adaptation of Stage 1-7 from the Game Boy version.
Donkey Kong 64
1999 Nintendo 64	Donkey Kong 64 included the entire arcade version of the original Donkey Kong as a minigame which had to be played to complete the game.   For more information on the series this game is a successor to, see Donkey Kong Country (series).

Canceled

Title
Cover, original release and system	Synopsis
Donkey Kong no Ongaku Asobi
Unreleased Famicom	Donkey Kong no Ongaku Asobi (Donkey Kong's Fun with Music) is a canceled game set for release on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It would have followed Donkey Kong Jr. Math as one of the edutainment games in the early Donkey Kong series. Donkey Kong no Ongaku Asobi starred the cast of the original Donkey Kong plus series newcomer Donkey Kong Jr. The game never surfaced, and seems to have only been announced in 1983 in a Japanese gaming magazine.
Return of Donkey Kong
Unreleased	Return of Donkey Kong is a canceled Nintendo Entertainment System game announced in the Official Nintendo Player's Guide in 1987. Not much is known about the title.
Philips CD-i Donkey Kong game
Unreleased	An untitled Donkey Kong game. It is likely that production stopped due to Donkey Kong being a separate license from Super Mario.