Editing Donkey Kong (game)

{{italic title|''Donkey Kong'' (game)}}

{{articleabout|the 1981 arcade game|the 1994 remake|[[Donkey Kong (Game Boy)]]|the character|[[Donkey Kong]]}}

{{Infobox Arcade Game |title=Donkey Kong

|image=[[File:Donkey Kong NES Cover.PNG|250px]]

|developer=[[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development|Nintendo EAD]]<br>[[Intelligent Systems]] (NES port) <br> [[Ikegami Tsushinki]] <ref>[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134790/the_secret_history_of_donkey_kong.php?page=1 Gamasutra: The Secret History of Donkey Kong]</ref>

|publisher=[[Nintendo]]

|release='''Arcade'''<br>{{releasedate|Japan|July 9, 1981|USA|1981}}<br>'''Intellivision'''<br>March 3, 1982 <br>'''ColecoVision'''<br>December 31, 1982<br>'''Atari 2600'''<br>1982<br>'''Atari 8-bit Computers''' <br>1982<br>'''TI-99/4a'''<br>1983<br>'''IBM PC Booter'''<br>1983<br>'''Commodore 64 & VIC-20'''<br>1983<br> '''[[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] port'''<br>{{releasedate|Japan|July 15, 1983|USA|June, 1986|Europe|October 15, 1986}}<br>'''MSX'''<br>1986<br>'''ZX Spectrum'''<br>1986<br>'''Amstrad CPC'''<br>1986<br>'''[[Famicom Disk System]]:''' <br> {{releasedate|Japan|April 8, 1988 <ref>[http://themushroomkingdom.net/games/dk-fds Date info of Donkey Kong (FDS) from TMK], retrieved 11/25/2012</ref>}}'''Atari 7800'''<br>1988<br>'''e-Reader:''' <br> {{releasedate|USA|September 16, 2002 <ref>[http://themushroomkingdom.net/games/dk-e Date info of Donkey Kong (e-Reader) from TMK], retrieved 11/25/2012</ref>}}'''[[Game Boy Advance]]'''<br>{{releasedate|Japan|February 14, 2004|USA|June 7, 2004|Europe|July 10, 2004}}<br>'''[[Virtual Console#List of Mario games for the Virtual Console|Virtual Console]] ([[Wii]])'''<br>{{releasedate|USA|November 19, 2006|Japan|December 2, 2006|Australia|December 7, 2006|Europe|December 8, 2006}}<br>'''[[Virtual Console#Nintendo 3DS|Virtual Console]] ([[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]])'''<br>{{releasedate|Japan|October 17, 2012|USA|August 15, 2013|Europe|November 21, 2013|Australia|November 21, 2013<ref>[http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/r3qMB2ZdHdIFXlDDoA6MYGLaDV-8jZNg Nintendo.com - Donkey Kong - Game Info]</ref>}}<br>'''Virtual Console ([[Wii U]])'''<br>{{releasedate|Japan|July 15, 2013|USA|July 15, 2013|Europe|July 15, 2013}}

|genre=Platformer

|cabinet=Standard, mini and cocktail

|input={{input|arcade=<nowiki>Joystick and Pushbuttons</nowiki>|nes=1|wmsideways=1|classic=1|wiigcn=1|3ds=1}}

|ports=

|notes=Introduced the [[Mario]] and [[Donkey Kong]] characters; #3 most popular game in the [[KLOV]]

'''''Donkey Kong''''' was an arcade game that was [[Nintendo]]'s first big hit in North America and it is also the very first Mario game. It also marked the first appearance of [[Mario]] (originally known as "Jumpman", a carpenter) and of the original [[Donkey Kong]] (who, in later games, would become [[Cranky Kong]], the current Donkey Kong's grandfather). A version of the game was also created later for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], Nintendo's first home console. The game sold well in the United States, becoming one of four games to be inducted into the Nintendo Hall of Fame. The original arcade version had four screen levels, but the Nintendo Entertainment System version only has three, with the stage [[50m]] cut from this version. This game is also the first game to be released on [[Virtual Console]].

 

Donkey Kong has escaped from his owner, Mario, and kidnapped Mario's girlfriend, [[Pauline]] (originally known as Lady), taking her to the top of a construction site. Mario must climb to the top of this construction site and rescue Pauline from the giant ape.

 

<blockquote><i>"HELP! HELP!" cries the beautiful damsel in distress as she is dragged up a labyrinth of structural beams by the ominous Donkey Kong. "SNORT. SNORT." Foreboding music warns of the eventual doom that awaits the poor girl, lest she be miraculously rescued. "But wait! Fear not, fair maiden. Little Mario, the carpenter, is in hot pursuit of you this very moment."<br>

Throwing fate to the wind, risking life and limb, or worse, little Mario tries desperately to climb the mighty fortress of steel, to save the lovely lady from the evil Mr. Kong. Little Mario must dodge all manner of obstacles- fireballs, plummeting beams and a barrage of exploding barrels fired at him by Donkey Kong. Amidst the beautiful girl's constant pleas for help, your challenge is to maneuver little Mario up the steel structure, while helping him to avoid the rapid-fire succession of hazards that come his way.<br>

As little Mario gallantly battles his way up the barriers, he is taunted and teased by Donkey Kong, who brazenly struts back and forth, beating his chest in joyful exuberance at the prospect of having the beautiful girl all to himself. It is your job to get little Mario to the top. For it is there, and only there, that he can send the mighty Donkey Kong to his mortal doom. Leaving Little Mario and the beautiful girl to live happily ever after. "SIGH. SIGH."</i></blockquote>

==Characters==

*[[Mario]] (aka Jumpman) (Hero, Playable)

*[[Pauline]] (Goal, Unplayable)

*[[Cranky Kong|Donkey Kong]] (Villain, Unplayable)

*[[Barrel]]

*[[Fire|Fireball]]

*[[Sand Pile]]

*[[Springboard]]

*[[Hammer]]

*[[Pauline's items]]

*[[Rivet]]s

*[[25m]]

*[[50m]]

*[[75m]]

*[[100m]]

==History==

''Donkey Kong'' was created when [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], under the supervision of the late [[Gunpei Yokoi]], was assigned by Nintendo to convert ''Radar Scope'', a poorly selling arcade game in North America, into a game that would have more appeal to gamers. Shigeru Miyamoto later admitted that he did not focus on the story of the game. He also said that Jumpman (later to be renamed Mario) and the Lady were not intended to have a relationship, and he did not know where the connection idea came from, but he thought that it did not matter much. Regardless, the resulting game was a major breakthrough for Nintendo and for the video game industry, becoming one of the best selling arcade machines of its time. Its platforming gameplay also distinguished it from most other arcade games at the time.

In 1982, around a year after the game's release, [[wikipedia:Universal Studios|Universal Studios]] sued Nintendo, claiming that ''Donkey Kong'' infringed on Universal Studios' intellectual property rights to the film ''[[Wikipedia:King Kong|King Kong]]''. Howard Lincoln, attorney and future president of Nintendo of America, decided to fight the case and hired seasoned attorney John Kirby to represent Nintendo. When Kirby showed that not only was Nintendo not in violation of any copyrights, but also that Universal Studios themselves had sued RKO Pictures in 1975 to prove that the plot of ''King Kong'' was in fact in the public domain, Judge Robert W. Sweet ruled in Nintendo's favor, ordering Universal to pay Nintendo $1.8 million in legal fees. In an ironic twist, Judge Sweet also ruled that Tiger's ''King Kong'' video game, licensed by Universal, infringed on ''Donkey Kong''. After the victory, Nintendo awarded John Kirby with a $30,000 sailboat, christened the ''Donkey Kong'', and gave him "exclusive worldwide rights to use the name for sailboats."

{{main|The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters}}

In 2007, a documentary film directed by Seth Gordon based off ''Donkey Kong'' was released. The film centers around high school teacher Steve Wiebe as he tries to achieve a world record for obtaining the highest score in the game, which is held by Billy Mitchell at the time.

[[File:Donkey Kong arcade.PNG|frame|Mario (Jumpman) about to jump over a barrel.]]

===Sequels===

''Donkey Kong'' has four sequels to date.

 

*[[wikipedia:Commodore 64|Commodore 64]] (Two official ports exist, one released in 1983 in North America by [[wikipedia:Atarisoft|Atarisoft]], and another released in 1986 in Europe by [[wikipedia:Ocean Software|Ocean]].)

*[[wikipedia:Amiga|Amiga]] (Port is not official but rather a homebrew ported directly from the Commodore 64 version)

*[[wikipedia:Handheld electronic game|Coleco Tabletop]]

*In ''[[Game & Watch Gallery 2]]'' and ''[[Game & Watch Gallery 4]]'', Donkey Kong was one of the [[minigame]]s. It could be played in both modern and classic modes.

*Two different ports of ''Donkey Kong'' have appeared on [[Virtual Console]]. The first, released in 2006, is essentially a direct port of the NES version, while the second, entitled ''Donkey Kong Original Edition'' (ドンキーコング オリジナルエディション), attempted to adhere to the arcade version, and was pre-installed for the European release of the Mario 25th Anniversary limited edition red [[Wii]] in 2010. This version restored some missing animations and the level 50m, which was cut from the NES version, although Donkey Kong mistakenly stands still in this level, and while the port's graphics are an improvement to the NES port, it is still inferior to the true arcade version, which remains unavailable on Virtual Console. The latter port was made available on the [[Nintendo 3DS#Nintendo_eShop|Nintendo eShop]] in Japan when a [[Club Nintendo]] member purchased the download version of one of two games, one of which was [[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]<ref>http://nadgame.blogspot.com/2012/07/new2dl.html#!/2012/07/new2dl.html</ref>, from July 28, 2012 to September 2, 2012.<ref>http://themushroomkingdom.net/games/dkoe-3ds</ref> A similar promotion took place in the US between October 1, 2012 and January 6, 2013, exclusively to members of Club Nintendo who have, within the aforementioned time frame, linked their systems to their Club Nintendo accounts and have purchased the downloadable version of one of five select 3DS titles (one of which was ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]''). There are currently no plans for a wide release of this version in the U.S.

''Donkey Kong'' was also re-released as part of two compilation games, ''[[Donkey Kong Classics]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Jr./Mario Bros.]]'', and it is featured as a playable extra in the following titles:

*''[[Donkey Kong 64]]'' (arcade version included as a minigame)

*''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' (demo version included as a Masterpiece; it starts on the third level, 75m, which is also an unlockable stage in ''Brawl'').

The arcade version was produced by [[Gunpei Yokoi]]. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]] directed the game while an uncredited [[Ikegami Tsushinki]] did programming duties, later leading to a lawsuit over which company owned the arcade code's rights. [[Intelligent Systems]]' own [http://www.intsys.co.jp/english/software/index.html website] claims credit for developing the NES port for Nintendo, though neither the cartridge nor title screen mentions the company. Landon Dyer programmed the DOS Version.

{{morepic|Donkey Kong (game)}}

<center><gallery>

File:Donkey Kong NES Cover.PNG|<center>The US [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] boxart.

File:Donkey Kong-Barrel Artwork.png|[[Barrel]]

File:Jumpmanconcept.jpg|Concept art for Mario (known originally as Jumpman)

File:Mario hammer.gif|<center>Mario using a hammer.

File:Jack.png|<center>A jack sprite.

File:50m 3.png|<center>[[50m]], the second level of the game.

</gallery></center>

==Trivia==

*The twenty-second board is the final level of the game; Mario instantly dies within eight seconds of playing in the level, regardless of how many lives the player has left. This bug, known as a kill screen, happens due to a programming oversight in which the game does not have enough memory to continue. Games such as ''[[Pac-Man]]'' and ''Duck Hunt'' also have kill screens.

*Donkey Kong was the second platformer ever made; the 1980 game ''[[wikipedia:Space Panic|Space Panic]]'' was the first.

*Even though Mario is wearing red and blue in the game, he is wearing blue and white clothing on the boxart for the NES,this could be an error or an original design for him that was never used.

==External links==

*[http://donkeykong.gamebub.com/ Donkey Kong Megasite]

*[http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=D&game_id=7610 The Killer List of Video Games entry on ''Donkey Kong'']

*[http://www.arcade-history.com/history_database.php?page=detail&id=666 Arcade History Database entry for Donkey Kong]

*[http://www.mobygames.com/game_group/sheet/gameGroupId,502/ MobyGame's entry on the ''Donkey Kong'' consumer games]

*[http://dmoz.org/Games/Video_Games/Platform/Donkey_Kong_Series/ Category at ODP]

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[[Category:Arcade Games]]

[[Category:Virtual Console Games]]

[[Category:2004 games]]

[[Category:Platforming Games]]

[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System Games]]

[[Category:Donkey Kong Series Minigames]]

[[Category:Donkey Kong 64]]