Crazy Kong

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This article is about the adaptation of the original Donkey Kong game. For the character referred to as "this crazy Kong" in the DK Rap, see Lanky Kong.
Not to be confused with Kong Krazy.
Crazy Kong
Crazy Kong (first version) title screen
Title screen
Developer Kyoei
Publisher Kyoei
Platform Arcade
Release date Japan 1981[1]
Language English
Genre Platformer
Format
Arcade:
Built-in
Input
Arcade:
Joystick

Crazy Kong is a Nintendo-licensed adaptation of Donkey Kong created in 1981 by Kyoei for the Japanese market, as the unexpected popularity of the original game led to a shortage of arcade cabinets. The gameplay remains relatively unchanged; however, the sprites underwent enough changes to be differentiated from the original. Kyoei transferred its license to its parent company, Falcon, which produced Crazy Kong Part II. Nintendo had authorized the game to be distributed only in Japan, but Falcon breached this agreement by exporting the game into the United States, which prompted Nintendo to terminate the license agreement on January 29, 1982.[2] Like Donkey Kong, this game faced competition from unofficial bootlegs from both arcade clones and home ports. The title Crazy Kong is never used in official Donkey Kong home ports, as it has been retired by Nintendo. The game has never been rereleased officially in any form.

Differences[edit]

Crazy Kong screenshot
  • The words "Crazy Kong" are written out of girders on the title screen, similar to Donkey Kong. Below that is the year "1981," with nothing else.
  • The color palette is different from that of Donkey Kong. The girders in 25 m are green, the gorilla is orange, and Mario's outfit resembles the one from Super Mario Bros.
  • Some of the sprite graphics in the game have been redrawn from Donkey Kong. For example, most of the sprites for the gorilla are the same. However, the sprites used for when he is pounding his chest are taller than the original and more fierce.
  • Some animation frames have been removed. For example, in 25 m, barrels appear to spawn right out of Crazy Kong, instead of him picking them up and rolling them like in Donkey Kong.
  • Most of the sound effects in the game are different from Donkey Kong's, due to running on hardware based on that of Crazy Climber. None of the levels have background music.
  • The collision detection in the game is not as robust as Donkey Kong's.
  • Parts of the game move at a faster pace.
  • It is possible to complete 25 m by jumping off the second girder from the bottom while Mario's foot is hanging over the ledge. When he jumps off, he should fall through the floor and complete the level. This is a glitch that was carried over from the first version of Donkey Kong.
  • The Fires on 100 m are identical to the Fireballs from 25 m, 50 m, and 75 m.
  • Touching the gorilla in 100 m does not cause harm.
  • The heart in between Mario and Lady that appears after the player completes 100 m is now near the round indicator.

Crazy Kong Part II[edit]

Main article: Crazy Kong Part II
Crazy Kong Part II screenshot

Falcon addressed several of the problems by releasing Crazy Kong Part II in the same year, with many differences and fixes for Crazy Kong.

Lawsuits[edit]

Falcon[edit]

On June 1, 1982, Nintendo of Japan filed for an injunction against Falcon in Kyoto District Court, which was granted on June 5. A countersuit by Falcon was won by Nintendo.[3] On October 13, Nintendo launched a lawsuit seeking damages against Falcon.[4] This experience led Nintendo to decide to produce all Donkey Kong Jr. machines by itself.[5] Falcon's president was later arrested for unauthorized copying of Donkey Kong Jr.–printed circuit boards,[6] which were sold as Crazy Junior in the United States. The ensuing seven-year trial ended with a guilty verdict and prison terms for those involved.[7]

Elcon Industries[edit]

On June 30, 1982, Nintendo of America filed a complaint toward Elcon Industries Inc., an arcade hardware manufacturer based in Michigan that sold Crazy Kong boards. The complaint alleged that the licensing agreement with Falcon explicitly forbade the manufacturing or export of Crazy Kong outside Japan. The case was taken to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, which quickly ruled in favor of Nintendo.[2]

Gallery[edit]

Sprites[edit]

Screenshots[edit]

Scans[edit]

Notes[edit]

  • This is technically the first Super Mario game in which a character speaks; Mario yells, "Hoya!" whenever he jumps in both Crazy Kong and Crazy Kong Part II. Ironically, this is a higher pitch version of a gorilla's grunt from Crazy Climber. Lady has unused speech in Donkey Kong, but this was replaced with sound effects before release.[8]

References[edit]

External links[edit]