Donkey Kong (Game Boy)

Donkey Kong (also known as Donkey Kong '94) is a Game Boy game released in 1994. It is remake and retelling of the original Donkey Kong arcade game, which it is named after. It is commonly believed this was Return of Donkey Kong for the NES scrapped into a newer game. The game supported colored graphics when played on the Super Game Boy peripheal of the Super Nintendo.

Story
The player plays as Mario, in pursuit of his girlfriend, Pauline, who is kidnapped by Donkey Kong. The first four levels are from the original Donkey Kong arcade game. After the fourth level, where the arcade game would usually reset, Donkey Kong recovers, grabs Pauline, and runs off to the Big City. Mario gives chase.

After the above, the game sees Mario chasing Donkey Kong and Pauline through the following places:

Stages
Number of Stages: 8

Stage 1: Big City
Mario continues trailing Donkey Kong until he somehow opens a locked door without a key. Just as Donkey Kong goes through, he slams it right in Mario's face, causing him to crash into it. However, a key soon fell down out of nowhere, and then Mario took it, unlocked the door, and continued pursuing the villainous ape. After going through three stages, which consisted of many enemies (as well as many other locked doors that needed to be unlocked with a key), Mario encounters Donkey Kong once again. Donkey Kong attempts to stop Mario once more by pounding the ground, causing weights and all sorts of other heavy objects to fall toward Mario. However, he managed to dodge or kick them away (while doing a handstand), and ended up getting to the top, where Donkey Kong and Pauline were. As soon as he did, Donkey Kong once again managed to escape, taking Pauline with him. Mario chased him some more. This time, Donkey Kong ran across a bridge, stomped it, and took it down in an attempt to lose Mario. However, Mario found a platform switch above him, which he used to recreate another one, and continued chasing Donkey Kong. Mario then went through four other stages which once again, had many obstacles and enemies to overcome. After completing another three stages, Mario encountered the ape once again, this time engaging him in combat. Donkey Kong once again tried tossing barrels at the heroic plumber, but Mario managed to catch those barrels and toss them right back at him. After getting hit three times, Donkey Kong was defeated. However, he managed to get back up again, taking Pauline away once more.

Stage 2: Forest
Numnber of Stages: 12 After escaping from the city, Donkey Kong tries making his way into the forest, but not before pulling a switch to deactivate the platform that he used to get across, so that he could stop Mario. As with the other times, Mario was able to find his way around, as there was a similar switch right next to him that he pulled, which reactivated the platform. Donkey Kong then retreats, while Mario continues chasing him. After making his way through three stages, Mario encounters Donkey Kong once again. This time, rather than throwing barrels, Donkey Kong threw Snapjaws at Mario, and he had to avoid them by climbing vines in a Donkey Kong Jr.-esque fashion. After Mario makes his way to the top, Donkey Kong takes Pauline and retreats once again. Coming across another stack of barrels, Donkey Kong puts Pauline down for a brief moment and starts chucking them at Mario. Mario, however, managed to avoid the barrels by jumping over them and kicking them by using the handstand. After that, Donkey Kong picks Pauline up and runs off again, and the chase continues. Mario completes four more stages and encounters Donkey Kong again. This time, Mario had to avoid a huge block, as well as the springs that Donkey Kong threw at him, and make his way to the top by climbing some more vines. When Mario gets to the top, Donkey Kong retreats again, and Mario continues chasing him. The chase came to a brief halt when Donkey Kong attempted to charge into Mario, but ended up hitting the wall instead, since Mario avoided it by using a backflip. After completing three more stages, Mario engages Donkey Kong in combat once again. Donkey Kong used the exact same fighting strategy as before (throwing barrels), but this time, he stood on a higher platform, causing Mario to have to use springs to reach him. After hitting Donkey Kong with the barrels three times, he once again falls to the ground, seemingly defeated. Once again, he rises, grabs Pauline, and climbs away.

Stage 3: Ship
Number of Stages: 8 Not willing to give up, Mario continued chasing Donkey Kong, until he jumped onto a large ship. It was too far for Mario's jump to reach, so he had to swing on a diagonal wire to get enough momentum to reach the ship. Just when Donkey Kong thought he got away, and just when he was beginning to jump for joy, Mario managed to land on the ship and give chase to the ape once more. After Mario got through the ship's three stages, he encountered Donkey Kong again. This time, Mario had to avoid a large stone that rises and then drops as soon as he gets underneath. There was also many elevator platforms to use, as well as a spiked floor underneath. Donkey Kong attempted to stop Mario once more by pulling the lever, but once again, his efforts were in vain, as Mario made it past all of those traps. After Mario got to the top of the stage, Donkey Kong escaped with Pauline once again, and Mario continued to pursue him. Donkey Kong then jumped onto a high platform, which he thought Mario wouldn't be able to reach. Unfortunately for him, Mario did make his way up there by doing a "triple jump". Once again, Mario made his way through three more stages and encountered Donkey Kong again. Using the same attack pattern as before, Donkey Kong tossed barrels at Mario, but just like the last two times, Mario threw them back at the ape. After their short battle, Donkey Kong took Pauline away once again, and began to escape into the jungle.

Stage 4: Jungle
Number of Stages: 12 After going through three stages of this dangerous jungle, Mario encounters Donkey Kong once more, but this time, he isn't alone. His son, Donkey Kong Jr. is alongside him, and while Donkey Kong is tossing springs at Mario, Junior is handling the platform switch. After Mario gets through these obstacles, Donkey Kong and his son escape with Pauline, and Mario continues chasing them. The chase came to another brief stop when Donkey Kong decided to take a Poison Mushroom and throw it at Mario. It was a clear hit, and it made Mario temporarily shrink in size. When Mario's size changed back to normal, he continued persuing the two villainous apes. The next time Mario encountered Donkey Kong, he once again, had to climb vines and drop fruit in a Donkey Kong Jr.-esque fashion, as well as avoid Snapjaws and Poison Mushrooms that Donkey Kong threw at him. After Mario got to the top, Donkey Kong escaped with Pauline again. During Mario's next encounter with Donkey Kong, he engages him in battle once more. Donkey Kong once again, tossed barrels at Mario, but this time, Poison Mushrooms were contained inside. Not only did Mario have to dodge the barrels and throw them back at him, but he had to watch out for the Poison Mushrooms as well. After defeating Donkey Kong, he once again manges to escape with Pauline.

Stage 5: Desert
Number of Stages: 12 Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. flee and jump onto bricks, which Mario uses a hammer to smash his way through. The two apes ran off as he was doing so, and the chase continued from there. After making his way through three stages of the scorching desert, Mario encounters Donkey Kong again inside of an Egyptian temple. This time, there were conveyor belts, rather than regular floors, and Mario had to avoid the falling objects that Donkey Kong was trying to hit him with. As usual, when Mario made his way to the top, Donkey Kong took Pauline and retreated, causing Mario to chase him once more. Donkey Kong jumped across a large gap, but Mario followed him by doing a hand-stand jump to make his way across, but as soon as he did, the ape ran off. Next time Mario came across Donkey Kong, he tossed barrels at him in the very same way he did in the first of the four arcade stages. Mario once again had to make his way through by jumping over the barrels, smashing them with his hammer, as well as climbing ladders to make his way to the top, in which he does. The chase comes to another brief halt when Donkey Kong attempts to stop Mario with two Mummy-like enemies, but Mario picks one up and throws it into the other, causing Donkey Kong to have to retreat. After a few more stages, Mario comes face to face with Donkey Kong once more, engaging him in another battle. This time, rather than throwing barrels, Donkey Kong threw those Sphinx-like enemies at Mario. The plumber ended up defeating him once again by using the same method as before- tossing it right back at him. After that, Donkey Kong gets back up, takes Pauline, and retreats.

Stage 6: Airplane
Number of Stages: 8 This time, Donkey Kong makes his way onto an airplane, and Mario chases him all the way through it. During their next encounter, there was lots of strong winds and current that made it more difficult for Mario to make his way to the top of the stage. In addition to that, there was also a spiked floor, as well as an eletrical device and projectiles that were being fired out of cannons. Mario, of course, managed to avoid these things and make his way to the top of the stage, causing Donkey Kong to retreat again. When Mario got through another three stages, he encountered Donkey Kong again, only to engage him in combat once more. Donkey Kong, as usual, tossed barrels at him. This time, however, not only did Mario have to dodge the barrels and throw them back at the Kong, but he had to avoid the strong wind current as well. After Donkey Kong was defeated, he retreated with Pauline again, and the chase continued.

Stage 7: Iceberg
Number of Stages: 12 Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. escaped into the Iceberg, followed by Mario (as well as an unnamed fire enemy that was melting the path). In order to make his way through this cold, frozen region, Mario needed the help of those fire enemies so that he could burn his way through the ice, and open his path to the key and/or the exits. After going through three stages, Mario came across Donkey Kong again, this time having to deal with elevator platforms and falling blocks. After getting through them, he continues chasing Donkey Kong. When DK reach a high platform that was too high for Mario to reach, he ended up using the ice crystal to make his way up there, and continued chasing the ape.

Gameplay
The game starts out with four relatively simple levels that Mario must scale in order to reach Pauline. These four levels are identical to the original Donkey Kong. After reaching the top of the structure, Donkey Kong flees with Pauline into the city beyond, and the next few stages consist of puzzle levels as well as more showdowns with Donkey Kong.

Each stage has a varying amount of puzzle levels in which Mario needs to work against time to bring a key to a door to unlock it, thus advancing to the next level. The puzzles consist of building platforms and ladders and using them before they disappear, flipping switches, jumping on moving platforms, avoiding enemies and utilizing conveyor belts. Sometimes, Donkey Kong Jr. will get in Mario's way by flipping switches or throwing poisonous mushrooms at him to shrink him. There are also three items left behind by Pauline in each level (a hat, an umbrella and a handbag); picking all three up before finishing the level will unlock a bonus stage in which the player can pick up extra lives.

As well as the puzzle levels, each stage has at least two battles with Donkey Kong; one takes place part-way through the stage, and involves Mario reaching Pauline while avoiding the debris falling on him as Donkey Kong causes an impact. The second takes place at the end of each stage, and involves avoiding the barrels that Donkey Kong throws at Mario, picking them up and throwing them back at him.

In the final 'Tower' stage, each level consists of chasing Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. to the top of the tower, avoiding their attacks, eventually trapping Junior in a cage, and defeating a giant Donkey Kong in the final battle.

References to Other Games

 * Donkey Kong: All four stages from the original Donkey Kong, as well as the hammer, and Pauline's dropped items appear in the game.
 * Donkey Kong Jr.: The character, as well as many enemies and gameplay elements from the game itself, were featured in the game.
 * Super Mario Bros.: The Super Mushrooms were featured in the game, and Donkey Kong used several of them to turn into a giant during the final battle. Also, during the ending, there was a Warp Pipe, as well as three ? Blocks. Additionally, the 1-Up Mushroom sound effects were also included in the game.
 * Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels: Poison Mushrooms were featured in the game.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2: The ability to pick up and throw items, as well as using keys to open doors, originated from this game.

Influence on Later Games
Ten years later, a successor to Donkey Kong '94, called Mario vs Donkey Kong was released. It reused many gameplay elements from its predecessor, such as:
 * The basic moveset, such as the ability to use handstands, kick items, etc.
 * Having to find keys to open locked doors.
 * Many enemies from Doney Kong '94 made a return.
 * The concept of collecting three certain items to access a bonus stage.
 * Boss battles against Donkey Kong at the end of each world.
 * Jungle stages, which included many Donkey Kong Jr.-esque elements.

Trivia

 * This is the first title in the extended Mario series to have Super Game Boy compatibility, followed by the Donkey Kong Land series, as well as Wario Land 2.
 * All the screenshots below feature the game on the Super Game Boy, and its exclusive border.

Screenshots