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:

The 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.

Gameplay
The game starts out with four relatively simple levels that Mario must scale in order to reach Pauline. The first level is identical to the original Donkey Kong, while the others add various challenges and puzzles. 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.

Trivia

 * This is the first Mario-related title to have Super Game Boy compadibility, followed by the Donkey Kong Land series, as well as Wario Land 2.

Screenshots