Donkey Kong (game): Difference between revisions

|developer=[[Nintendo Research & Development 1]]<br> [[Nintendo Research & Development 2]] (Famicom/NES port)<ref name="Iwata">Iwata, Satoru et al. [http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/nsmb/1/0 Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. Wii]. ''Nintendo''. Retrieved May 01 2015</ref> <br> [[Ikegami Tsushinki]]<ref name="Gamasutra">Fahs, Travis.[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134790/the_secret_history_of_donkey_kong.php?page=3 The Secret History of Donkey Kong], ''Gamasutra''</ref><ref name="Sore wa">Akagi, Masumi. ''Sore wa “Pong” kara Hajimatta'', p. 305-307 (Translation available [http://jotaroraido.wordpress.com/2011/01/11/the-battle-of-donkey-kong/ here])</ref> <br>{{wp|Coleco}} (ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Intellivision, and Coleco Adam ports) <br> {{wp|Atari, Inc.}} (Atari 8-bit, Apple II, TI-99/4A, MS-DOS, Commodore VIC-20, and 1983 Commodore 64 ports)<br> [[Sentient Software Ltd]] (ZX Spectrum  and MSX ports)<br>[[Arcana Software Design (game)|Arcana Software Design]] (Amstrad CPC and 1986 Commodore 64 ports)<br> [[International Technology Development Corporation|ITDC]] (Atari 7800 port) <br>{{wp|Hamster Corporation|Hamster}} (''Arcade Archives'')

 

|release='''Arcade:'''<br>{{release|Japan|July 9, 1981|USA|July 31, 1981}} '''Atari 2600:'''<br>{{release|USA|July 1982<ref name = "Arcade Express Aug 30">[https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n2/mode/2up Arcade Express Volume One Number Two] Pages 1 & 3.</ref>|Europe|1983|Australia|1983}} '''ColecoVision:'''<br>{{release|USA|July 1982<ref>[https://retrocdn.net/images/d/d0/ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.1_05.pdf The Video Game Update Volume One #5] Page 1.</ref>|Europe|July 1983|Australia|1983}} '''Coleco Tabletop:'''<br>{{release|USA|August 1982<ref>[https://archive.org/details/arcade_express_v1n1/page/n3/mode/2up Arcade Express Vol1, No1, p.4]</ref>}} '''Intellivision:'''<br>{{release|USA|October 1982|Europe|1983|Australia|1983}} '''Atari 8-bit Computers:''' <br>{{release|USA|June 1983|Europe|1983}} '''[[Family Computer|Famicom]]/[[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] port:'''<br>{{release|Japan|July 15, 1983|USA|June 15, 1986|Europe|October 15, 1986}}'''TI-99/4A:'''<br>{{release|USA|November 1983<ref>[https://retrocdn.net/images/b/b6/ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.2_09.pdf The Video Game Update, December 1983. Pages 137 & 144]</ref>}} '''MS-DOS:'''<br>{{release|USA|November 1983}} '''Apple II:'''<br>{{release|USA|December 1983}} '''Commodore VIC-20:'''<br>{{release|USA|February 1984<ref name=3/84>[https://retrocdn.net/images/4/43/ComputerEntertainer_US_Vol.2_12.pdf The Video Game Update, March 1984. Pages 190 & 192]</ref>}} '''Commodore 64:'''<br>{{release|USA|February 1984 (Atarisoft)<ref name=3/84/>|Europe|1986 (Ocean Software)}} '''Coleco Adam:'''<br>{{release|USA|June 1984}} '''MSX:'''<br>{{release|Europe|1986}} '''ZX Spectrum:'''<br>{{release|Europe|1986}} '''Amstrad CPC:'''<br>{{release|Europe|1986}} '''[[Family Computer Disk System]]:'''<br>{{release|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>{{release|USA|November 1988|Europe|1988}} '''e-Reader:'''<br>{{release|USA|November 11, 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>{{release|Japan|February 14, 2004|USA|June 7, 2004|Europe|July 9, 2004}} '''[[Virtual Console#Wii|Virtual Console]] ([[Wii]]):'''<br>{{release|USA|November 19, 2006|Japan|December 2, 2006|Australia|December 7, 2006|Europe|December 8, 2006}} '''[[Virtual Console#Nintendo 3DS|Virtual Console]] ([[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]]):'''<br>{{release|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>|Europe|September 18, 2014 (''Original Edition'')|Australia|September 19, 2014 (''Original Edition'')|South Korea|March 2, 2016}} '''[[Virtual Console#Wii U|Virtual Console]] ([[Wii U]]):'''<br>{{release|Japan|July 15, 2013|USA|July 15, 2013|Europe|July 15, 2013|Australia|July 15, 2013}} '''[[Classics#NES Classic Edition|NES Classic Edition/Famicom Mini]]:'''<br>{{release|Japan|November 10, 2016|Australia|November 10, 2016|USA|November 11, 2016|Europe|November 11, 2016}} '''[[Nintendo Switch]] (''[[Arcade Archives]]''):'''<br>{{release|USA|June 14, 2018|Japan|June 15, 2018|Europe|June 15, 2018|Australia|June 15, 2018}} '''[[Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online]]:'''<br>{{release|USA|September 18, 2018|Japan|September 19, 2018|Europe|September 19, 2018|Australia|September 19, 2018|HK|April 23, 2019|South Korea|April 23, 2019}}

'''''Donkey Kong''''' is an arcade [[List of games|game]] that was [[Nintendo]]'s first big hit in North America. It marked the beginning of the ''[[Mario (franchise)|Mario]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'' franchises and introduced several of their earliest characters, including [[Mario]] himself (a carpenter rather than a plumber), the original [[Donkey Kong]] (who, in later games, would become [[Cranky Kong]], the current Donkey Kong's grandfather<ref>''Donkey Kong Country'' instruction booklet, pages 6 & 27</ref>), and [[Pauline|Lady]] (later renamed Pauline). A port of this game was one of the three launch titles for the [[Family Computer]] in 1983. This port was released on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] as part of the [[Arcade Classics Series]] in 1986. The game sold very 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|50 m]] cut. This game was also the first title to be released on [[Virtual Console]]. ''Donkey Kong'' was the second platforming game ever made; the 1980 game ''{{wp|Space Panic}}'' was the first. However, ''Donkey Kong'' was the first to include [[jump]]ing as an ability.

Donkey Kong has kidnapped the beautiful [[Pauline|Lady]] and taken her to a dangerous construction site somewhere in [[New York]]<ref>[https://www.ndw.jp/mario-interview-230425/2/  インタビュー  マリオ映画公開記念！宮本茂さんインタビュー 制作の始まりから驚きの設定まで] (April 25, 2023). ''Nintendo Dream Web''. Retrieved April 25, 2023</ref>. [[Mario]] must climb to the top of the construction site and rescue Lady from the giant ape.

|align=center|25 m

|align=center|25 m

|align=center|25 m

|align=center|25 m

[[File:Jumpmanconcept.jpg|thumb|left|Concept art for Mario.]]

Development on ''Donkey Kong'' began in March 1981 when [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], under the supervision of the late [[Gunpei Yokoi]], was assigned by Nintendo to convert ''{{wp|Radar Scope}}'', a poorly selling arcade game in North America, into a game that would have more appeal to more gamers. Shigeru Miyamoto later admitted that he did not focus on the story of the game, instead creating a basic plot with colorful characters and music that he himself penned<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz0P_TcikwA&t=27m24s A Discovery Channel documentary on video games] reveals that Miyamoto wanted to make ''Donkey Kong'' tell a story, and also wrote the music for the game. ''YouTube''. Referenced March 22, 2015</ref>. He said that Mario and Lady were not intended to have a relationship, and he did not know where the idea came from, but he thought that it did not matter much.{{ref needed}} The game was also originally designed to have Mario escape from a maze, and jumping was not yet implemented, making platforming too difficult.<ref>[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2009/11/25/news-miyamoto-mario-initially-couldn-t-jump.aspx GameInformer interview with Shigeru Miyamoto]</ref> In a time where arcade games took around two to three months to build, ''Donkey Kong'' was built in four or five months and Shigeru Miyamoto was focused on developing it for a global market rather than just for Japan.<ref name=NESClassic>[http://web.archive.org/web/20220425234630/https://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/donkey-kong-developer-interview Donkey Kong Developer Interview]</ref> The working title during development was ''Table Kong Game'' until export manager Shinichi Todori came up with the name for both the game and the antagonist at the end of May.<ref>[https://youtu.be/aTyxQfpOEbE?t=749 How the Mario Characters Got Their Names | Gaming Historian] Retrieved October 25, 2021.</ref><ref name=GHTwitter>[https://twitter.com/GamingHistorian/status/1220101899455692801?s=20 Gunpei Yokoi deposition, 1983]</ref>  Due to the late name change, the printed circuit boards (PCB) retain the "TKG" part numbering. The final version of the game was a major breakthrough for Nintendo and 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.  

''Donkey Kong'' was heavily inspired by 1930s American media. Originally conceived as a ''{{wp|Popeye}}'' game, based on the 1930s comic and animation, with Bluto being in the spot of Donkey Kong, Popeye being Mario, and Olive Oyl being Lady. The particular ''Popeye'' short that inspired Yokoi is ''A Dream Walking'' which is set in a construction site.<ref>[https://thedoteaters.com/?bitstory=bitstory-article-2%2Fdonkey-kong&all=1 Donkey Kong & Nintendo - Let There Be Mario]</ref> Although Nintendo held the license to produce ''Popeye'' branded products,<ref>[http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/nsmb/0/0 Iwata Asks:New Super Mario Bros: Volume 1]</ref> the characters ended up being changed for technical reasons.<ref name=GHTwitter/> A ''Popeye'' [[Game & Watch]] game was developed at the same time and was released only a few weeks after ''Donkey Kong''. The {{wp|Popeye (video game)|''Popeye'' arcade game}} came out a year later in 1982 and was followed by two more ''Popeye'' Game and Watch releases in 1983. The 1930s film ''{{wp|King Kong}}'' would serve as another inspiration<ref>[https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,984568,00.html  The Spielberg of Video Games] (May 20, 1996). ''Time''</ref> and the setting of the game would be [[New York City]].<ref>[https://www.ndw.jp/mario-interview-230425/2/  インタビュー  マリオ映画公開記念！宮本茂さんインタビュー 制作の始まりから驚きの設定まで] (April 25, 2023). ''Nintendo Dream Web''. Retrieved April 25, 2023</ref> Certain American live-action commercials for Donkey Kong portrayed {{media link|Donkey Kong Commercial 1982.png|Mario in 1930s clothing with a fedora}} and Lady was given a period appropriate hairstyle to match.

Despite Mario being given the name ''Ossan'' (the Japanese term for "middle-aged man"),<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20101009201546/http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/mario25th/vol2_page4.jsp</ref> Miyamoto envisioned Mario to be a young man at around 24 or 26 years old, describing Donkey Kong as Mario's pet who escaped and kidnapped his girlfriend.<ref name=NESClassic/>

*This version was also ported to the [[Mini Classics]] series

====[[Famicom]] / [[NES]] version====

**[[50m|50 m]] and most cutscenes have been removed.

====[[Game Boy Advance]] version====

**The second port, 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 50 m, which was cut from the NES version, although Donkey Kong mistakenly stands still in this level, and the graphics more closely resemble the arcade version, though still not quite identical to the latter.  This port was made available on the [[Nintendo 3DS#Nintendo eShop|Nintendo eShop]] in Japan when a [[Club Nintendo (rewards program)|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., although it was released in Europe for the 3DS eShop on September 18, 2014.

*''[[nookipedia:Animal Crossing (GCN)|Animal Crossing]]'' (NES version included as minigame)

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

*''[[amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits]]'' (NES version included as a "highlight"; the player can play on 25 m, 75 m, and 100 m in three separate "scenes", each of which is 180 seconds long)

''Donkey Kong'' has three sequels:

The arcade version was produced by [[Gunpei Yokoi]], while [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]] received executive producer credit as courtesy of being Nintendo's president. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] 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. An older version of [[Intelligent Systems]]' own [https://web.archive.org/web/20080825131340/http://www.intsys.co.jp/english/software/index.html website] claims credit for developing the NES port for Nintendo, but the current version changes it to ''[[Donkey Kong 3]]''.<ref>[https://www.intsys.co.jp/works/games/ Intelligent Systems website], retrieved November 1, 2021.</ref> The Iwata Ask interview released for ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' states the port was developed by [[Nintendo Research & Development 2]]<ref name="Iwata"/>. Landon M. Dyer programmed the Atari 8-bit port which served as the basis for several Atarisoft ports.

*''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'': 75 m appears as a stage in this game. The title theme appears as a cover version in this game, and the 25 m theme also appears in its original format. A demo of this game is also available as a Masterpiece. Mario's down taunt, in which he spins around in midair and falls on his back, is a reference to his dying animation in this game. Also, one of Wario's costumes is based on Mario's outfit from his first appearance, one of Donkey Kong's alternate costumes is based on his sprite from his first appearance and one of Peach's alternate costumes is based on Pauline's original appearance. Pauline and Donkey Kong also appear as a sticker, using their original artwork.

*''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'': ''Donkey Kong'' is referenced as an arcade game called ''Jump Man''. A character named [[Giuseppe]] also resembles Mario's look from ''Donkey Kong'' and can be seen playing it in the movie.

*In 2007, a documentary film, ''[[List of Mario references in film#The King of Kong|The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters]]'', directed by {{wp|Seth Gordon}} was released. The film centers around high school teacher {{wp|Steve Wiebe}} as he tries to achieve a world record for obtaining the highest score in the game, which was held by {{wp|Billy Mitchell (gamer)|Billy Mitchell}} at the time.

{{Mario games}}