Donkey Kong (game): Difference between revisions

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'''''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 ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'' franchises (and the series of the latter also named ''[[Donkey Kong (series)|Donkey Kong]]'') 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.

==Story==

===Official story quoted from Nintendo of America===

<blockquote><i>"HELP! HELP!" cries the beautiful maiden 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 somehow be miraculously rescued. "But wait! Fear not, fair maiden. Little Mario, the carpenter, is in hot pursuit of you this very moment."<br>

!bgcolor=black|[[File:DK Arcade Pauline Sprite.png]]

|align=center|'''[[Pauline|Lady]]'''

|The damsel in distress, held by Donkey Kong at the end of every level. The MS-DOS and Apple II ports were the first titles to change her name to [[Pauline]], followed by the Coleco Adam and then the Western NES release. Prior to these, she was named in licensed media and merchandise.

|-

!bgcolor=black|[[File:Dk1.gif]]

|align=center|'''[[Donkey Kong]]'''

|The main antagonist, Donkey Kong appears in every level at the end of each stage, throwing obstacles at Mario or guarding Lady. This particular Donkey Kong is later revealed to be a younger [[Cranky Kong]].

|}

!bgcolor=black|[[File:DK Arcade Barrel Sprite.png]]<br>[[File:DK Arcade Blue Barrel.png]]

|align=center|'''[[Barrel]]'''

|Barrels are thrown by Donkey Kong throughout 25 m. Mario can easily jump over these barrels, or destroy them with a Hammer. Certain barrels appear to be blue, which will spawn a [[Fireball (Donkey Kong)|Fireball]] if they reach the [[Oil Drum]] at the beginning of the stage.

|-

!bgcolor=black|[[File:DK Arcade Fireball Sprite.png]]

|align=center|'''[[Fireball (Donkey Kong)|Fireball]]'''

|Sentient flames that follow Mario, even climbing up ladders. They spawn from Oil Drums located amongst each stage and can easily be defeated with a Hammer.

|-

In the international arcade versions, the order of the screens is more complicated with the middle screens revealed in later levels and up to six screens per level from level 5 onward.

===Kill screen in Level 22===

Although the game is intended to be playable indefinitely by not having a level cap, it is impossible to complete the first screen of level 22 (this is the 85th screen in the later Japanese versions and 117th screen in the international versions), due to a [[glitch]] within the process of calculating the time limit. Said time limit is calculated using the formula ''(10 &times; level number) + 40'' and shown in hundreds as a bonus counter in the top-right edge of the screen. Because the calculated value is stored as an 8-Bit integer, which can only save 256 different values ranging from 0 to 255, and the formula results in a value of 260 for level 22, an integer overflow occurs and the value is saved modulo 256, which means 260 is saved as 4. This leads to a starting value of 400 for the timer of level 22 so that Mario dies a few seconds after starting the level, being unable to finish it.<ref>http://donhodges.com/how_high_can_you_get.htm</ref> In the first Japanese version, it is possible to get past the kill screen by exploiting another glitch which lets Mario warp to the top of the screen by jumping off the first girder and through the floor. However, the 88th screen cannot be beaten as there is not enough time to remove all the [[bolt (object)|bolt]]s.

''Donkey Kong'' was heavily inspired by 1930s American media. It was originally conceived as a ''{{wp|Popeye}}'' game, based on the 1930s comic and animation, with Bluto being in the role 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 name="Iwata1"></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 & 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 was [[New York City]].<ref name=Dream/> {{wp|Coleco}}'s 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 originally 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 as 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/>