Software:Donkey Kong (Game Boy)

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Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
North American box art
Developer(s)Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development
Pax Softnica
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Masayuki Kameyama
Takao Shimizu
Producer(s)Shigeru Miyamoto
Artist(s)Yoichi Kotabe
Composer(s)Taisuke Araki
SeriesDonkey Kong
Platform(s)Game Boy, 3DS Virtual Console
ReleaseGame Boy
  • JP: June 14, 1994
  • NA: July 22, 1994
  • EU: September 24, 1994
3DS Virtual Console
  • JP: June 15, 2011
  • WW: June 16, 2011
Genre(s)Platformer, puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player

Donkey Kong (ドンキーコング, Donkī Kongu) is a platform game developed in 1994 by Nintendo for the Game Boy handheld video game system, which also contains puzzle elements. Donkey Kong is loosely based on the 1981 arcade game of the same name and its sequel Donkey Kong Jr. The game was known under the working title Donkey Kong '94 before the release.[1]

Like in the original arcade and NES version, the player takes control of Mario and must rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong (who are both given updated character designs for this game). Donkey Kong Jr. makes a guest appearance in the game on some levels, helping his father hinder Mario's progress.

This was the first Game Boy title designed with enhanced features when played on the Super Game Boy. It features gameplay elements from Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Super Mario Bros. 2.

Gameplay

The Super Game Boy border used in the game was based on the actual arcade cabinet of the original Donkey Kong.

Donkey Kong begins with the four levels found in the original arcade game, in which Mario must reach the top of the level and save Pauline. After these four initial stages are completed, the usual arcade ending begins, but after a few notes of the "victory theme" Donkey Kong revives, grabs Pauline again, and takes off with her, with Mario giving chase. The player is then presented with 97 additional stages spanning nine worlds, for a total of 101 stages with the very last one a fight against a mutated, larger Donkey Kong.

The subsequent levels follow a completely different game mechanic in which the player must guide Mario through each level to locate a key. He must pick it up and carry it to a locked door elsewhere in the stage. Every fourth level is a "battle level" in which the player must either try to reach Pauline, like in the original levels, or defeat Donkey Kong by using his own barrels against him. After the fourth level is cleared, a short cutscene is shown depicting a player's abilities that may be needed for the upcoming levels, or to introduce new kinds of traps. At this point, players are allowed to save their progress, including their time for each level or for the total set. Extra lives can be earned via mini-games, unlocked by collecting three special items in each level, or at the end of each set based on the total unused time from that set.

The game features various gameplay enhancements from the original game. Mario is able to survive falling from certain distances, though will lose a life if he falls further. Mario will also lose a life if he hits an enemy or obstacle, though some instances allow Mario to withstand the hit, such as being hit while carrying an item. Similar to Super Mario Bros. 2, he is able to pick up and throw items or certain enemies, which he will need to use to carry the key over to the door. If the key is left alone for a certain amount of time, it will return to its original place. At any point, Mario can flip over onto his hands, which allows him to catch falling barrels, and can also perform higher jumps by timing his jumps from flipping, or by performing a jump while changing direction.

The classic mallet item can be thrown upwards and can be used again if Mario catches it, allowing him to bring it to different parts of the stage. There are also several blocks that allow the player to add bridges, ladders and springs anywhere on the screen for a short amount of time. Other abilities Mario can perform include swimming, climbing ropes in a similar fashion to Donkey Kong Jr. and spinning on wires to reach new heights.

Follow-ups

During its release, Nelsonic released a promotional LCD game wristwatch based on it.[2] It is based on one of the early levels in the original game. Ten years later, an enhanced version of the Game Boy title for the Game Boy Advance was planned, titled Donkey Kong Plus. In addition to featuring enhanced graphics and backgrounds, the proposed remake also featured a level designer accessible through the GameCube. The game ultimately resurfaced as Mario vs. Donkey Kong, a completely new game with similar gameplay. It was followed by a sequel titled Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, which featured a level designer. The Game Boy title was re-released as a download for the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console service on June 15, 2011.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
GameRankings84.83%
(9 reviews)
[3]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGameStarStarStarStarHalf star[4]
EGM8.25/10[5]
Nintendo Life9/10[6]
ONM89%

Since its release, Donkey Kong has received positive reception from critics, holding an average score of 84.93% at GameRankings.[7] GamePro described it as both a great killer app for the Super Game Boy and an excellent game in its own right. They particularly praised the nostalgia value of the arcade game levels, the intellectually challenging puzzles of the new levels, and the overall longevity of the game.[8] Electronic Gaming Monthly gave it their "Game of the Month" award, similarly hailing it as an excellent killer app for the Super Game Boy and commenting that it "brings back all the best aspects of the arcade, while introducing new concepts, making the game even better."[5]

Nintendo Power praised the game as "challenging and fun" while noting that its "control is styled after the arcade games, not the Super Mario Bros. so it can be confusing at first". The review gave high marks for the games' play control, challenge and theme & fun.[9]

Donkey Kong was awarded Best Game Boy Game of 1994 by Electronic Gaming Monthly.[10] Nintendo Power listed it as the eighth best Game Boy/Game Boy Color video game, praising it as the only true followup to the original Donkey Kong arcade game.[11] Official Nintendo Magazine ranked Donkey Kong 89th on their list of the "100 Greatest Nintendo Games".[12] Game Informer's Ben Reeves called it the sixth best Game Boy game called it a "criminally overlooked ... puzzle masterpiece".[13] AllGame gave the game a four and a half star out of five rating, proclaiming the game as "graphically sound, brilliantly challenging game that requires careful planning and strategy as well as dexterity for the player to succeed."[4] The review also applauded Nintendo for not taking the "easy route by simply cranking out a remake of the original."[4]


References

  1. ↑ "Pak Watch". Nintendo Power (Volume 58): 111. March 1994. 
  2. ↑ "Handheld Museum - Nelsonic Donkey Kong". Handheld Museum. http://www.handheldmuseum.com/Nelsonic/DonkeyKong.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-27. 
  3. ↑ "Donkey Kong". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/gameboy/197137-donkey-kong/index.html. Retrieved 2010-11-24. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Weiss, Brett Alan. "Donkey Kong". AllGame. Archived from the original on December 10, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141210124240/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=7293. Retrieved August 5, 2015. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Review Crew: Donkey Kong". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (61): 28. August 1994. 
  6. ↑ "Donkey Kong". Nintendo Life. December 15, 2014. http://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2011/06/donkey_kong_3dsvc. Retrieved January 5, 2015. 
  7. ↑ "Donkey Kong Reviews". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages4/197137.asp. Retrieved 2008-04-02. 
  8. ↑ "Donkey Kong". GamePro (IDG) (72): 132. September 1994. 
  9. ↑ "Now Playing". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America Inc.) 61: 106. June 1994. ""Graphics and Sound: 3.8 / 5, Play Control: 4.1 / 5, Challenge: 4.2/5, Theme and Fun: 4.3/5"". 
  10. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide. 1995. 
  11. ↑ Nintendo Power - The 20th Anniversary Issue!. Nintendo Power. San Francisco, California: Future US. August 2008. p. 72. 
  12. ↑ East, Tom (2009-03-02). Feature: 100 Best Nintendo Games . Official Nintendo Magazine. Retrieved on 2009-03-18
  13. ↑ Reeves, Ben (2011-06-24). "The 25 Best Game Boy Games Of All Time". Game Informer. http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/06/24/the-25-best-game-boy-games-of-all-time.aspx. Retrieved 2013-12-06. 

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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