Ads are gone. We're using Patreon to raise funds so we can grow. Please pledge support today!

3DS | DS | PS3 | PS4 | PSP | VITA | WII | WIIU | X360 | XB1 | All

Donkey Kong Jr. (NES) review

"I remember playing Donkey Kong Jr. as a wee lad, and loving it. Looking back, I must have either really sucked at video games, had a very short term memory, or just been too naive to know any better. Maybe a combination of all three. "

I remember playing Donkey Kong Jr. as a wee lad, and loving it. Looking back, I must have either really sucked at video games, had a very short term memory, or just been too naive to know any better. Maybe a combination of all three.

In Donkey Kong Jr. you play as the infamous ape king's son in a battle to free him from the clutches of the evil Mario. That's actually a pretty deep twist, if you think about it. Take the hero from the last game and turn him into the expressed villain of the sequel. Also, if you know too much about video games, you'll know that the story doesn't end here, but that ol' Junior ends up becoming the title character of Donkey Kong Country a good ten or fourteen years down the home console road. Thus, this game establishes some heavy character personalities and relationships. It's a complex weave of psychological terraforming that plays out without a single bit of dialogue and involves characters who are limited to about three animations.

In short, the story of this game is simply amazing. Not until the Final Fantasy series would we see such brilliant writing again.

Down to gameplay. This being an arcade game, that's really all the title has to offer. As a concept, it's actually pretty good. Each level is essentially a platforming puzzle. You'll have to plan the perfect route to the top, and then you'll have to execute your plan with expert timing while struggling with sometimes unresponsive controls. It's like an arcade player's dream! You do this four times, and then you're done. Yes, gamers, rejoice! No longer do you have to contend with the extremely limited three level campaign that was the original Donkey Kong. No, Nintendo has heard your pleas and has graciously endowed this sequel with a mighty and infinitely enduring fourth level.

If during the course of this review, you've felt something wet splatter across your chest, don't worry... that's just sarcasm.

What scares me is that there are STILL people out there who play this game in competitions, playing against literally thousands of other players in order to obtain the highest score. I'm not sure what would be more deprecating to a person's character: being able to say that you are one of those insane players, or being able to produce ticket stubs to one of those events.

Rating: 2/10

Community review by zippdementia (November 10, 2008)

Zipp has spent most of his life standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door. There is a small mailbox there. Sometimes he writes reviews and puts them in the mailbox.

More Reviews by zippdementia
	Mario Kart 8 (Wii U) Mario Kart 8 is fun. It creates a racing experience that is fast-paced and full of adrenaline, while still retaining that classic Mario Kart zaniness. And that’s important, because somewhere in the last few years, the series felt like it was losing its sense of identity.
	The Last of Us (PlayStation 3) Instead, Joel’s personal motives are called into question. As his protection of Ellie becomes more and more desperate, the astute gamer will not be able to escape wondering whether Joel is trying to replace his own lost family with this little girl—leading her into an unbalanced emotional reliance in the process.
	Tomb Raider (PlayStation 3) It’s impressive to see Tomb Raider go from setting up frightening encounters with wolves, to getting your blood pumping right before a shoot out, to giving your trigger-finger a break and making you get cerebral with a puzzle or two.

Feedback

If you enjoyed this Donkey Kong Jr. review, you're encouraged to discuss it with the author and with other members of the site's community. If you don't already have an HonestGamers account, you can sign up for one in a snap. Thank you for reading!

	drella posted November 10, 2008: "If during the course of this review, you've felt something wet splatter across your chest, don't worry... that's just sarcasm." I'm sorry, but this is a really great line.
	zippdementia posted November 10, 2008: Thank you, thank you very much! You've just turned a good night even better.

You must be signed into an HonestGamers user account to leave feedback on this review.

Site Policies & Ethics | Contact | Links

© 1998-2015 HonestGamers
None of the material contained within this site may be reproduced in any conceivable fashion without permission from the author(s) of said material. This site is not sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, or any other such party. Donkey Kong Jr. is a registered trademark of its copyright holder. This site makes no claim to Donkey Kong Jr., its characters, screenshots, artwork, music, or any intellectual property contained within. Opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of site staff or sponsors. Staff and freelance reviews are typically written based on time spent with a retail review copy or review key for the game that is provided by its publisher.