Donkey Kong (Arcade) review"The simplicity cannot be understated or overstated. But for the first time, an underdog hero seemed to emerge, someone with realistic means of disposing of obstacles and limited skill in a world then dominated by spaceships and yellow gobbling monsters. He’s a modest man; there’s nothing super about Mario at this point. It is with wit and cunning that he perseveres, predicting when a barrel is coming, alert of their dangerous potential shortcuts down ladders, and in tune with all his hazardous surroundings. Enter randomness – events cannot be predicted in Donkey Kong, and the hero must find his way out of dire situations with deftness like an action movie’s lead. The great ape tries to put the hero’s back against the wall, hurling beams that clatter down randomly and barrels with increased ferocity each round. Jumpman’s mettle is put on trial during every ramp round, as he struggles uphill against a gargantuan competitor trying to keep him down." |
The problem with the beginning is where do you begin.
There’s the trial lawyer that did his homework and wouldn’t back down, making monkeys out of magisterial multimillionaires, flexing the muscle of small foreign companies in an emerging American medium and vaulting himself to senior vice president of the biggest name in gaming. There’s the renowned creator, still fresh out of college, that boldly scoffed at minor modifications to Nintendo’s flopping Galaxian-wannabe, Radar Scope. And those are just branches of the real story of Donkey Kong: the iconic mascot of an industry, debuting not even under his real name, and his rescue of a damsel from the clutches of a girder-climbing gorilla.
It’s a four directional joystick, a jump button and 100 meters of interlocking iron framework spanning four distinct single screens that changed the face and faces of gaming forever. Donkey Kong is firmly entrenched as the most important title in the history of the arcade, ushering in Nintendo, proving gaming companies couldn’t be bullied by American entertainment conglomerates and introducing a timeless ascent into the classic gaming world.
A carpenter by trade, the legendary Jumpman, who with his fame dropped the alias and became the ubiquitous Mario, watches as his first girlfriend Pauline (“Lady” to Japanese audiences) is kidnapped by a darned dirty ape and taunted out of reach. The oversized giant has carried her perilously up a construction site and his furious stomping is legendary, collapsing the red iron girders in a fashion that allows him to roll wooden barrels down into the hero’s path. Jumpman must make his way up the series of girders and ladders, hopping barrels and avoiding butane balls, with the option to snag a hammer and smash his obstacles on two different floors.
The simplicity cannot be understated or overstated. But for the first time, an underdog hero seemed to emerge, someone with realistic means of disposing of obstacles and limited skill in a world then dominated by spaceships and yellow gobbling monsters. He’s a modest man; there’s nothing super about Mario at this point. It is with wit and cunning that he perseveres, predicting when a barrel is coming, alert of their dangerous potential shortcuts down ladders, and in tune with all his hazardous surroundings. Enter randomness – events cannot be predicted in Donkey Kong, and the hero must find his way out of dire situations with deftness like an action movie’s lead. The great ape tries to put the hero’s back against the wall, hurling beams that clatter down randomly and barrels with increased ferocity each round. Jumpman’s mettle is put on trial during every ramp round, as he struggles uphill against a gargantuan competitor trying to keep him down.
Staff review by Winston Wolf (October 03, 2010)
A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page. |
More Reviews by Winston Wolf [+]
|
|
If you enjoyed this Donkey Kong 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!
User Help | Contact | Ethics | Sponsor Guide | Links