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is an Arcade Game released by Nintendo in 1981 . The game is an early example of the Platform genre; Gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging obstacles. The storyline is thin but well developed for its time. In it, Mario (originally called Jumpman) must rescue a Damsel In Distress from a giant ape named Donkey Kong . The hero and ape would go on to be two of Nintendo's more popular characters. The game was the latest of Nintendo's efforts to break into the North American market. Nintendo's president, Hiroshi Yamauchi , assigned the project to a first-time Game Designer named Shigeru Miyamoto . Drawing from a wide range of inspirations, including '' Popeye '' and '' King Kong '', Miyamoto developed the scenario and designed the game alongside Nintendo's chief engineer, Gunpei Yokoi . The two men broke new ground by using graphics as a means of characterization, including Cut Scene s to advance the game's plot, and integrating multiple stages into the gameplay. Despite initial misgivings on the part of Nintendo's American staff, ''Donkey Kong'' proved a tremendous success in both North America and Japan . Nintendo License d the game to Coleco , who developed home Console versions for numerous platforms. Other companies simply Cloned Nintendo's hit and avoided Royalties altogether. Miyamoto's characters appeared on cereal boxes, television cartoons, and dozens of other places. A court suit brought on by Universal City Studios , alleging that ''Donkey Kong'' violated their trademark of ''King Kong'', ultimately failed. The success of ''Donkey Kong'' and Nintendo's win in the courtroom helped position the company to dominate the video game market in the 1980s and early 1990s. STORY AND CHARACTERS The eponymous Donkey Kong plays the game's de facto villain. He is the pet of a carpenter named Jumpman (an amalgamation of Walkman and Pac-Man , later renamed Mario ).Kohler 39. The carpenter mistreats the ape, so Donkey Kong escapes and kidnaps Jumpman/Mario's girlfriend, originally known as the Lady, but later renamed Pauline . The player must take the role of Jumpman/Mario and rescue the girl. This was the first occurrence of the inherently Heterosexual Damsel-in-distress scenario that would provide the template for countless video games to come.De Maria 82. The game uses graphics and animation as vehicles of characterization. Donkey Kong smirks upon Jumpman/Mario's demise. The Lady/Pauline is instantly recognized as female from her pink dress and long hair,Ray 19-20. and "HELP!" appears frequently beside her. Jumpman/Mario, depicted in red overalls and cap, is an in a torn dress and stiletto heels. and The Lady/Pauline are reunited.]] ''Donkey Kong'' is the first example of a complete Narrative told in video game form, and it employs Cut Scenes to advance its plot. The game opens with the gorilla climbing a pair of ladders to the top of a construction site. He sets the Lady/Pauline down and stamps his feet, causing the steel beams to change shape. He then moves to his final perch and sneers. This brief animation sets the scene and adds background to the gameplay, a first for video games. Upon reaching the end of the stage, another cut scene begins. A heart appears between Jumpman/Mario and the Lady/Pauline, but Donkey Kong grabs the woman and climbs higher, causing the heart to break. The narrative concludes when Jumpman/Mario reaches the end of the final stage. He and the Lady/Pauline are reunited, and the game's end titles play.Kohler 40-2. GAMEPLAY ''Donkey Kong'' is an early example of the Platform genre (it is sometimes said to be the first platform game, although it was preceded by '' Space Panic '' and '' Apple Panic '').Crawford 94. The game is divided into four different one-screen stages. Each represents 25 meters of the structure Donkey Kong has climbed, one stage being 25 meters higher than the previous. The final screen occurs at 100m. Winning the game requires patience and the ability to accurately time Jumpman's ascent. In addition to presenting the goal of saving the Lady/Pauline, the game also gives the player a Score . Points are awarded for finishing screens; leaping over obstacles; destroying objects with a hammer Power-up ; collecting items such as hats, umbrellas, and purses (presumably belonging to the Lady/Pauline); and completing other tasks. The player receives three lives with a Bonus awarded for every 7,000 points. The screens are as follows:
These screens combine to form levels, which become progressively harder. For example, Donkey Kong begins to hurl barrels more rapidly and sometimes diagonally, and fireballs get quicker. The victory music alternates between levels 1 and 2. The 22nd level is unofficially known as the ''kill screen'' due to an error in the game's programming that starts the clock with far less time than is necessary to complete the stage. At four screens, ''Donkey Kong'' at its debut was the biggest video game ever produced. In fact, the only use of multiple levels to precede it was '' Gorf '' by Midway Games . |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/encyclopedia/entry/Atari_2600" class="copylinks">Atari 2600 (1982) |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/encyclopedia/entry/Intellivision" class="copylinks">Intellivision (1982) |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/encyclopedia/entry/ColecoVision" class="copylinks">ColecoVision (1982) |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/encyclopedia/entry/Commodore_64" class="copylinks">Commodore 64 (1983) |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/encyclopedia/entry/Nintendo_Entertainment_System" class="copylinks">NES (1983 Japan/1986 US) |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/encyclopedia/entry/ZX_Spectrum" class="copylinks">ZX Spectrum (1986) |
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| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/encyclopedia/entry/Atari_7800" class="copylinks">Atari 7800 (1988) |
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