Donkey Kong Jr.

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This article is about the video game. For the character of the same name, see Donkey Kong Jr. (character).
Donkey Kong Jr.
Developer Nintendo Research & Development 1
Iwasaki Engineering[1]
Nintendo Research & Development 2 (Famicom/NES port)[2]
Coleco (ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Intellivision, and Coleco Adam ports)
Atari, Inc. (Atari 8-bit computer port)
ITDC (Atari 7800 port)
Hamster (Arcade Archives)
Publisher Nintendo
Coleco (ColecoVision, Atari 2600, Intellivision, and Coleco Adam ports)
Atari, Inc. (Atari 8-bit computer port)
Atari Corporation (Atari 7800 port)
Hamster (Arcade Archives)
Release date

Arcade:
Japan August 2, 1982[3]
USA September 1982[4]
ColecoVision:
USA February 1983[5]
Famicom/NES:
Japan July 15, 1983
USA June 1986
Europe June 15, 1987[6]
Atari 2600:
USA September 1983[7]
Intellivision:
USA October 1983[8]
Atari 8-bit computers:
USA March 1984[9]
Coleco Adam:
USA April 1984[9]
Family Computer Disk System:
Japan July 19, 1988[10]
Atari 7800:
USA November 1988
e-Reader:
USA September 16, 2002[11]
Mexico October 2002[12]
Virtual Console (Wii):
Japan December 2, 2006
USA December 4, 2006
Europe December 22, 2006
Virtual Console (3DS) (Ambassador Program Release):
Japan August 31, 2011
USA September 1, 2011
Europe September 1, 2011
Australia September 1, 2011
Virtual Console (3DS) (Full Release):
Japan April 18, 2012
USA June 14, 2012
Europe August 23, 2012
Australia August 23, 2012
South Korea April 6, 2016[13]
Virtual Console (Wii U):
USA April 26, 2013
Europe April 27, 2013
Australia April 28, 2013
Japan July 15, 2013
NES Classic Edition:
Australia November 10, 2016
USA November 11, 2016
Europe November 11, 2016
Nintendo Switch (Arcade Archives):
Japan December 21, 2018
USA December 21, 2018
Europe December 21, 2018
Australia December 21, 2018
Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online:
Japan May 15, 2019[14]
USA May 15, 2019[15]
Europe May 15, 2019[16]
Australia May 15, 2019[17]
HK May 15, 2019
South Korea May 15, 2019

Genre Retro/Platform
Modes Up to 2 players, alternating turns
Cabinet Upright and cocktail
Monitor Raster, standard resolution
Input
Arcade:
Joystick
NES:
Wii:
Wii Remote (Sideways)
Wii U:
Wii Remote (Sideways)
Nintendo Switch:
Nintendo 3DS:
NES Classic Edition:

Donkey Kong Jr. is a 1982 arcade platform game by Nintendo. It first appeared in arcades, and was later released for a variety of platforms, most notably the Nintendo Entertainment System. Over the course of the 1980s, it was also released for various console systems, with the form of the title abbreviated as Donkey Kong Jr. in most versions. Its eponymous star, Donkey Kong Junior (DK Jr.), is trying to rescue his father Donkey Kong, who has been captured by Mario, in his only appearance as an antagonist in a video game. This game is the sequel to the video game Donkey Kong, which featured Mario as the protagonist and Junior's father as the antagonist.

Gameplay[edit]

The player controls DK Jr. and has to rescue Donkey Kong from Mario, who had captured him. Like its predecessor, Donkey Kong, Jr. is an arcade-style platform game. There are a total of four levels, each with a somewhat different theme. DK Jr. can move and jump for the most part, but can also climb up vines. Enemies include Snapjaws, which resemble bear traps with eyes and bird-like creatures called "Nitpickers" that Mario releases to thwart DK Jr. If the player touches one of these enemies, he or she will lose a life. Enemies can be killed by dropping fruit onto them. At the top of every stage is Mario and Donkey Kong, and when DK Jr. reaches the top, he chases Mario to the next stage. Once the four levels are completed, the player restarts the game with increased difficulty and his or her points and lives retained. Up to two players can play the game alternately.

Legacy[edit]

Donkey Kong Junior is regarded as one of the Top 100 Video Games by the Killer List of Videogames. Donkey Kong Junior was selected to be among five arcade games chosen for history's first official video game world championship, which was filmed at Twin Galaxies in Ottumwa, Iowa by ABC-TV's That's Incredible! over the weekend of January 8-9, 1983.[citation needed] The game later spawned a cereal which featured fruit-flavored cereal pieces shaped like bananas and cherries. Donkey Kong, Jr. is shown on the box wearing a red shirt with a big yellow J printed on the front.

Competitive play[edit]

For more than twenty years, the Donkey Kong, Jr. world record had been held by noted gamer Billy Mitchell, who had achieved 957,300 points in 1983. On August 10, 2008, Mitchell's benchmark score was eclipsed by Icarus Hall of Port Angeles, Washington, who scored 1,033,000 points.

Ports[edit]

Like most arcade games of this era, this game was ported to many home systems, including the Nintendo Entertainment System, Famicom Disk System, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, ColecoVision, and Intellivision. A Game & Watch version of the game was also made. The NES version was one of the three launch titles for the system in Japan. This game, along with the original Donkey Kong, was re–released in 1988 in an NES compilation titled Donkey Kong Classics. The NES version of the game was later released on the e-Reader and is now available on the Virtual Console. The NES version was also a playable game on Animal Crossing, but required a special password from the official website which is now no longer available.

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Donkey Kong Jr..

External link[edit]

References[edit]