Like Pac-Man (1980), Donkey Kong employs the use of cutscenes, but takes the concept a step further by using cutscenes to advance a complete plot. Pauline, for example, is depicted as disheveled (like King Kong’s Fay Wray) in a torn dress and stiletto heels. The artwork used for the cabinets and promotional materials make these cartoon-like character designs even more explicit. Graphical limitations and the low pixel resolution of the small sprites prompted his design: drawing a mouth with so few pixels was infeasible, so the character was given a mustache the programmers could not animate hair, so he got a cap to make his arm movements visible, he needed colored overalls. Mario, depicted in red overalls and a red cap, is an everyman character, a type common in Japan. Pauline has a pink dress and long hair, and a speech balloon crying “HELP!” appears frequently beside her. The game uses graphics and animation for characterization. It should also be noted that in many conversions of the original coin-op game for early 1980’s consoles and computer-systems, Donkey Kong only used two or three of the original levels, with the cement factory most often omitted. Additionally, Mario can also find Pauline’s hat, purse and umbrella for additional bonus points.ĭonkey Kong is also notable for being one of the first complete narratives in video game form, told through simplistic cut scenes that advance the story. Although not as powerful as in other future games, Mario can find a hammer which allows him to destroy the barrels and fireballs for a limited amount of time. From there, the levels start over at a higher difficulty.Īlong the way, Mario must dodge a constant stream of barrels, “living” fireballs, and spring-weights. Once the rivets are removed from the final level, Donkey Kong falls, and the two lovers are reunited. Donkey Kong for Atari 2600 game description for obvious reasons.Released in the arcades in 1981, Donkey Kong was not only Nintendo’s first real smash hit for the company, but marked the introduction for two of their most popular mascots: Mario (originally “ Jumpman“) and Donkey Kong. What this flyer illustrates is that the game was part of a proposed trilogy of “Asobi” (or “Play”) titles: Donkey Kong’s Fun With Music obviously being one of them, and the third being “ Popeye’s English Game,” which came out in Japan but was never brought to the U.S. Math on the NES which, somehow, was also published in the United States. (specifically, the screenshots show us two songs: the Japanese equivalent of “I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad,” and a traditional children’s song roughly translated as “ Doggy Policeman,” which you may recognize from its use in Frogger!)Ī lot of you are probably familiar with Donkey Kong Jr. I’ve de-screened, color-corrected, and slightly modified the screenshots below, and VGHF pal Chris Kohler kindly provided translations for the captions that appeared below them (and for the rest of this article too!): “Donkey Kong’s Fun With Music” “Locate tones on a keyboard.” “You can also sing karaoke along with the Donkey Band.” “(The controller has a built-in microphone.)” “Many different songs are included.” It is, perhaps, the earliest known lost work from Nintendo, and almost certainly the first lost Mario or Donkey Kong game. This is ドンキーコングの音楽遊び (Donkey Kong no ongaku asobi, or “ Donkey Kong’s Fun with Music“), a game that – despite being advertised here as a game that “will be released by the end of December, 1983,” never actually materialized.
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