1980s
Donkey Kong Jr.
1982 · Platform · Arcade
Overview
Donkey Kong Jr. is a classic 1980s platform game developed by Nintendo for Arcade.
Deep Dive
Donkey Kong Jr. is a classic 1980s platform game developed by Nintendo for Arcade.
Developer Story
Donkey Kong Jr. was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and released by Nintendo in 1982. For the first time in arcade history, the villain of the previous game — Donkey Kong — became the character to be rescued, while the hero of the original (Mario) became the antagonist. Miyamoto reversed the roles as a creative experiment. The game was also notable for requiring players to climb vines using both hands, a more nuanced control mechanic than the original's joystick.
Did You Know?
- Donkey Kong Jr. is one of the only games where Mario is the villain — he has imprisoned Donkey Kong and must be defeated.
- The vine-climbing mechanic required holding two vine controls to move faster — a genuinely innovative control design.
- The game had four distinct levels, compared to the original Donkey Kong's three, giving players more variety.
- Nintendo designed the game to counter the perception that Donkey Kong was a one-trick arcade hit.
