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Donkey Kong Junior
Developer(s)	Nintendo
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Designer(s)	Shigeru Miyamoto
Release date(s)	Arcade version 1982 2600 version 1982 INTV version 1983 ColecoVision version 1983 VIC-20, 2600 versions 1983 NES version July 15, 1983 June, 1986 June 15, 1987 FDS version July 19, 1988 7800 version 1988
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Up to 2 players, alternating turns
Platform(s)	Arcade, NES, Famicom Disk System, e-Reader, Atari 2600, Atari 7800 Atari 8-bit, Atari XE Game System, ColecoVision, Commodore VIC-20, Intellivision and Virtual Console.
Input	Joystick, 1 button
Arcade cabinet	Standard

Donkey Kong Junior (ドンキーコングJr, Donkī Kongu Junia^?) is a 1982 arcade game by Nintendo. Over the course of the 1980s, it was also released for various console systems, with the form of the title changed to Donkey Kong Jr. in most versions. Its eponymous star, Junior, is trying to rescue his father, who has been captured by Mario—Mario's only appearance as the villain in a video game. This game is the sequel to the popular Donkey Kong.

Description

The player (Junior) attempts to rescue Papa Donkey Kong after Mario finally catches him and throws him in a cage (beginning where the last game ended). The game can be classified as a platformer. Fruits hang in predictable locations, which can be knocked off to fall on enemies, killing them. The game has four levels; Vines, Springboard, Chains and Mario's Hideout (an electrified fortress featuring Sparks). Mario releases the enemies on each level to destroy Junior or chase him away. After completing these four levels, the quest repeats with increased difficulty. Up to two players may play the game alternately.

The game's cabinet is a standard upright and its controls are simple; they consist of a joystick, two player select buttons, and a single jump button.

Legacy

In-game screenshot

This is the second of three arcade games to feature Donkey Kong.

Donkey Kong Junior is regarded as one of the Top 100 Video Games by the Killer List of Videogames.

Donkey Kong Junior is unique in that Mario is depicted as a villain to thwart in the game. This is the only Nintendo video game to feature Mario as an antagonist. It is also worth noting that in this game, Mario seems to have inexplicably gained the ability to command the various vicious predators which Junior must avoid by cracking a whip at them. Mario has never demonstrated any skill or affinity for the handling of animals before or since this game, and neither has he ever used a whip any place else.

In the opening introduction, there appear to be two Mario(s) pulling up Donkey Kong's cage. One fan-developed theory is that the other "Mario" could simply be Luigi, who would later be formally introduced in Mario Bros.

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.

Cameos

• WarioWare: Twisted!, Game Boy Advance - 2005 - As one of 9-Volt's games.

Ports

Like most arcade games of this era, this game was ported to many home systems, including the video game consoles NES, 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. The game was later the main game on the e-Reader and is now available on the Virtual Console for 500 Wii Points.^[1]

The ColecoVision version of Donkey Kong Junior

References

External links

• Donkey Kong Junior at the Killer List of Videogames
• Donkey Kong Jr. at MobyGames
• A Java version of the game
• Donkey Kong Jr. guide at StrategyWiki

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