Donkey Kong
From Wikinfo
Donkey Kong (Japanese:ドンキーコング) is a Nintendo coin-operated arcade game from 1981 and a gorilla character of the same name.
This game introduced Nintendo's most recurring character: Mario. Like most Nintendo franchises it was "invented" by Shigeru Miyamoto.
Contents |
Overview
The name "Donkey Kong" was created by Miyamoto as a combination of the word "Kong" from King Kong, and "Donkey", a word which Miyamoto (with his loose understanding of English) believed was a general synonym for "stupid". It is believed by many that the name "Donkey Kong" was the result of a typo on the original cabinet's art work for "Monkey Kong", but this has been denied by Miyamoto and others.
In the original Donkey Kong game, the player's character "Jumpman" (later: "Mario") must jump over barrels thrown by Donkey Kong while climbing ladders up a crooked construction site to reach the top of the screen to rescue his girlfriend Pauline. Each screen is a game level, with successive levels becoming progressively harder.
This game was first in the arcades, but was ported to home video game consoles and home computers.
The game was quite revolutionary for its time, featuring multiple, distinct levels, large colorful graphics, and a unique form of play control. Donkey Kong pioneered the genre now known as the "side scroller."
Sequels
Donkey Kong was kidnapped by Mario in Donkey Kong Junior. Then he broke into a greenhouse and got chased out by Stanley the Bugman (who carries a spray can to protect his greenhouse from Donkey Kong's insects) in Donkey Kong 3. After that he went on hiatus until he appeared in Donkey Kong Country where he was the hero and he and his sidekick Diddy Kong have to save his bananas from King K. Rool. In Donkey Kong Country 2 Donkey gets kidnapped by King K. Rool and has to get rescued by Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong. In Donkey Kong Country 3 he and Diddy both get kidnapped and Dixie and her cousin Kiddy Kong have to save them. The Donkey Kong Land series for the Game Boy were smaller versions of the "Country" games.
In Donkey Kong 64 he has the starring role again where he has to save Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, and Chunky Kong and his hoard of bananas.
Donkey Kong also appears in a number of other games such as Mario Kart 64, the Mario Party series, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, and the two crossover games Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee. Donkey Kong is slated for several games on the Nintendo GameCube and the Game Boy Advance.
Donkey Kong Game list
- Donkey Kong (1981) Arcade
- Donkey Kong Jr (1982) Arcade
- Donkey Kong 3 (1983) Arcade
- Donkey Kong Classic (1988) NES
- Donkey Kong (94) (1994) GameBoy
- Donkey Kong Country (1994) SNES
- Donkey Kong Land (1995) Gameboy
- Donkey Kong Country 2 (1995) SNES
- Donkey Kong Land 2 (1996) Gameboy
- Donkey Kong Country 3 (1996) SNES
- Donkey Kong Land 3 (1997) Gameboy
- Donkey Kong 64 (1999) N64
- Donkey Kong Country (2000) Gameboy Color
- Donkey Kong Country 3 (2000) Gameboy Color
- Donkey Kong Land 3 (2000) Gameboy Color
- Donkey Kong Country (2003) Gameboy Advance
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004) Gameboy Advance
- Donkey Konga (2004) Gamecube
- Donkey Kong Country 2 (2004) Gameboy Advance
- Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Q1 2005) Gamecube
- DK: King of Swing (TBA 2005) Gameboy Advance
Playable characters in Donkey Kong games
Mario (originally called Jumpman) is the Italian star of many Nintendo games, created for Donkey Kong, where he must rescue his girlfriend, Paulina.
Donkey Kong in the Donkey Kong Country games is not the original Donkey Kong, but his grandson or son (Donkey Kong Jr.). He is playable and the star in Donkey Kong Country, and Donkey Kong 64. In Donkey Kong Country 2 and 3, he is kidnapped for the duration of the game, and the objective of the game is to save him.
Diddy Kong first appeared in Donkey Kong Country as Donkey's sidekick. In that game and its sequels he is smaller and weaker than Donkey. He returned as the star of Donkey Kong Country 2. In Donkey Kong Country 3, he appeared as a non-playable hostage alongside Donkey, and starred in Diddy Kong Racing. Most recently, he appeared in Donkey Kong 64 as one of five playable characters, where he possessed a rocket pack perhaps reminiscent of Rare's game Jetpac, which appears in that game.
Dixie Kong is Diddy Kong's girlfriend. She first appeared in Donkey Kong Country 2 as Diddy's sidekick who helped him save Donkey Kong. She also appeared in Donkey Kong Country 3 as the star with her cousin Kiddy Kong as her sidekick.
Tiny Kong is Dixie Kong's little sister and appeared only in Donkey Kong 64. She is the second character to be rescued by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong who is the first. Her talents include the ability to shrink and hover with her pig tails.
Lanky Kong is one of Donkey Kong's friends who appeared in only Donkey Kong 64, and is an Orangutang. His persona is described as wacky and his specific skills in that game are generally due to his long arms.
Kiddy Kong is Dixie Kong's Cousin. Kiddy appears only in Donkey Kong Country 3 as Dixie's sidekick. His uniqueness derive from his size.
Chunky Kong is Kiddy Kong's Big Brother and is playable so far only in Donkey Kong 64, in which he is the fourth and final character that Donkey Kong has to rescue. Like his brother, his size is a major factor in his importance.
Supporting characters
Cranky Kong is an older Kong who refers to the "good old days" of videogames, typically breaking the fourth wall. Through his dialogue, it is implied that he was the original 8-bit Donkey Kong, and the current Donkey Kong is his grandson or possibly his son, which would make him the original Donkey Kong Jr.
Wrinky Kong is Cranky Kong's wife, and is a schoolteacher for the younger Kongs.
Funky Kong is a Kong of the same generation as Donkey Kong, but is not as heroic. He is a surfer, who also runs a travel service on the islands.
Swanky Kong is a game show host, who hosts a trivia challenge where the player of DKC2 can earn extras.
Legacy
The KLOV ranks Donkey Kong as the #3 arcade game of all time on its "The Top 100 Videogames" list.
External link
References
- Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Donkey_Kong" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey_Kong, used under the GNU Free Documentation License
