Machine Guides

Game History

Donkey Kong Jr. is a 1982 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for arcades. It serves as the sequel to the immensely successful Donkey Kong (1981) and is notable for reversing the roles of its predecessor—players control Donkey Kong's son, Donkey Kong Jr., who must rescue his father from Mario, who has captured him and imprisoned him in a cage.

The game was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and his team at Nintendo Research & Development, with programming by Masayuki Kambe and sound composed by Yukio Kaneoka. Donkey Kong Jr. runs on modified Donkey Kong hardware and was Nintendo's third major arcade release after Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr., following the company's entry into the North American market.

Gameplay innovations included Donkey Kong Jr.'s unique ability to climb vines and chains, grab fruits to knock out enemies, and avoid enemies like birds and electric sparks. The game featured four stages with increasing difficulty, each requiring different strategies to reach Donkey Kong's cage at the top.

Donkey Kong Jr. was a commercial success, becoming the third highest-grossing arcade game of 1982 in Japan and the sixth highest-grossing arcade game of 1983 in the United States.

How to Play

Objectives

The main goal of Donkey Kong Jr. is to rescue Donkey Kong from Mario's captivity by guiding his son through a series of challenging stages. You must climb to the top of each level and unlock the cage where Donkey Kong is imprisoned. The game emphasizes climbing mechanics and avoiding enemies rather than jumping.

Controls

• Joystick: Use the joystick to move Donkey Kong Jr. left and right and up and down
• Jump Button: Press to make Donkey Kong Jr. jump between platforms and vines

Gameplay

• Starting the Game: Press the Start Button to begin your rescue mission.

• Vine Climbing: Climb up and down vines and chains by moving the joystick in the corresponding direction.

• Platform Navigation: Jump between platforms and vines to reach higher areas and progress upward.

• Enemy Avoidance: Avoid enemies including birds (Snapjaws) and electric sparks that move across the screen.

• Fruit Collection: Drop fruits onto enemies below by climbing above them and moving over the fruit to knock it down.

• Key Retrieval: Reach the key at the top of each stage to unlock Donkey Kong's cage.

• Stage Progression: Complete four stages with increasing difficulty, each requiring different climbing strategies.

• Mario Pursuit: Avoid Mario who appears periodically and chases Donkey Kong Jr. up the screen.

• Lives System: The game begins with three lives, with additional lives awarded at certain score thresholds.

• Game Over: The game ends when you lose all your lives. Your final score is displayed based on your performance.