Donkey Kong (Game Boy) Review
Release Date: 1994
Date Played: 25 July 2022
Donkey Kong on the Game Boy, A.K.A. Donkey Kong ‘94, is one of the best games on the entire console. When I first received it as a present back when I was a kid, I wasn’t too thrilled about it. “Donkey Kong is lame… and old,” I thought to myself. In the world of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, who wanted to play some stupid arcade game from over a decade ago. Begrudgingly, and mostly because I didn’t have anything else to do, I popped the game into my Game Boy and was greeted by the same opening stage that I had seen countless times. After a few attempts, I had managed to play through the 4 stages of the arcade game, and as I saw DK plummet to the bottom of the screen, I was expecting the game to loop as it always does. But, there before my eyes, the big ape got up, climbed back up the screen, grabbed Pauline, and escaped with her. What greeted me next, was a totally different game. I was shocked, as were a lot of people who played it at the time. It never occurred to me that the opening 4 stages of Donkey Kong ‘94 were nothing more than a ruse to subvert your expectations before thrusting you into one of the best puzzle platformers ever made. The game that greeted me from that point forward was fresh, addictive, fun, engaging, and very memorable. I look back on it with a huge amount of nostalgia, but even with those rose tinted glasses, the game holds up unbelievably well. Just ask my 5,7, and 10 year old cousins that couldn’t put the game down. That’s saying a lot, considering their tablets were right at hand.
Gameplay:
After the 4 initial stages, you play through 9 worlds (with 97 additional stages) in an attempt to get back Pauline. The premise is simple, grab the key and take it to the exit. Unsurprisingly, there are pits, spikes, enemies, switches, gates, conveyor belts, water hazards, climbing chains, ladders, and every other type of obstacle you could imagine that prevent Mario from having an easy time. Every stage is a puzzle that could involve pulling switches, using precise timing, to pixel perfect platforming, and everything in between. To assist him, Mario has a backflip as well as a headstand into super jump move that will allow you to traverse some of the more tricky sections. Not only that, in each stage are 3 collectable items. If you manage to get them all, you will be awarded with a casino mini game at the end of the stage that will grant you extra lives. Every 4 stages, you face off against DK himself (and sometimes DK Jr.) in another attempt to save your ever elusive girlfriend. Besting the ape not only gives you an opportunity to save your progress, but also to rack up some extra lives based on your score. The game can be tough at times, but always fair, and the insane abundance of extra lives is welcome. It shouldn’t be uncommon for most players to hit the maximum of 99 extra lives before reaching the end of the game.
Each world is based on a different theme and gameplay mechanic. You’ll go through the Big City, Forest, Ship, Jungle, Desert, Airplane, Iceberg, Rocky-Valley, and finally the Tower as you progress through the ever increasingly complex (and difficult) stages. Luckily, despite the large amount of them you’ll encounter, everything remains fresh throughout the game’s duration, and there is a near perfect difficulty curve that makes you really feel like you’re getting better and never stuck too long. Although some of the puzzles can be a bit tricky and might take a few attempts to figure out exactly what you’re supposed to do, you’ll eventually have a eureka moment as well as a good sense of accomplishment for clearing the stage. Adding to the overall sense of satisfaction for playing through the game, the sheer amount of ideas that Nintendo came up with for this game will send your head spinning. It’s such a simple set of mechanics, and they are explored to their fullest. Every stage feels fresh and unique, and the overall length of the game is ideal and never overstays its welcome.
The play control is also stellar and Mario’s movements aren’t clunky at all. Since there is an abundance of platforming, there’s always the opportunity to fall. Doing so from a medium height will send Mario tumbling, go a little higher, and he’ll bonk his head and be stunned, go even higher… well, that will spell curtains for him. You’ll need to master all of the little tricks that Mario can do in order to complete some of the stages. The programmers never throw too much at you all at once, and if you can focus, you’ll be able to succeed.
Presentation:
The game looks fantastic for a Game Boy game and everything is clear and visible (especially if you’re playing on a GBA, Super Game Boy, or Gamecube adapter). Donkey Kong has a great design and is always happy to display his ample…posterior after landing on his head or climbing the ladders to the next stage. Everything else is charming and very reminiscent of the original Donkey Kong arcade game. It looks like it’s supposed to, and that’s all you can ask for. Not only that, this is one of the few games that has Super Game Boy compatibility, and if you decide to play it that way, you’ll be given a Donkey Kong arcade cabinet as your gameplay border. Also, you’ll have some enhanced music to enjoy. It’s a nice bonus, and little things like this are always appreciated.
Speaking of the music, it’s fantastic. As with all Mario games that I can remember, the music is ultra catchy, memorable, and elevates the entire experience to a whole new level that most other games can only dream of achieving. The composer, Taisuke Araki, really knocked it out of the park and it’s strange to me that his only other noteworthy composing work was for Wave Race on the Nintendo 64. I feel like his talents were underutilized and if he had been given more opportunities, could have been a well known composer in the video game community.
Conclusion:
Donkey Kong ‘94 is probably my favorite Game Boy game of all time. I still remember it tricking me with its opening stages… 28 years ago… and it’s a fond and nostalgic memory. Replaying the game now, and actually beating it for the first time, I didn’t feel like the game lost any of its luster and it’s just as good as I remembered. Actually, it’s better, because I recognize good game design now, and let me tell you, this game has it. If you dive into the peanut gallery of the internet, you’ll find a small contingent of fans praising this game and hailing it as a masterpiece. Although it seemed to be mostly forgotten shortly after it’s release, it has maintained almost universal acclaim. It is even listed in some of the “100 Best Games of All Time” lists. If you like Mario, Donkey Kong, puzzle games, platformers, or a good time, you should definitely play it. I honestly don’t have a single bad thing to say about this game. For a pure video game, it’s perfect.
Final Status: Completed
Final Score: 10/10 (Masterpiece)
