"The Original, but still fun!"

Donkey Kong
The Original and one of the Best 7/10
Written: 2004

Introduction: Although only an Arcade game Donkey Kong was the very fist Donkey Kong game and it is still one of the best to be produced. It was very entertaining and you can still play it on Donkey Kong 64.

Graphics: 7/10
Pretty good for an original Arcade game. Donkey Kong looks great, it is a perfect representation of the Kong. Mario is looking cool especially when he is jumping over those barrels. Princess Peach looks quite good, but, in my opinion, could have looked a bit better. Alls the barrels, springs and other obstacles are very good as well.

Sound: 9/10
I am a sucker for Arcade music. Very tuneful and quite addictive, you will be humming it all day long. There is sound effects when Mario jumps or uses the hammer and when Donkey Kong is throwing the barrels. It all sounds very effective and very good. There are also more sound effects when the ground falls away on some levels of the game.

Gameplay and Controls: 7/10
Very good gameplay here, if a bit difficult. There is much to do and it will keep you occupied. As with most Arcade games the extra challenge is beating your high score and of course just beating the game itself. The game runs very smoothly and is easy to learn. The controls are not really easy but not really hard. They are pretty normal for Arcade games.

Challenge: 10/10
A very challenging game, it involves a large amount of skill to complete and even after completing it once you will struggle to complete it again. Trying to beat the default high scores is also very challenging and even after beating them you can try and improve on your own high score. The levels are puzzling and will keep you going.

Replay Value: 9/10
All you have to do is read the challenge to get most of the information here. There is not much to do once you have beaten the game except go back and beat the high scores again and again and again and again!

Overall: 7/10
A fantastic Arcade game. It is very challenging and also boats good graphics and sound. There is a lot of replay value and whether you are young or old it is still a fun game to play. If you can't find a way to play this, try getting Donkey Kong on N64 as a few of the levels are an unlockable mini-game!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/17/04, Updated 06/06/08

Game Release: Donkey Kong (US, 1981)