Donkey Kong

"Sad story of love torn by a gorilla..."

Updated review, I couldn't remember everything about Donkey Kong from memory the first time, not to mention I had to fix a few errors. Anyway, read and feel nostalgic...

Atari 2600 is and always will be my favorite system of all time. It may be very old, but it brought some of the most memorable games to a home console, one of them being Donkey Kong. I used to play this game for hours straight and I never got bored. Occasionally I will still find myself coming back to it for old times sake. Enough reminiscing, onto the review...

Graphics: 8/10
Okay, by today's standards these graphics would be pure crap, but for the early 80s they where great! Everything is clear and you don't look like a blob moving around like other early Atari games. Donkey Kong, the gorilla, looks somewhat loony, but also resembles a large simian dude with funny facial expressions. This game did look much better in the graphics department in both arcades and on the NES, but the Atari did a very decent job itself (albeit being a tad bit blocky...okay, more than a tad). You can definitely tell what everything is supposed to be and it doesn't strain your eyes in doing so. The screen doesn't scroll, so it's just one room you're always in trying to make your way to the top of the screen, that way the graphics really don't have to be spectacular. I guess in this case simple is better.

Story: 9/10
The evil gorilla, appropriately named Donkey Kong, has kidnapped your girlfriend and is holding her hostage on top of many levels of a construction site. It's up to you, a little carpenter nicknamed ''Jumpman'' by Nintendo in these here early days before earning the name Mario and becoming a plumber, to climb ladders while dodging barrels, flames, and many other obstacles in order to rescue her. Good story. Corny, but good.

Gameplay: 9/10
Fairly easy with just enough difficulty to keep you from shunning it off as too simple. You climb up ladders and jump over obstacles in order to get to the top of each level. Each time you jump an obstacle, you'll get more points added to your score. The hammer also acts as a very handy weapon, helping you to crush obstacles if you're tired of pushing the ''jump'' button, but you can't climb ladders with it. There three levels and each one is harder than the previous. It's perfect in almost every way except one, the reason it falls to a nine; I really don't think falling two feet is enough to kill you, but what do I know?

Sound: 4/10
Awwww, that music hurts! Actually, there isn't any. I know the Atari was capable of better than this, I KNOW it, it proved it to me so many times in so many games other than this one! You'll hear the sounds of Jumpman walking and jumping, an extra little ''ding'' if he jumps over a barrel! The SFX in this game are really what disappoint me, thank goodness for mute buttons.

Replay: 8/10
I still play this game on my Atari for maybe an hour at a time, I'll choose it over playing my PS2! Some people might think that's sad, but I remember back when Atari 2600 was what everyone wanted, and it still has some life left in it. Donkey Kong will keep you entertained for a very long time, and just beating it might take a whole day (well, that is if you're still learning the game)! Just for the sake of reflecting on the memories of how great the oldies used to be and still are, this game is worth quite a few moments of your time. I guarantee you won't get tired of it for many, many years.

Overall: 8/10
It might not be the world's most perfect game, it certainly doesn't have the world's most perfect sound, but it fares very well for what it is. If you can find this game (good luck) and have an Atari, then you won't regret owning it. Back in the day when simple games where the most fun, Donkey Kong took the throne as one of the best and most memorable.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/18/02, Updated 02/10/03