Donkey Kong

"The arcade classic that started it all, now for GameBoy!"

STORY: It's an arcade game, so it's not expected to have a well developed story line. Basically, A giant monkey named Donkey Kong (you know...... Donkey Kong!) was actually Mario's nemesis in this game. A role later played by Bowser. It seems that he's kidnapped the Princess Toadstool. So it's up to this early arcade Mario to stop the giant beast and rescue the Princess for the first, but not last time!

GRAPHICS:9/10 Nintendo did an excellent job converting these graphics to the GameBoy. They look surprisingly well. All the graphics are clear, smooth. and well defined. I wouldn't call them detailed of course, because this was a very early game. But just because it's an early game however, does not mean that it can't have good graphics! If you play this game, I think you will be surprised.

SOUND:8/10 If you are comparing the sound in Donkey Kong to a modern day game's sound, you will realize that it is terrible. However, it wasn't made to keep up with today's awe-inspiring game technology. It was meant to give you that ''old arcade game'' feel. And that it does! It will bring back some memories from the first game systems. The sound consists of a few different types of music and sound effects, and they all sound good. All in all though, this game has pretty good sound.

GAMEPLAY:9/10 You are Mario, a plumber who is trying to rescue Princess Toadstool. (You know the one) In order to succeed in this task, you must confront Donkey Kong in different worlds. You will have to dodge barrels, avoid enemies, and use keys to unlock doors. Easier said than done. Donkey Kong will try to stop you by using any means necessary! Even if it means fighting you directly. And to tell you the truth, a 2000 pound gorilla versus a 160 pound plumber isn't a very fair fight! I'm sure you will find Donkey Kong's game play challenging, fun, and extremely addicting!

CONTROLS:10/10 If you can't figure out these controls, then I suggest you seek mental help immediately! These are perhaps the simplest controls ever! You move with the control pad, and jump with either of the other two buttons. Easy.

DIFFICULTY:7/10 This game is pretty tough once you get later into the game. You will frequently find yourself dying or trying to figure out what to do.

REPLAY VALUE:7/10 This game is very addictive. After you beat it once you will probably want to play it again.

OVERALL:9/10 Donkey Kong is an excellent game. If you are a fan of puzzle or arcade games, you will fall in love with it right away. It combines, great game play, with challenging puzzles, and that good old arcade feel. This game is a necessity for any gamer because it was one of the games that made the gaming world what it is today.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/06/02, Updated 10/06/02