Donkey Kong Land

"Instant Classic"

Ah, Donkey Kong Land, a little known game that was on the Original Game Boy. When I first played it I couldn't believe the graphics, they were almost EXACTLY like the SNES' Donkey Kong Country, only this one was in black and white. The game is an instant classic and is one of those "diamond in the rough" gems for the Game Boy.

Graphics: 10/10
Incredible for its time. The sprites are a little unstable, but it's not very noticeable. When brought to one of the color Game Boys or the console Game Boy players, it's even better, because the color palette is well selected. Great camera for a side scroller, and I haven't noticed any glitches, other than the occasional sprite going a little blurry, but that isn't a big problem.

Sound: 10/10
I LOVE the music in this game. Some of the tunes are even remakes of the SNES music. Nothing wrong with the music, it's well composed and all of the sound effects are great and appropriate for the game setting.

Gameplay: 10/10
Again, the gameplay is flawless with the same controls from Donkey Kong Country. No lagging issues, no response issues. There is nothing to complain about. There are at least 20+ levels in the game, with many different environments. As if that's not enough, there's boss battles as well for each area. There's also an in-game task you can complete, like spelling KONG in every level to finish the game 100%.

Replay Value: 9/10
This game is very long, with medium sized stages that are still fun to replay even after you've finished the game. It may get a little monotonous after a while, but still, a great game for when you're bored and need to pass the time.

This game may be over 10 years old, but still is better than some games out today. It was a great game for the original Game Boy with perfect graphics, sound, and gameplay. I recommend this game to any Donkey Kong fan and any Nintendo fan. I proudly give this game a 10/10.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/02/05