Classic NES Series: Donkey Kong

"A Great Port of A Classic Game"

This game brought back memories for me. I remember playing this game on my Nintendo Entertainment System and in the arcade occasionally. This game was very addicting and started a franchise that would last forever. At least, I think it will last forever.

The graphics are what you would expect from a classic game like Donkey Kong. They look exactly as they did several years ago on the NES. Also, for new players, it is an 8-Bit game, so don't expect to be dazzled in any way. If you want a more modern graphical game of Donkey Kong, go buy Mario VS Donkey Kong. Given the time the game was produced, the graphics get a ten out of ten.

The controls are pretty easy to adapt to. You use left and right to move, up and down to climb ladders, and A to jump over barrels, etc. However, in the main menu, you have to use your GBA's select button to move up and down, why couldn't you just use the D-Pad? The controls get a nine out of ten.

The sound is pretty good. Just like the graphics this game was made quite a few years ago, so the sound is what you would expect from a game of it's type. The sound gets a nine out of ten.

One aspect of this game disappointed me. That being the levels and length of the game. They decided to leave one level out of the game. Why?, I don't know. Also, since there are only three levels, the game may get boring to you fast, since you are doing the same thing over and over again. It is the old arcade style of gaming, Get the High Score. You progress through three different levels. In the final level you defeat Donkey Kong and are reunited with Pauline (as she was known back then, some refer to her as Princess Peach). After this you simply begin the chain of levels once again, but this time around the levels are harder. The enemies mulitiply and come at you quicker in the first level. In the second the elevators move faster making it harder to jump from one to another, and in the final level, there are more fireballs to contend with. Unless you are an old fan of this game, it may get boring to you too fast. I give the Difficulty/Replaybility a seven out of ten.

This game will live on as one of the most memorable titles in all of Nintendo history. It kicked off a franchise of games that Nintendo has come to be known for. I give this game an seven out of ten overall.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/27/04