Classic NES Series: Donkey Kong

"Hmmm. Still good after all these years."

23 years ago, back in 1981, the world was introduced to a game by who would later become the most appraised gaming genius of Nintendo today, Shigeru Miyamoto. The game featured four levels, a carpenter in red overalls and a blue shirt known as Jumpman (who'd later be called Mario), a giant, stupid ape called Donkey Kong, and a captured girlfriend of Mario's, coupled with some scenery of a building under construction, a few items here and there, some enemies and The Hammer. What it all added to in the end was a game called DONKEY KONG...

Many people would play for long times and use up a lot of quarters, 20p pieces, whatever currency it was to do their best on the arcade, as it was such a hit. In the mid-1980s when the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was introduced, the Arcade Series games for the system included Donkey Kong, which was shortened a little due to memory lacking in the cartridges at the time, but it still sold like hotcakes anyway.

The year is now 2004, and the game is now out again, as part of the "NES Classics" series for the Game Boy Advance, and it's not lost any of that magical touch. The gameplay remains the same, the story line is unchanged, and it's the same game it was all those years ago being a direct port from the NES, but...being at this day and age, would modern games have slowed down the pace of the old classics, including Donkey Kong?

I don't think so. The old-school games are still kicking butt as strong as ever, and Donkey Kong doesn't fail to satisfy with the same feeling and nostalgia it had when it was first introduced to the NES. Your Game Boy Advance controller acts as a NES controller when you put the cartridge into the back of it and switch on the power to begin the memories. The controlling is smooth as it ever was, and everything is unchanged, as you can grab hammers to smash some barrels while on your way to the top of a building area to rescue Pauline.

As I say this, I comment well on the gameplay. Smooth as ever, I am happy with the performance the GBA gives you. The controlling of the game is very reactive and easy to learn. This is one of the good things the game has to the game, which it retains in its original goodness and quality. The game's difficulty in two difficult game modes will also give you the challenge you'd like in two different game modes, and if you want a friend to play taking turns with your Game Boy Advance, you can have more replay value and enjoy it for longer.

Yes, although NES Classics: Donkey Kong retains its good qualities, it also keeps its rather dull points as well. The levels are accompanied by some bland tunes that I think don't need to have been included with these stages because you don't really take notice of it while you're so busy playing. But well, dull sound is better than no sound. At least the Hammer tune is still the same. Although I think the music could have been tweaked a little, I'm happy it has been kept, otherwise it wouldn't be an exact NES port and would have spoiled it. Not a problem in this case. Also, graphically the game is still identical to the NES version; quite colourful and some decent animation.

With three simple stages to play through and the same feeling as there ever was, this port of Donkey Kong has been a good success at least in my eyes. Other things about this game I need to comment on would be that it has some replay value with the two-player link mode and two-player game versions. With another game mode for extra challenge and replay value, this game burns some time away well, and it's worth getting for collecting the Classic NES series for the Game Boy Advance that include Super Mario Bros., Pac-Man and Bomberman, with a few others.

I'm quite happy with this port of Donkey Kong. Although it's a little short and lacks some decent tunes, this is why I give this game a respectable 6. It was a good idea of Nintendo to make classics NES series including this one for people of today to relive the old days if they simply wish to play for the memories, or if they weren't born back at the time when the games were in fashion. Nintendo, I tip my hat to you.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 08/07/04