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Donkey Kong

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Jumpman -- known today as Mario -- must traverse levels structures to save his girlfriend, Pauline, from Donkey Kong before time runs out. The levels include Girders, Rivets, Elevators, and Conveyor Belts. Mario must avoid flames, barrels, and bouncing rivets to reach his goal. You are a workm...

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Developer
Nintendo R&D1

Released on
1981

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Platform

Publisher
Nintendo

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Jumpman — known today as Mario — must traverse levels structures to save his girlfriend, Pauline, from Donkey Kong before time runs out. The levels include Girders, Rivets, Elevators, and Conveyor Belts. Mario must avoid flames, barrels, and bouncing rivets to reach his goal.

You are a workman named Mario who climbs girders and ladders and will stop at nothing to save his stolen love from the clutches of the giant ape.
Using the joystick and the Jump button, you maneuver Mario over rolling barrels, away from falling barrels, over or away from fireballs and cement tubs, away from bouncing rivets, up and down ladders, along girders and conveyor belts, onto elevators, over rivets to remove them and over dangerous crevices, to get to where the ape holds the girl captive. For additional points, Mario gathers umbrellas, hats, purses and other bonus items that the girl has dropped on her way to the top of the building. Mario can also grab a hammer by jumping up to it to smash barrels, fireballs, and cement tubs for additional points but the hammer can only be used for a limited amount of time.

On the Girder, Elevator and Conveyor Belt levels, whenever Mario reaches Pauline, Donkey Kong will grab her and carry her off to the next higher level. But on the Rivet level, Mario must remove all the rivets on each and every floor by running or jumping over them. After all the rivets are removed, Donkey Kong will fall head first onto a stack of girders and be knocked out and then Mario and Pauline will be together again for good. Afterwards, the game starts over again with increased difficulty.

Donkey Kong

Overview & History

Released by Nintendo in 1981 and masterminded by visionary designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Donkey Kong revolutionized the arcade industry by introducing cinematic storytelling and the platformer genre. Originally conceived as a Popeye licensed game, Nintendo pivoted to original characters when negotiations fell through, giving birth to the titular ape, a damsel in distress originally named Pauline (or Lady), and a carpentry hero initially dubbed Jumpman—who would soon become Mario. Plagued by hardware shortages upon its initial Japanese launch, the cabinet quickly became a global cultural phenomenon, establishing Nintendo as a powerhouse in North America and defining the trajectory of modern video game history.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Players navigate Jumpman through four distinct, escalating industrial stages—the 25m, 50m, 75m, and 100m girders and elevators—each guarded by the deranged ape who has kidnapped Pauline. The core loop requires players to leap over rolling red barrels, dodge bouncing fireballs, and duck past sentient cement pies while racing upward against a relentless timer. Movement is bound by unforgiving real-world physics; Mario cannot change direction mid-air during a jump, demanding precise spatial awareness and timing. Grabbing the elusive hammer grants temporary invulnerability to smash obstacles, while collecting Pauline's scattered umbrella, hat, and purse awards bonus points. Clearing all four loops increases the difficulty, culminating in the legendary 'Kill Screen' on level 22 due to an integer overflow in the game's timer.