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Don Doko Don

NES

NES

The players are bearded dwarves who must defeat various enemies by using a mallet to stun them. Players can pick stunned enemies up and throw them at other enemies to destroy them. Destroyed enemies leave behind fruit which can be collected for points. Once all enemies are destroyed play proceeds...

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Developer
ITL

Released on
1990

Size
1–2 Players

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Action

Publisher
Taito

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Cooperative
Yes

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Description

The players are bearded dwarves who must defeat various enemies by using a mallet to stun them. Players can pick stunned enemies up and throw them at other enemies to destroy them. Destroyed enemies leave behind fruit which can be collected for points. Once all enemies are destroyed play proceeds to the next level which is generally more difficult.

Throughout the game, various power-ups can be collected, which represent potions, hammers, or books help the players’ character speed up, receive more power, or kill in different ways. In certain screens various secret levels can be accessed.

This game is a port of the Arcade game of the same name. A sequel called Don Doko Don 2 was made for the Nintendo Entertainment System which, unlike this game, is more of a standard side-scrolling platformer.

Don Doko Don

Overview & History

Released by Taito for the Famicom in Japan in 1990 and later brought to the NES, Don Doko Don is a charming, platforming action arcade port developed by Kaneko. Starring two hefty, hammer-wielding lumberjack grandpas named Bob and Jim—known as Bobs and Steve in some localizations—the game tasks players with rescuing the King and Princess of Marchenland from an army of mechanical monsters orchestrated by the wicked wizard Gron. While the arcade original is celebrated for its co-op chaos, the NES iteration reimagines the experience as a purely single-player quest, featuring completely redesigned level layouts, remixed boss encounters, and a password progression system that makes conquering its colorful stages much more manageable on home consoles.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Mechanically, Don Doko Don heavily echoes Taito’s earlier classic, *Bubble Bobble*, but substitutes bubble-blowing with satisfying mallet-smashing action. Players traverse fixed-screen platforms, using their wooden mallets to stun enemies with a swift blow. Once dazed, Bob can pick up the struggling foe overhead and hurl them across the screen to take out other monsters in a glorious bowling-pin chain reaction. Timing and positioning are paramount, especially when navigating vertical spaces using ladders and bouncing springs. Defeated enemies occasionally drop power-ups, including speed-boosting boots, extended hammer ranges, and destructive bombs that clear the entire screen. The game spans five distinct, whimsical worlds—ranging from lush forests and haunted castles to towering clockworks—each culminating in a screen-filling boss battle that tests the player's reflexes and puzzle-solving instincts.