Donkey Kong (Game Boy) Review

Donkey Kong was launched in 1994 with the Super Game Boy device in mind across Europe, therefore, whereas on the old Game Boy this was various shades of green, played on the SNES changed things dramatically. You see when inserted into the SGB a new palette of colours were opened up, so as well as the specially-themed Donkey Kong border that appeared around the game, everything else was given a new life. The great thing, though, was that as Nintendo had been experimenting with larger, clearer visuals as the years passed by, Donkey Kong was a triumph for the 8-bit platform. The characters had great emotions that were all easily visible, the playing fields were all well crafted and the speed was kept to a very pleasing level. As far as GB games go, this was indeed one of the most technically marvellous, and nothing has changed now it is back on the Nintendo 3DS eShop's Virtual Console, with the exception of the added colour, though.

The presentation side is not the only aspect that proves to be extremely pleasing in Donkey Kong for the Game Boy, as the audio side keeps the standards at a level that is most pleasing indeed. However, it is more about the timing and pace of the music, rather than the actual (admittedly 'nice') musical tracks. It is most noticeable when you are running out of time, so that with seconds ticking away on the clock the pace of the music will speed-up, making for a frantic race to the finish at times, proving to be quite exhilarating. Then there are classics like the sound effect for when using the special destruction hammer and the noises that accompany jumping.

The idea behind the classic game was that Mario had to save a damsel in distress from a big, scary ape that was holding her captive up at the top of a large, terror-filled stage. Now, whereas in the more recent (and extremely excellent) Mario vs. Donkey Kong titles on the GBA and DS, the gameplay found in Donkey Kong was more basic, yet still remains pretty darn addictive despite its age. There are none of the handstands, triple jumps and fancy flips here, but what there is proves to be pure gaming goodness.

The main aspect that makes everything stay so fresh is the clever mix of basic platform antics with dribs and drabs from the puzzle genre. Sometimes you will definitely be sat struggling to figure out just exactly how to reach the summit of a stage, overcome that brute Donkey Kong and move slightly closer to Pauline (possibly Peach's distant cousin?). There are so many tricky obstacles and hazards dotted around the levels that whilst trying to figure out the best path you can easily tumble and fall or touch something that costs Mario a precious life. Quick planning is essential.

You can make the little plumber swing across treacherous gaps, climb up perilous ladders or dangle dangerously from poles waiting for the right time to dismount. Timing is crucial as one wrong move can lead to instant death. You must also be careful about what switches you press or levers you move as the consequences can be either extremely beneficial or so slight that you do not even realise anything has changed until it is too late, leading to you finding yourself stuck and having to track back to undo the mistake.

Once the key to the exit has been obtained so progress to the next stage can be made, usually using the trusty hammer as a device for blasting away enemies with the greatest of ease, then you will eventually meet Donkey Kong in a head-to-head battle. For every four levels completed you must throw stationary barrels at the big ape to knock him off his perch. Everything just flows so naturally, without becoming boring, which might seem quite surprising considering the limited nature of the game. However, Nintendo is the master at 'simple, but addictive' games.

As previously mentioned, the precision required throughout the game alone means that trying to fly through the game is not something that the average gamer is going to be able to do. The levels are filled with so many tricky tasks and obstacles that death will likely be a recurring annoyance, especially when all the time you are working to a stringent clock, which ticks down far faster than you would like. However, there is also the fact that when you think the game is actually over, a nice little surprise awaits you. For such a style of game the only possible extra thing you could want is multi-player, but otherwise all is in order for this classic romp that retains the same level of addictiveness as it did back in the 1990s and is well worth the £3.60 asking price on the 3DS eShop Virtual Console.