The arcade classic that introduced the world to
Mario, a damsel-in-distress that needed to be saved, and a crazy barrel throwing gorilla. The original Donkey Kong is now considered an important part of video game history.
Donkey Kong was developed by highly acclaimed game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, who was also responsible for
The Legend of Zelda series. It was originally intended to be a game to help Nintendo break into the North American market. Drawing inspiration from a variety of sources including Popeye and
King Kong, Donkey Kong was a highly innovative arcade game for its time employing cut scenes to advance the storyline and using multiple stages for game progression. The character representing the modern day
Mario was in fact a carpenter named Jumpman who mistreated his pet ape. Angered, the ape, Donkey Kong kidnaps Jumpman’s girlfriend Pauline, thus setting into play the damsel-in-distress storyline that would be a hallmark of many future electronic games.
Although Donkey Kong was considered a villain at first, he is now a hero in modern Nintendo games after having starred in his own game series. Besides its own place in history, the original Donkey Kong’s most notable achievement ultimately is the introduction of
Mario, Nintendo’s flagship icon, to the world.
