Donkey Kong Jr.

Donkey Kong Jr. flipped the script: the big ape is locked in a cage, Mario's playing jailer, and you're Kong's kid, a little monkey in a T-shirt climbing vines to free his dad. Nintendo released it in 1982, hot on the heels of the smash hit Donkey Kong.

You could spot it from across the arcade by its music and the way little Kong swung from vine to vine.

History

It's the direct sequel to Donkey Kong and the only game where Mario plays the villain.

It came to several home systems of the era and got one of Nintendo's handheld Game & Watch versions, which were huge in the 80s.

How to play

Run, jump and climb vines and chains. Grab two vines at once to climb faster, or hang on one to slide down quicker. Dodge the snapping traps and the birds Mario sends after you.

Drop the hanging fruit to squash enemies passing underneath and rack up points. There are four different stages, and in the last one you push keys up into the locks to open Donkey Kong's cage.

Fun facts

• It's the only game where Mario is the villain.
• Climbing on two vines is faster than on one.
• Fruit doubles as a weapon against enemies.

In the arcade

Donkey Kong Jr. is coming soon to UsuArcade. It's on our wishlist, and you can vote with I Want to Play It to help bring it in.

In the meantime, the arcade has the original Donkey Kong for barrel-jumping with Mario, plus Space Panic and Frogger, more early-80s classics of timing and reflexes.

FAQ