

The fireballs that appear on this level look a little different than the ones that appear on the other three levels. The fourth and final level is the one where you have to make Donkey Kong fall on his head by removing all the yellow rivets from the tower. (I also thought the jackhammers were scary when I was a kid, too.) Arguably the hardest level. And getting past both the jackhammers and that fireball can be a real bitch. Although it's possible to jump from the second elevator to either of the upper platforms across from it, I almost can never make those jumps, so I have to ride all the way down, then jump back up via the platforms on the right. The problem is that those falling jackhammer things shift position, and I find it difficult to figure out their pattern, if they even have one. This level was my nemesis in the arcades, and it still is. It's arguably the easiest level, especially if you can kill the fireballs because they don't respawn. But since Rare changed the order in which the stages progress on the DK64 version, you'll get to it just by beating Level 1. (You had to loop the game several times before you'd reach it.) If you could get that far, it meant you were somewhat of a DK expert. The Pie Factory was sort of a test of your "DK meddle" in the arcade version because it took so long to get to it. But they looked so much like pies, that that's what everyone called them and somehow even Nintendo started calling them that. The arcade cabinet referred to the pies as "tubs of sand". Even though this level is sometimes officially referred to as the "Pie Factory", originally that wasn't what it was supposed to be. This is the one level that never made it into any home version of the game, with the exception of the extremely elusive Commodore 64 version. I don't remember finding anything else in arcade games scary back then, so maybe that actually helped form my fascination with this one. I thought his laugh was scary and the "bass drum" noise of his chest-beating scared me, too. Although it was never enough to deter me from playing it, when I was a little kid I actually thought Donkey Kong was rather scary. It's pretty much common knowledge that you can score more points by using the hammers than by simply getting to the top. The objective? Get to the top while avoiding the barrels and fireballs or smashing them with the hammer.

This is probably the one level that even those who are only remotely familiar with Donkey Kong have seen. It even shows the earliest known version of Mario (back when he was called "Jumpman".) Once you've photographed six Banana Fairies and have the N64 Coin, you'll be able to play the arcade game any time you want from your "Mystery Menu".Īlthough the cabinet does not have the side art, the marquee art is pretty much accurate.


Then do the same again to earn the N64 Coin. Clear all four levels without losing a life to earn a Golden Banana. Have Donkey Kong "Gorilla Grab" the lever in front of it to start it up. The Frantic Factory level contains the Donkey Kong arcade machine. Years ago, my highest score on this game when I played it in an actual arcade was over 146,000. This is where I'll keep my high scores from the Donkey Kong arcade game posted.Ĭurrently, my high score is 95,300. It should also be noted that in many conversions of the original coin-op game for early 1980's consoles and computer-systems, Donkey Kong only used two or three of the original levels, with the cement factory most often omitted.Donkey Kong 64 Bananza: Donkey Kong Arcade Game Additionally, Mario can also find Pauline's hat, purse and umbrella for additional bonus points.ĭonkey Kong is also notable for being one of the first complete narratives in video game form, told through simplistic cut scenes that advance the story. Although not as powerful as in other future games, Mario can find a hammer which allows him to destroy the barrels and fireballs for a limited amount of time. From there, the levels start over at a higher difficulty.Īlong the way, Mario must dodge a constant stream of barrels, "living" fireballs, and spring-weights. Once the rivets are removed from the final level, Donkey Kong falls, and the two lovers are reunited. Released in the arcades in 1981, Donkey Kong was not only Nintendo's first real smash hit for the company, but marked the introduction for two of their most popular mascots: Mario (originally "Jumpman") and Donkey Kong.ĭonkey Kong is a platform-action game that has Mario scale four different industrial themed levels (construction zone, cement factory, an elevator-themed level, and removing rivets from girders) in an attempt to save the damsel in distress, Pauline, from the big ape before the timer runs out.
