2025-03-08
It's on with the King of the Kongs
This review was originally published in June 2011. We're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of the game in the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy library.
In 1994, Nintendo had a great idea; why not make a true sequel to the original Donkey Kong arcade game? The result is Donkey Kong for the Game Boy, also known as Donkey Kong '94, which birthed the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series.
When you first start up the game, you might feel like you've been ripped off, as it starts with the exact same four stages you can find in the arcade original, including the cement factory stage which was removed in the NES game. Just as you begin to think that this was a waste of money and you’ve beaten the 'final' stage, there's a sudden twist: Donkey Kong isn't defeated just yet, but grabs Pauline and flees the construction site.
Mario now has to chase DK through nine more worlds, with a total of 97 new levels, before he can rescue Pauline for real. In most stages, Donkey Kong will run through a doorway which he then locks, leaving Mario to search the stage and find the key before he can continue the chase.
In every fourth stage there is no locked door and key; instead, Mario must face his original nemesis. Most of the time this simply involves reaching him while avoiding everything he throws at you, much like the opening levels. In the final stage of each world you'll actually battle Donkey Kong, picking up the barrels or other objects he throws and hurling them right back at his face.
Depending on the world you're in, the regular stages have various puzzles to solve. The first world, Big City, has lots of clothes lines and electricity cables; Mario can hang from these and slowly begin spinning around them, enabling him to jump off at high speed and reach much higher places. The other worlds are all vastly different, with completely different enemies, platforms, backgrounds, music, and puzzles. Locations include a ship, a jungle, an airplane, and an iceberg.
Speaking of jumps, Mario has expanded his array of moves quite a bit from the original arcade game. In addition to the standard jump, he can also perform backflips and a triple jump achieved by first doing a handstand, jumping back onto his feet, and then jumping extra high. (Both of these abilities would later return in Super Mario 64, although the handstand aspect was removed from the triple jump.)
Another positive change from the original is that falling from the smallest of heights no longer kills you; instead, Mario will land square on his feet if the drop is slight. Should he fall from a high place, however, he'll slowly begin to turn upside-down in mid-air. If he lands on his head, he's a goner, but he'll be momentarily stunned if he falls on his side.
Since Mario can pick up objects such as keys, you'd be inclined to think he can pick up other things as well: you'd be right. As long as an enemy isn't covered in spikes, Mario can jump on top of them, much like in Super Mario Bros. 2, and pick them up, unless, of course, they're too heavy. He can then throw them into a place where they can't pose any threat or hurl them to take out multiple foes. There are also switches to interact with, which will extend or remove bridges as well as open and close gates.
Another useful game element is the 'temporary platform'. In various levels you can find a little white square with an object pictured; picking one of these up allows you to place that object on any free space in the level. These temporary items also include ladders, springs and blocks. They remain on screen for about eight seconds. However, if you manage to place another before the previous item disappears, both will stay and the timer resets.
The original arcade game had a few items to pick up: hammers, an umbrella, a hat, and a purse. The hammers are still included but they have some new features; instead of being forced to wait until they disappear, you can throw the hammers into the air at any time with the 'B' button. If you're quick, this means you can actually throw it up to a higher platform and catch it there to continue your rampage. In addition to defeating enemies, hammers also destroy certain blocks to create new passages.
The umbrella, purse, and hat can be found in every single normal stage, though their only purpose is to provide access to an extra-lives bonus game if you managed to pick up three. This is mostly a waste of time, however, as after every fourth stage the total time you had left in each is converted into extra lives, usually netting you five or six. As a result, even without the bonus games, you're practically guaranteed to have the maximum 99 lives halfway through the adventure.
The game is absolutely stunning when it comes to visuals and audio. The graphics are incredibly detailed for a Game Boy title. Mario, Donkey Kong (and Jr., who appears later on), Pauline, and the various enemies have simple designs, but they emit a certain charm which you can't help but love.
Some of the music is unbelievably good, too; the game's two final battle songs both go on for over a minute before looping, and just so happen to be two of the best pieces in the game. Each of the nine worlds has its own theme, in addition to various regular stage and boss battle tunes. In total, there are over 40 different songs, pretty much unheard of for a Game Boy title.
SNES-based enhancements were possible originally through the Super Game Boy, although those are unsupported in the VC and NSO releases. These included an awesome border around the screen resembling an arcade cabinet, colour graphics, changing Pauline's digitised yelps to actual screams of "Help!", and even upgrading the credits music to SNES quality.
In terms of value and longevity, if the main game's 101 stages aren't enough to satisfy you, then you can replay any stage you've already beaten, although you can only start at every fourth stage in each world, and there's a 'best times' list featuring...erm, your best finishing times for each stage.
Conclusion
First impressions can be misleading, and Donkey Kong '94 for the Game Boy is far more than just a simple sequel to the arcade game. It adds a metric ton of new features, while still managing to keep the ‘arcadey’ feel of the original. The graphics and music are outstanding for a 1994 Game Boy title, and the game itself remains incredibly fun to play, even if you do receive an overabundance of extra lives. It may not be part of the ‘main’ Mario series, but this is easily one of the best Mario games ever made.
Source: Nintendolife.com
