WiiNoob

Donkey Kong ’94 On The Virtual Console

The true “King of Kong” — Donkey Kong for the Game Boy — is now on the Nintendo 3DS’s virtual console. A forgotten classic you’ve got to play!

The best Donkey Kong game ever created by Nintendo is now on the Nintendo 3DS’s Virtual Console for a cheap $3.99. And no, I don’t need to quantify it with phrases like “one of” either. I can say proudly that it just is, take my word for it.

Unfortunately I’m pretty sure when I say the name Donkey Kong, images of the 1981 arcade classic roll fast at you like a speeding barrel than the actual Game Boy title I’m referring too. I guess it’s more the fault of time really – where over a long period of which, game releases endlessly pile up on one each other and soon get lost forever.

Praise the gaming gods for emulation though, which have found new homes for these forgotten gems – including the specific title about to lavish poetically today. The game is Donkey Kong for the Game Boy, or as it’s also practically called Donkey Kong ’94 (obviously the year that it was released.)

More than just a simple port, Donkey Kong ’94 goes lovingly overboard with its basic arcade premise. For one thing, the graphics are slightly enhanced, especially so if you happen to have a Super Game Boy on hand to plug in a copy and play – as doing so surrounds the border of the game with a pretty sweet arcade cabinet marquee.

At the beginning of DK ’94, the first four levels of the arcade version make a return – but be not confused into thinking that what you see as a straight-on platformer is what you get – oh far from it. Because after the 4th level, the game instantly switches into a more puzzle-focused game, and brilliant one at that!

Soon you’ll find that Mario now has some very clever new tricks beyond just jumping. He can now pick up objects, do somersaults & even triple-jumps to help reach higher platforms, to which you’ll lean heavily on throughout DK ‘94 in order to find keys to locked doors or to just give that grumpy ape a good barrel to the face.

The end results make Donkey Kong ’94 a super entertaining and fairly challenging experience that you’ll quickly fall head over heels for. Plus it’s just so darn chock full of content — over 101 fantastic levels that will keep you in its clutches for hours on end. And at such a sweet price (just $4 people,) there’s no excuse good enough as a Nintendo 3DS owner to not pick this game up.

The only thing I will warn you though, is that this version of Donkey Kong ’94 is just the black and white one – with no added effects from the superior Super Game Boy version. To be fair though, those affects are merely cosmetic and not necessary to enjoy this game.

Via: Shacknews