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Technical Specs
Hardware
Donkey Kong Junior is a 2D raster graphics arcade
game. The vertical display is 224 x 256 pixels in size and uses a
256-color palette. The game's original controls featured a single joystick
and a jump button. It runs on a Z80 microprocessor running at 3.072 MHz,
with the sound being processed on an I8035 microprocessor running at 400
KHz.
Cabinet Styles
Unknown. Let me know if you can find that information. I believe it
was manufactured in the same cocktail, cabaret, and upright cases as
Donkey Kong, but I'm not sure.
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Overview
 To
me, amidst all the DK clones and knockoffs, Donkey Kong Junior is the best
outside of the original Donkey Kong. In this game, twin Marios (perhaps
one is the first appearance of Luigi) have captured Donkey Kong and caged
him—putting and end to his kidnapping of beautiful maidens.
You play Junior, Donkey Kong's primate
son, and you're trying to free papa from his cage. You need to fight your
way to the top of the screen and secure the key from Mario to unlock dad's
cage.
Like DK running off with Pauline on most
levels of DK, when you get the key, Mario runs off with DK in his cage,
leaving you to go on to the next level and try again.
During game play, you r un, jump, and
climb vines as you work your way to the top of the screen. Mario has
weapons he uses against you: most notably, live steel traps which chomp
their way across girders and up and down vines, trying to eat you. You can
destroy them by grabbing fruit: you get points for grabbing it, and then
it falls—you get more points if it hits and destroys enemies on its way
down.
There are no hammers or special tools
for Junior, though. He's entirely on his own and must rely on his climbing
and jumping.
At one point, an intermission screen
appears (see at left). Mario is in a helicopter, carrying the caged Donkey
Kong through the air. Junior is floating down with an umbrella that looks
suspiciously like Pauline's from Donkey Kong.
In the opening sequence of Donkey Kong Junior, twin Marios are
pulleying Donkey Kong, who is in a cage, up to the top of the
screen. |
Secure at the top, the Marios move the cage to the left of the
screen. A sad-faced Junior is told he has to get the key from Mario
to save his Papa. |
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History
Donkey Kong was released by Nintendo in
1982, hot on the heels of the unbelievable success of Donkey Kong. It
didn't have the same effect on the arcade gaming world that its
predecessor had, but it was a huge success for Nintendo.
Donkey Kong and Junior would be
resurrected years later, however, on the Super Nintendo. The 3D Donkey
Kong Country gave Junior a new name: Diddy Kong. In DKC, you play both
father and son; son is faster and more agile, while father is stronger.
During game play, you can switch which character you're controlling (at
which point the off-ape follows automatically). This game is full of
worlds and areas and bad guys and challenges, and isn't a bad game—but
still lacks the feel of these classic 2D arcade games.
I seem to recall once playing a non-3D
version of DKC, I think made for the original Nintendo. There was also at
least one DKC sequel, if I remember correctly.
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