Donkey Kong Jr. (Game & Watch): Difference between revisions

{{Infobox

|released='''Game & Watch:'''<br>{{released|Japan|October 26, 1982 (New Wide Screen)|USA|October 26, 1982 (New Wide Screen)|USA|April 23, 1983 (Table Top)|USA|October 7, 1983 (Panorama Screen)}} '''Mini Classics:'''<br>{{released|Europe|August 6, 1998|USA|1998}}'''Nintendo DSi ([[DSiWare]]):'''<br>{{released|Japan|August 19, 2009|USA|April 19, 2010|Europe|April 23, 2010|China|August 12, 2010}} '''Nintendo 3DS ([[Nintendo eShop#Nintendo 3DS|eShop]]):'''<br>{{released|Japan|June 6, 2011|USA|June 6, 2011|Australia|June 6, 2011|Europe|July 7, 2011}}

|genre=[[Genre#Puzzle|Puzzle]]

|input={{input|gaw=1|nds=1|3ds=1}}

'''''Donkey Kong Jr.''''' is a [[Game & Watch]] edition of the [[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|original arcade game]]. As in the arcade game, [[Donkey Kong]] is captured by [[Mario]], and [[Donkey Kong Jr.]] must save him. There are two major revisions—the original version in the New Wide Screen series (released on October 26, 1982), and the colorized game in the Table Top and Panorama Screen series (released on April 23, 1983, and October 7, 1983, respectively) with an entirely different level and obstacle layout. ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' was the first game in the New Wide Screen series. Only the New Wide Screen version was ported to ''[[Game & Watch Gallery 3]]'', ''[[Game & Watch Gallery 4]]'', and [[DSiWare]]. It is also mentioned in the [[Museum]] in ''[[Game & Watch Gallery 2]]''. The game also has an indirect sequel in the form of ''[[Donkey Kong II]]''.

[[File:Game_&_Watch_Gallery_3_Donkey_Kong_Jr._Classic.png|thumb|left|The Classic version of ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' from ''Game & Watch Gallery 3'']]

[[File:Game&Watch-DonkeyKongJr.gif|thumb|left|The Classic version of ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' from ''Game & Watch Gallery 4'']]

Donkey Kong Jr. starts at the bottom of the screen, where he is immediately bombarded by [[Nitpicker|bird]]s and [[Snapjaw]]s. After Donkey Kong Jr. climbs a pair of vines to the second floor, a piece of [[fruit]] can be found, which can be dropped on enemies below for bonus [[point]]s (three for a Snapjaw on the second floor, six for a bird, and nine for a Snapjaw on the first floor). After avoiding more Snapjaws, Donkey Kong Jr. must [[jump]] to the swinging [[key]] above, which he can use to unlock part of his father's cage. The faster Donkey Kong Jr. does this, the more points he earns (from 5 to 20). He will then drop down, repeating the process. Once four keys are delivered, Donkey Kong is free, awarding 20 points to the player. Along the way, Donkey Kong Jr. can also grab hold of vines above, which help in avoiding the ground-bound Snapjaws. Every time Donkey Kong Jr. jumps over a Snapjaw without holding on to a vine or jumps down from a vine right after a Snapjaw passes, he receives a point. As the player progresses in the game, more enemies will appear, and they will eventually move faster. If an enemy hits Donkey Kong Jr., if he jumps and misses the key, or if he falls off the left side on the second floor, he loses a life. If Donkey Kong Jr. reaches 300 points without any misses, the points will be worth double until he does get a miss. If he has any misses at said score, every miss will be cleared instead. When he loses three lives, the [[Game Over|game is over]].

[[File:Donkey Kong Jr Tabletop.png|thumb|left|The Table Top version of ''Donkey Kong Jr.'']]

Donkey Kong Jr. has to navigate his way between the key and Donkey Kong through a different layout from the New Wide Screen version. From the key, he has to make his way through some trees by using vines to get to different branches. Birds and Snapjaws will appear in this section. Afterwards, Donkey Kong Jr. needs to grab the bottoms of umbrellas (which are on the left and descending) and balloons (which are on the right and ascending), being careful not to fall into a pool of water. He must insert the key into the lock on Donkey Kong's chains, but Donkey Kong is waving his chain, and one wrong move can cause the key to fall into the water. Donkey Kong Jr. must go back to the key, and the process resets. Once all the chains are unlocked, Donkey Kong is freed from Mario, and the game resets.

[[File:GWG4-Donkey Kong Jr Gameplay.png|thumb|right|260px|The Modern version of ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' from ''Game & Watch Gallery 4'']]

The version in the [[Game & Watch Gallery (series)|''Game & Watch Gallery'' series]] of games has similar controls, although the enemies are different, including [[Goomba]]s, [[Nipper Plant]]s, [[Bullet Bill]]s, and [[Spiny|Spinies]]. Unlike in the Classic version, Mario throws the key at the beginning of each stage. Also, if Donkey Kong Jr. takes too long to free his dad after getting the last key, Donkey Kong Jr. will receive fewer than 20 points. Donkey Kong Jr. can [[stomp]] Goombas and Bullet Bills to destroy them, earning a point for each defeat in the process. In this version, Donkey Kong Jr. earns five points for dropping a fruit on an enemy. The stage also alters its appearance each time the player successfully releases Donkey Kong. The game starts with a jungle ground-level setting. When Donkey Kong Jr. gets the key here, a [[Rotary Lift]] appears to the left of the cage. The next stage features the treetops during sunset. An [[albatross]] appears to the right of the cage when Donkey Kong Jr. gets the key floating in the air here. The final stage is a clouded area at night. Here, two [[Cloud Block]]s appear to the left of the cage when Donkey Kong Jr. gets the key. If he jumps onto a spinning Rotary Lift, a disappearing albatross, or fluffing Cloud Blocks, he will fall to the second floor (or a small safety [[platform]] on the second stage). This version also has [[pit|bottomless pits]] on the second and third stages, and if Donkey Kong Jr. falls into one, he will lose a life. When Donkey Kong Jr. amasses 200, 500, and 700 points, a [[1 UP Heart|heart]] will appear for him to remove a miss. Music is also featured in this version, with the tempo changing depending on the speed of the game. When the player goes to a different stage, the music changes.

In ''Game & Watch Gallery 4'', selecting the game yet waiting to actually start it will result in a humorous sequence being played. In particular, Donkey Kong Jr., while strolling, notices a fruit in a tree and attempts to jump up to grab it, but to no avail. Mario then arrives and grabs the fruit. Just at that moment, however, Donkey Kong arrives, causing Mario to flee, only to presumably crash into something. Donkey Kong then leaves offscreen, only to come back and reveal that he somehow got Mario locked in a cage, which Donkey Kong drags with him before posing.

In the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]], [[Mr. Game & Watch]] has a move where he swings a key in a near-identical fashion to ''Donkey Kong Jr.''

DKJG&WNWSSMarioSprite.png|A sprite of Mario (New Wide Screen version)

G&WG3 Modern Donkey Kong Jr Albatross.png|[[Albatross]]

*At the start of the Table Top and Panorama version of ''Donkey Kong Jr.'', the first nine melodic notes of the {{wp|Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565|Toccata and Fugue in D minor}} by {{wp|Johann Sebastian Bach}} play, except they are raised by a {{wp|major second|whole step}}.

*[http://www.intheattic.co.uk/donkey_kong_jr_.htm ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' info page on In the Attic, a website dedicated to classic videogames.]

*[http://www.intheattic.co.uk/donkey_kong_jr_2.htm In the Attic info page for a 1983 "tabletop" version of ''Donkey Kong Jr.'']

*[http://www.intheattic.co.uk/donkey_kong_jr_1.htm In the Attic info page for another 1983 version of ''Donkey Kong Jr.'', with different controls.]

{{DKGames}}