PixlBit

13 years after his debut, Donkey Kong returns to wreak havoc on the Game Boy

This is the true sequel to the classic Famicom Donkey Kong game. Donkey Kong '94 is a puzzle platformer that was developed and published by Nintendo, and released on the Game Boy in 1994. Yes, it's the same year in which Donkey Kong Country was released. In this game, DK is the bad guy again as he captures Pauline; it's up to Mario to chase him all over the place in order to rescue poor Pauline (who screams a lot in this game). Mario will climb mountains, embark on deadly ships and planes, and even climb ladders over deadly spikes to save sweet Pauline!

The game opens up as a throw-back to the original Donkey Kong. In fact, you play the four levels that are in that game (the construction site levels). But after that, everything changes, and the real game begins. The game includes a total of nine worlds and 101 levels! That's pretty big for a GB game! The levels are bit-size for the most part, but some can be very challenging. A map of the world will be displayed between each level; most worlds will have you face DK two or three times before moving on to the next world. 

The premise of each level is the same: grab the key and open the door. However, if you drop the key, it will vanish within just a few seconds, and you'll have to go back and get it from its original spot. Ladders, moving platforms, conveyer belts, and switches all play a big role in the layout of the levels. Enemies are also important. Some enemies will kill Mario if he touches them; others he can jump and stand on. The only thing that will defeat enemies is the hammer, which appears in several levels, but is left out of certain levels to give the player a greater challenge. 

DK 94 introduces the Mario franchise to something completely new: in this game, Mario can do handstands and flips! You've never seen such an agile plumber before! The backflip is my favorite move. These moves are essential if you want to reach higher ledges, and they're also just fun to do. Here's another thing about this game: Mario is actually affected by the height of his fall. If he falls from too high, he will roll upon landing to cushion his fall; if he falls from a higher height, he will smack into the ground and lay there for a second before getting up; if he falls from even a greater height, he will hit the ground and (gasp!) die! (a halo will appear over his head) That's right, this game is possibly the most realistic Mario game ever! (well, atleast in this regard)

Each boss fight Mario has with DK is unique. Some fights may involve Mario finding a way to get up to Pauline and simply stand on the top ledge to win; other fights will have Mario grabbing barrels that DK throws down and chucking them back at the ugly ape. Often these boss fights have other hazards that can get in the way, making some of them very challenging. Donkey Kong Jr. also appears in the game to help his dad by pulling swtiches and. . . well, just being annoying. 

After each boss fight, a little cutscene will play out that introduces you to a new gameplay mechanic or something that is coming up. For instance, DK is running with Pauline in hand, and he turns around to throw a barrel at Mario; Mario, in turn, performs a handstand and catches the barrel with his feet. Wait, you can do that? Yes, and the game just showed you without saying a word. Granted, you have to figure out the button combinations to do the handstands and flips, but the game doesn't hold your hand in any way. 

After a cutscene, you will see DK and Pauline go through a door, and DK can barely fit through (he always shows you his hairy butt before he gets through). There is great variety in the level design. New puzzles are used all throughout the game, and certain mechanics are used over and over, but are used in new ways. For example, by hitting a certain block, Mario will be able to place a horizontal block floor anywhere on screen; but after he does so, the timer will start and it will disappear within a few seconds. He can do the same thing with ladders. These mechanics are used very well, and sometimes really make you think. Hitting switches will also really make you think, as conveyer belts and elevators will change directions and thus change the level completely. 

Some levels have multiple doors, but only one is the real door. Once you have the key, you'll have to figure out which door is the right one by trial and error. Some levels even have invisible doors! Luckily, you can deduce where it is because Pauline always screams from the door at the beginning of each level; so I guess the damsel in distress deserves some credit! 

Each level has three objects: a purse, an umbrella, and a hat (wow, Pauline has a lot of these items!). If you collect all three, you will be rewarded with a little bonus game to get extra lives. After each boss fight, your points will be totaled and you will receive an extra life for each 100 points. Suffice to say, it's really easy to get tons of lives in this game; I usually had around 30 lives at any given time. 

As great as this game is, I discovered a couple flaws while playing. The biggest flaw in the game is trying to grab ropes. You see, Mario must have butterfingers or something, because half the time he won't grab the rope, and this can lead to great frustration or death (or death by frustration). This wouldn't be so bad, except there is a timer for each level, and running out of time due to Mario's inability to grab a rope is so annoying! Another thing is the map. I think the map is good, but you will return to the map every time after you die. This is especially annoying when you're stuck on a particular level for a few tries; why couldn't they just let you start the level without going to the map? 

These flaws are pretty minor when looking at the whole game. The music is nothing special, although it's neat how they kept the old Donkey Kong themes for the jingles in this game. The platforming is balanced just right; Mario can do flips and all, but fall too far and the plumber may not be getting back up. It's the second-closest game we have to realistic platforming next to Prince of Persia. 

Final Verdict--4 Stars: Recommended

DK 94 is a great puzzle platformer that will make you think and may also bring a tear of nostalgia to your eye. The puzzles can be challenging, and the platforming is very good. Tons of variety and great level design makes this an excellent Mario game. It's available on the 3DS virtual console (which is how I played it), and I recommend you give it a try. This game is also important because it gave way to the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series! That classic man vs. ape puzzle platformer can still be lot of fun, even today. Perhaps we could even say, it's barrels of fun! (sorry, I couldn't resist)

Join me every Saturday as we take a look back at all kinds of retro games, good and bad.