Neon Retro Arcade - Donkey Kong Jr

Donkey Kong Jr

1982

Nintendo

This game builds on the jumping mechanics from the original and adds vine/chain climbing. This makes for a very different feel from the original, and many dispute which game is "better." Either way, Mario's heel turn added a certain kind of drama and complexity to his story. Maybe that's why they felt the need to re-humanize Mario by introducing his brother in the next game. Mario abandoned all kidnapping after this classic.

Story

Apparently after working to rescue Pauline in the original, Mario has gone rogue and trapped Donkey Kong in a cage. It is up to Donkey Kong's son to rescue him from the evil Mario. Wait- why is Mario the antagonist in this game? It's the only game where Mario plays the antagonist role, and it doesn't suit him well.

Tips & Strategies

To climb up fast, grab two vines. To climb down fast, grab only one.

The blue Snapjaws chase down the vines, but the red Snapjaws will head back up once they hit the bottom- watch out.

In the second level, stay away from the sides as much as you can, because those birds are unpredictable.