Donkey Kong is an Action game developed by Ikegami Tsushinki Co., Ltd., Nintendo Co., Ltd. and published by Coleco in 1982 for the Atari 2600.

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Overall 8.1    Graphics 5.7    Sound 6.7    Addictive 6.7    Story 4.4    Depth 4.8    Difficulty 4.6


Dk atari 2600 review   SuperCrash64
Introduction: Here we have A port of a original arcade game,"aka" Donkey Kong, Really how well would this do on the Atari 2600 you ask? Well we will find out in this basic review of this game. getting straight into the game... Background: Released sometime around about two years before the First Mario brothers game, Donkey Kong was a instant classic arcade game, that was one of the few games, that actually helped Nintendo gain into the market, It received many home ports even on handheld systems, for example the Nes, Atari 2600, Gameboy, And this game was somewhat released on some very unknown or not really popular systems at the time. Game play: The Game play of The original Donkey Kong arcade game was about mainly A 2d plat former, were you would have to jump over many barrels and other stuff etc, This game also introduced the jumping feature which would be later known to be commonly used in the Mario brothers series. Basically You jump dodge those barrels use weapons and reach the goal, simple as that etc. Graphics: Ehh for an Atari game you can't really expect much great graphics to be within this game especially if it's on the 2600 system. As like all other Atari games with there graphic style, The original Donkey Kong intends to look very blocky on this system.(sprites: Basically Mario or jump man whoever you call him looks pretty decent in this game, However the other 2 characters Like donkey Kong himself and Pauline Tend to look very pixelated and almost with no detail. In other words Pauline looks very cartoony like and Donkey Kong looks kind of like a barely animated wall of bricks or some kind of monster (Ohh burn!) ( The Stages Also happen to look very blocky and unfinished, The pillars in level one don't look at that bad, as they have a pleasant looking flooring with a decent purple color, but the unfinished Look mainly appears when seeing the main objects on this game. The barrels on level 1 kind of look like some waffles or something, but they are actually supposed to be barrels, but do to them being yellow and having so many holes in them, makes them kind of look like waffles or something to me. On stage two Again the background looks pretty decent there, and some parts are actually moving like it did in the arcade version, but looking at the traps or the pie parts of the stage you know the things that cause you to die, They kind of Look like rubber ducks in this game to me, due to there shape and they are very rounded looking. On stage three(which is practically as far as I can go in this game) The background has a good amount of detail and The flying Traps Actually look like there supposed to be, "aka" in other words the traps look nice on stage three. The animation is pretty choppy for this game as far as I can say, I mean sure some barrels and Mario walking looks pretty smooth, but the missing amount of frames and the main part of this game makes the animation look pretty choppy, and also Mario doesn't do his random roll animation, when he dies like he did in the arcade version. Graphics rating five out of ten Sound: The sound is rather up to standards when compared to other Atari games, were You know it just has some amount of sound effects. The sound is not bad, I did enjoy some of the little sound effects like Mario's jump and the little theme that plays when You jump over a barrel or get something, mainly because the tune's rather sound decent, but however Some sound effects are just like little bloops to make sound effects, you will probably notice that at most times when You're main character is walking or jumping, and even when the little tune appears in the game. Sound rating six out of ten pretty okay sound effects. Addictiveness: This version isn't all that bad, but I would rather play other versions of this game, due to them being better looking and the controls being slighty more responsive, then they are on this version, If anything My main addiction to Donkey Kong the arcade game in general would have to be the game play part of this game, you know jumping and avoiding objects and trying to rescue the lady crying or yelling for help. Addictiveness rating seven out of ten. Story: From what I get the main storyline is, basically that Donkey Kong Kidnapped A girl named Pauline and you play as jump man and defeatDonkey Kong to rescue her, If anything I would say the story is pretty much basic and understandable from the game play and characters of this game. Story rating five out of ten Depth: Ehh I can't say Much for the depth part of this game, because even the arcade version of donkey Kong was Like only 3 or 4 levels long, It does however take me quite a bit to get used to and beat each level, due to trying to time the traps and when to jump over them, I would die sometimes due to that, so in other words, this game does take quite a bit to master and to beat.Depth rating six out of ten. Difficulty: about the difficulty of this game, It does have a Tricky fun challenging Twist, that adds to the charm of the game, because this game is rather quite hard for me, but again In other words It's the challenge it's hard, but it makes this classic so much fun to play. Difficulty rating seven out of ten, and yes this is another game that I am not very good at, The only problem I found with the difficulty in this port of Donkey Kong, was the controls The controls are slightly either a bit more laggy or more slow, then they are on other versions of this game. Overall Donkey Kong is a classic and a great game to play, In total this port is pretty good.To finish this review up I'll go with the natural pro's and con's Pro's Great game play with a lot of challenge Con's Once again no soundtrack Overall rating 7.6
  Graphics 5   Sound 6   Addictive 7   Story 5   Depth 6   Difficulty 7
      Review Rating: 4.7/5     Submitted: 06-28-13     Updated: 06-28-13     Review Replies: 7


Donkey Kong Review   8bitgamer
Can this arcade hit make a good transition to the Atari 2600? Graphics: Well, it's Atari 2600, so it average. Huge blocky pixels forming a weird Donkey Kong, Paulie, and Mario. Just like how those pixels form a weird E.T. Sound: Average for 2600. They sound like very old arcade games. No music, by the way. Addictiveness: A arcade game is addicting. A arcade game on a home console is also addicting. You would spend hours racking up the high score. I know you would. Story: Not much. Mario, a carpenter, mistreats his pet gorilla, Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong then escapes and kidnaps Mario's original girlfriend Paulie.* Depth: This game has only 2 levels to play through. But the fun doesn't stop there. They repeat over and over again until you lose all of your lives. That'll keep you busy for a while. Difficulty: Increasing. That word sums it up. When you go through all 2 levels the difficulty increases. Next thing you know, you are running away from too many barrels. This game is highly recommended for retro gamers. *Paulie was Mario's original girlfriend, before Peach.
  Graphics 8   Sound 8   Addictive 10   Story 8   Depth 8   Difficulty 8
      Review Rating: 3.7/5     Submitted: 01-14-11     Updated: 04-21-11     Review Replies: 0


Donkey Kong Quick Review   NovemberJoy
Donkey Kong was a very popular arcade game when it was released, and it's understandable exactly why it was popular - it was a great game. But, many have said that the Atari 2600 version of Donkey Kong was unplayable. Let's see if that's true...As for the graphics, for Atari 2600, it isn't bad. Though Donkey Kong looks more like a gigantic gingerbread man, and the barrels look more like pizzas or cookies, they do their job. There's also absolutely no flicker whatsoever, at least not that I can see.The sound isn't bad either. The basic sound effects are there, though some are missing, and they sound pretty good on the Atari...The gameplay is what gets so much hate from most people. This hate is, well, mainly because half of the levels are missing. The pie factory level is missing(no big surprise there), as well as the elevator level. This means that there's only two of the four original levels, and those are the least difficult of the four...The controls and play mechanics are also a target of people who hate this port. The jumping is mostly just Mario's sprite changing a little bit, to simulate his jumping, for one thing. One thing these people never seem to touch upon is the fact that each level doesn't start until you press the fire button and jump. In other words, this is an Atari 2600 game with a pause function! It's pretty convenient, to say the least.All of the levels have been noticeably shrunk, the most obvious one being the barrel board. Also, there's only one hammer in each board, and in the second board, it's placed so as to be almost totally useless.The collision detection seems just slightly off, at least for me, as one time, I clearly jumped over a barrel, yet it still hit me. Odd...The difficulty is somewhat odd, as it's quite different from most Atari games, and it's also different from the arcade version. While the difficulty is technically enough to be a challenge, the difficulty doesn't increase in any way, and you can't select any different game mode to make it harder or easier. Seems like this port was a little rushed to me...Of course, the story can't be given a rating. It's pretty close to what you see in other Mario games - rescue a damsel in distress. In this case, you have to rescue a damsel in distress from Donkey Kong, a gigantic gorilla. I really don't want to know why Donkey Kong captured her in the first place...If I'm correct, this version, though I may be getting mixed up with the Intellivision version, was developed by Coleco and was deliberately made poorly so that it would make their Colecovision version look that much better. Ah, you'd never see this in today's gaming market...Overall, this game's not bad, though it isn't outstanding either. The graphics are sufficient, the sound is pretty close, and the design has its quirks...=Sufficient graphics+No flicker+Sound effects are close to the original-Only two levels?-Lazily programmed jump mechanics+A primitive pause function!-Difficulty stays the same no matter what you doOverall Score - C+(Not bad, but not good either)
  Graphics 6   Sound 5   Addictive 5   Depth 3   Difficulty 6
      Review Rating: 3/5     Submitted: 08-29-12     Review Replies: 3


Donkey Kong: The Junk Version   emul11
  If you want to play Donkey Kong, I shall warn you now, STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE!!! This isn't worth your time! Why is that? You're about to find out. This is emul11 with my review for Donkey Kong on the Atari 2600.  Graphics: 4  This is one of the reasons why this is bad. The graphics could be nice for an 1970's game like Pong, but take a look at the release date: 1982. It was released a year after the arcade and NES version, so there is no excuse! But comparing it to other games on the console, it's not very good, probably somewhere in between Vomit and Meh (If you know what I mean). I give the graphics a 4.  Sound: 7  The sound only gets a 7 because at it's time, it was one of the best sounding games on the Atari 2600, and it still is today, but in today's world, you have to have an old ear in order to get a kick out of it. It's good, but at the same time it's bad. I give the sound a 7, but only because it's one of the best sounding games on the Atari 2600.  Addictiveness: 1  The replay value is just... just... give me a moment! (Goes to bathroom to vomit) Uh... sorry. Anyways, the replay value is lover than low because of all of the other reasons on this list. It's just not really enjoyable. The addictiveness gets a 1.  Story: 2  If you seen my Donkey Kong arcade review, you know the story already. Go ahead and see that one if you want to know about it.  Depth: 1  This is probably one of the shortest games ever. There are only two levels in the game and when you pass them, you do them again only faster. It also doesn't have the exploration and item factor of the other versions. It saddens me to see this as this game was supposed to be based off of the original, but it falls flat on all of the factors. The depth gets a 1.  Difficulty: 1  This game is the easiest game I've ever played, even easier than... well... you go ahead and fill that in I you want. The only thing that makes it difficult is the enemy placement in the 2nd level, and even then it's still easy. The difficulty gets a 1.  My overall score is a 1.6 out of 10. This isn't what Atari said when they said they'd create the best version of Donkey Kong. In fact, it's the worst. Now, for all of you who like this game, hey, more power to you. It's just the wonders of having an opinion. And I'm sorry if anybody disagrees with me, I just can't find this good. If you're looking to play Donkey Kong, avoid this version.
  Graphics 4   Sound 7   Addictive 1   Story 2   Depth 1   Difficulty 1
      Review Rating: 3/5     Submitted: 08-23-12     Review Replies: 6


Donkey Kong Atari 2600 Review   Marcmoney
Overall - 8

Donkey Kong on the Atari 2600 is not that very famous since it became so popular on the NES.  When I tried this game out, it was not that bad, but I would prefer playing the one on the NES.  The game has not much to say since this is basically a short game and it is pretty much compared to the NES version.

Graphics - 7

The graphics are very bad, but it is what it looks like on the Atari 2600.  The effects are nothing really, it is basic graphics that you would expect in any Atari 2600 games.

Sound - 8

The sounding is okay.  There is no issue with it and it is not that annoying.

Addictiveness - 6

The game is okay to play, but like I said, I would rather play the NES version instead of this because it is more graphical and the game is more controllable.

Story - N/A

There is no story in this game, but since it is the same as the NES version, it is said to be told the same way.  Donkey Kong kidnaps Pauline, so it is up to Mario to go and save her.

Depth - 5

The game does not really offer a lot.  All you do is just jump around in each level.  There are three levels and if you pass the third level, it will start over again, but it will be in a more difficulty level.

Difficulty - 5

The game is not that hard once you get used to the controls of this.  I seem to enjoy the way the game plays.  There is nothing hard in the game if you are used to the Donkey Kong classic game.

Wrap Things Up...

Donkey Kong on the Atari 2600 is an okay game to play.  I recommend trying this game out if you have not already.  I guarantee that this is not that bad of a game to play. :)
  Graphics 7   Sound 8   Addictive 6   Depth 5   Difficulty 5
      Review Rating: 3/5     Submitted: 11-06-11     Review Replies: 1


Donkey kong for the atari!   bluecat2012
well this is donkey kong for the atari.I like this version better then the nes because the controls are better. For one thing you don't get stuck on the top of ladders. Another thing is that the levels are simple. But something i hate about this game is the difficulty.Its WAY to easy! I want something hard and challenging but NOT SOMETHING SO EASY ITS STUPID! But i digress. its not a bad game.(ps the graphics suck.)
  Graphics 2   Sound 8   Addictive 10   Depth 1   Difficulty 1
      Review Rating: 2.5/5     Submitted: 12-22-12     Review Replies: 4


Donkey Kong (Atari 2600)   Excelsior2000
Now what can you say about this game well it does have a certain charm when it comes to graphics and sound.Graphics This game's graphics are a bit rubbish compared to the NES version but however it has pretty good graphics compared to some other Atari 2600 games (E.T)SoundFor a 2600 it's okay but not great due to the fact it has no music unlike the NES so it is good but could have been improved with some music rather  than being comforted by the sweet sound of a fair maiden oh wait there isn't any sounds of fair maiden or Pauline imagine(her reaction when Mario left her for Peach)Addictiveness This game is just like all versions of Donkey Kong rather addictive and fun to play can be tricky due to bad graphic in certain areas of the game.StoryThis game has what is considered to be the most well known plot in video gaming history gorilla steals girl girls boyfriend climbs tall stuff to get to her gorilla dies or gets put in a cage at your local zoo yes for just two pounds you can go see Donkey Kong.Depth This does take a heck ova long time to complete like all games of Donkey Kong.DifficultyThis game is rather difficult like its NES counter part.So that's basically  all you can say about this game.
  Graphics 7   Sound 5   Addictive 7   Story 3   Depth 4   Difficulty 7
      Review Rating: 2/5     Submitted: 01-28-12     Review Replies: 1

You are Mario, and that big old gorilla, Donkey Kong, has run off with your girlfriend. It's up to you to struggle up those ladders and balance on those beams to rescue your lady fair. She's held captive at the very top. But Donkey Kong is not ready to give her up so easily. He's tossing barrels and fireballs at you at every turn. It's up to you to outmaneuver that wily ape. Good luck, your lady awaits!

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