Best home version of Donkey Kong

[NE146]

I know it's not the true arcade DK, but GameBoy DK is one fine version not to be left out, although it would've been really cool if there was an option to have the levels repeat after #4 for that true arcade DK experience.

 

That would be nice.. but it would still be pretty far from the "true arcade DK experience" Mario is just too powerful in GB DK (one of my favorite gb games by the way). As is, he can reach the top with 2 backflips in most of them

[DominiRican05]

I'm going to have to download MAME and try some of these other versions of DK, sounds like I've been missing out. I'm really shocked Nintendo didn't release a complete version on the NES, it would've made complete sense.

[Lord Helmet]

I'm going to have to download MAME and try some of these other versions of DK, sounds like I've been missing out.  I'm really shocked Nintendo didn't release a complete version on the NES, it would've made complete sense.

922436[/snapback]

 

You realize that with MAME you can only play the arcade version...

 

...if you want to play the home versions you need to get MESS.

[the 5th ghost]

   It's the cement factory, not pies. There's two C-64 versions.

 

2. Pie factory, Cement Factory, Conveyer Belt Stage

4. Rivets stage, "Ziggurat" stage (as it was called in one strategy guide I had)

3. Elevator level, Bouncy Springs Level

1. Ramps stage, Ladders stage.

 

All the same thing. It was called many things by kids depending on their arcade culture. You guys know what I'm talking about

921590[/snapback]

 

I like to call it the mashed potato board

 

Man, how I miss my Donkey Kong cocktail machine. Forget which home version was best, I had the real deal in my gameroom!

[Lord Helmet]

Man, how I miss my Donkey Kong cocktail machine. Forget which home version was best, I had the real deal in my gameroom! 

922510[/snapback]

 

Amen brother! DK gets alot of time on my MAME cabinet

[JB]

I'm going to have to download MAME and try some of these other versions of DK, sounds like I've been missing out.  I'm really shocked Nintendo didn't release a complete version on the NES, it would've made complete sense.

922436[/snapback]

Well... when they originally ported it, ROMs were prhibitively expensive. They couldn't make an affordable game cart large enough to store all 4 levels, so they scrapped the least interesting one.

 

And when they did Donkey Kong Classics, they were just lazy.

[Brad2600]

I finally made it to the 4th screen on the 800XL version. Not bad but it took so many tries.

 

Frustrating at times as well.

[Laner]

Anyone here played the bootleg "Crazy Kong" ?  It runs in MAME. Retard-o sound effects. I actually played this in an arcade as a kid.

Yep - I was very familiar with that version... the local skating rink had Crazy Kong (and Hangly Man too...) for a long time.

[Bill Brasky]

Anyone here played the bootleg "Crazy Kong" ?  It runs in MAME. Retard-o sound effects. I actually played this in an arcade as a kid.

Yep - I was very familiar with that version... the local skating rink had Crazy Kong (and Hangly Man too...) for a long time.

922673[/snapback]

 

I think Crazy Kong is a hacked DK to run on Scramble hardware.

[+Random Terrain]

I believe the C-64 version is the best.  It includes the cement/pie factory level, and it best captures the behavior of the flaming barrels.  It also has (almost) all of the music and animation from the arcade game, something other versions often skimped on.  Really about the only thing you can hold against it is they reuse the flaming barrel graphics for the levels that should have fire critters.

921500[/snapback]

Yeah, the Commodore 64 version impressed the poop out of me back then.

[awsomo3000]

The Gameboy version does not even ATTEMPT to port the arcade game, rapidly collapses into a puzzle game, and should not even be considered for the purpose of this thread, which seeks accurate ports.

 

Are you sure your thining of the original gameboy donkey kong and not the gameboy advance Mario Vs Donkey Kong?

Although the gameboy version has many more levels, that are puzzlelike, it also has the original four levels , they seem to be the best home version I have ever seen. How can you say it cant be considered?

[NE146]

it also has the original four levels , they seem to be the best home version I have ever seen. How can you say it cant be considered?

 

They're just facsimile/nostalgic layouts of the first 4 levels. Sure you can say they're there.. but come on. It's pretty far from the gameplay of the original.

 

For example.. in the original could mario stand on his head, and/or jump 3 levels high with a backflip?

[JB]

it also has the original four levels , they seem to be the best home version I have ever seen. How can you say it cant be considered?

 

They're just facsimile/nostalgic layouts of the first 4 levels. Sure you can say they're there.. but come on. It's pretty far from the gameplay of the original.

 

For example.. in the original could mario stand on his head, and/or jump 3 levels high with a backflip?

923119[/snapback]

Exactly.

 

For the purposes of this thread, it should loop those original 4 levels, too.

Edited September 1, 2005 by JB

[Flack]

The earlier AtariSoft version of Donkey Kong for the C64 is the "wider" (fullscreen) version. Ocean's version (released three years later) looks very close to the arcade version. You can compare the two versions here:

 

http://www.lemon64.com/games/details.php?ID=749

 

http://www.lemon64.com/games/details.php?ID=750

[Jetboot Jack]

I have a HUGE softspot for the 800 cart of Donkey Kong - to my mind its the BEST 80's home version, all the levels, excellent graphics and audio, and it feels SOOOOO good - yes even now (just played it!)...

 

Anyway here are some screenshots, draw your own opinions:

 

Atari 800

 

Commodore 64

 

Apple 2

 

Vic 20

 

Ti99/4a

 

Colecovision

[Laner]

I have a HUGE softspot for the 800 cart of Donkey Kong - to my mind its the BEST 80's home version, all the levels, excellent graphics and audio, and it feels SOOOOO good - yes even now (just played it!)...

 

Anyway here are some screenshots, draw your own opinions:

 

I just gotta say, the ports with DK on the right always bugged the hell out of me

[geosteve]

I like the A800 version best, looks and plays better than those others. I also have a DK clone for the Atari ST called 'Kid Kong' that's nearly pixel perfect to the arcade (adjusted for horizontal ratio) that's great too!

[Shannon]

Anyway, the best classic home version of course was the Atari 8bit version. However it does have it's flaws... like there's too many fireballs that come out in the pie factory (which is supposed to ONLY have one fireball corresponding to the level (i.e. level 1 = 1 fireball. 2=2 fireballs, etc.) But I think the first time you see the pie factory in the 8bit version.. it tosses out FIVE fireballs or something like that. 

 

Agreed. I never tried the C64 version yet. But you are right about the fireballs. Also the atari 8bit version has the same problem of mario jumping a little too high on the barrell levels.

 

Probably the next best home port is the unlockable version version in N64's Donkey Kong Country. However.. #1. it's a pain to get to; and #2. Once you get to it, you only get a 4-stage version. So you have to do even more superfluous stuff to unlock the full game and have it be accessible via the startup menu. See.. PAIN IN THE ASS

 

I've only had the pleasure of trying the 1st unlockable version and found it really irritating. Too lazy to unlock the full game.

[Shannon]

The NES and 7800 versions look nice, and in fact I've often had to wonder just how much was in common between them.  They're both missing the fourth level, and they both have the same incorrectly placed hammer on the first level!

I think (but am not 100% sure) that the 7800 versions of DK, DK Jr, and Mario Bros were all coded by Nintendo. All the sprite graphics seem to have been lifted directly from the NES versions, but since the NES has a higher horizontal resolution than the 7800, everything appears stretched out.

921830[/snapback]

 

Yeah it's amazing the half-assed effort nintendo put into their own games as well as the translations. Why'd they make it for the 7800 anyways? Was it a legal issue?

[Shannon]

Well... when they originally ported it, ROMs were prhibitively expensive. They couldn't make an affordable game cart large enough to store all 4 levels, so they scrapped the least interesting one.

 

And when they did Donkey Kong Classics, they were just lazy.

922601[/snapback]

 

The atari 8-bit version made waaaaaaay before the NES release was a 16k cart. Nintendo was just plain lazy.

[JB]

Well... when they originally ported it, ROMs were prhibitively expensive. They couldn't make an affordable game cart large enough to store all 4 levels, so they scrapped the least interesting one.

 

And when they did Donkey Kong Classics, they were just lazy.

922601[/snapback]

 

The atari 8-bit version made waaaaaaay before the NES release was a 16k cart. Nintendo was just plain lazy.

925336[/snapback]

*shrugs*

Diffrent kinds of ROMs?

...

More likely higher profit margins.

[narutofan]

I know this isn't very loyal to classic games, but I love donkey kong 64.

[JB]

It's also totally unrelated to anything being discussed...

[narutofan]

It's also totally unrelated to anything being discussed...

925522[/snapback]

I was answering the original topic.

[Atariboy]

Dk64 had nothing to do with the original topic.