9 Fascinating Facts About Donkey Kong

Even if you were born after the 1980s, you probably have heard about the original Donkey Kong, one of the most popular full-sized arcade games of the decade. While it may seem like nothing special today, it was a game-changing (no pun intended) game of its time that set a standard for the gaming industry today as we know it. 

Here are some must-know facts about the original Donkey Kong game and its titular character:

1. It was the first video game to tell a story through cutscenes

Even if you are not a hardcore gamer, you are still probably familiar with what cutscenes are in a game. Donkey Kong was the first game to implement this concept, creating a revolutionary and staple part of gaming as we know it now.

2. Its elements were inspired by Popeye

No, not the restaurant famous for its chicken. Nintendo was actually originally looking to make a game based off of the spinach-devouring sailor man who made his comic debut nearly a century ago in 1929. It didn’t quite work out, so instead the developers decided to come up with another story loosely based on the character. You can definitely see some of the connections within the game.

3. Donkey Kong’s name is a mistranslation

You might have found yourself asking at some point why on earth Donkey Kong is an ape and not a donkey. Creator and gaming industry icon Shigeru Miyamoto has answered this question in multiple interviews that the reason for this is because he thought that “donkey” meant “stubborn,” since donkeys are often associated with headstrongness. His name was really meant to translate to “Stubborn Ape.”

4. The game was not only the debut of Donkey Kong himself but also the first time the world met Mario and Pauline

At the time, Mario was known as “Jumpman.” He would not be given a proper name until later on. Mr. Miyamoto later developed an independent franchise for Mario as we know him today, with Super Mario Bros. releasing in 1985, where we also met his now-famous brother, Luigi. Now worth billions of dollars, Mario is now the second best-selling video game franchise of all time, just behind Pokémon. Outside of arcade games, he is even set to have his own film released in December 2022, starring Chris Pratt as Marion and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong.

5. ….but that’s not the first time Donkey Kong has been featured on the silver screen!

Donkey Kong made an appearance in the 2015 feature film Pixels. In the film, he serves as the primary antagonist “the supreme king of all pixel aliens.”

6. There have been several sequels proceeding the original game

After the first game, several more full-sized arcade games featuring the character were created in response to its universal success. In 1982 and 1983, respectively, Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong 3 made its way to local arcades. 

7. Back in 1985, a court case determined that Universal’s King Kong and Nintendo’s Donkey Kong are indeed two separate entities 

This seems obvious, right? Well, Universal previously filed a lawsuit against the Japanese gaming giant for claiming that the Donkey Kong character infringed on their copyright for King Kong that had existed for decades before our beloved D.K. The court disagreed with Universal’s claim, with Judge Robert W. Sweet of New York (1922-2019) stating, “Universal, when it seemed beneficial, made sweeping assertions of rights, attempting to extract license agreements from companies incapable of or unwilling to confront Universal’s ‘profit center.’”

8. Donkey Kong had his own TV show

In the late 1990s to the early 2000s, the character had his own computer-animated cartoon based off of him called Donkey Kong Country. It is based off of the video game of the same name and was one of the first shows to use motion capture. While he is portrayed as a “bad” guy in some media, in Donkey Kong Country, he serves as the protagonist, trying to prevent antagonist King K. Kool from stealing the Crystal Coconut. The show was also dubbed in Japanese and received positive reception among its audience. 

9. One of the soundtracks from one of its sequels became a minor Internet meme

A video uploaded by Japanese user taia777 to YouTube from Donkey Kong Country 2 from the Stickerbrush Symphony level became dubbed “The Internet Checkpoint.” Viewers had noted the level’s soundtrack being relaxing, and were obliged to post about their personal lives, calling it a “save point.” It was said that if the video appeared in your YouTube recommendations that you were a main character in your own life. Unfortunately, the video was copyrighted by Nintendo and is no longer available, but its legacy remains on the Internet.