Happy 30th Birthday Donkey Kong, now go teach that young whipper snapper Mario A lesson or too.

Today (or at least a web sites says) is Donkey Kong's birthday, and he turns the bis 3-0! If it was not for DK, we would never have so many of Nintendo's great games back in the day and now. Let's take a look back at this stupid monkey;s (that what Donkey Kong means in Japan) Video Game Career.

The granddaddy of them all, the one that put Nintendo on the map, Donkey Kong. At some point in your gaming life you have played this, it has been on so many platforms and in other games (like DK 64), there's no way you missed playing it. They even made a documentary about getting the all time high score. As a then named jumpman aka Mario started his "rescuing ladys in pink" carrier, by climbing up beam and ladders while jumping barrels throw by DK. You chase DK though I think 4 levels....then you do it again, but harder each time you do. I think beat DK 2 times before it got too hard for me. Such a great classic game.

Next was Donkey Kong JR,, this time the tables are turned. The evil Mario has captured DK, and it's up to DK JR  (who I believe is the DK of today, just based off of Donkey Kong Country) to save him. You jump from vine to vine working you way up to stop that Mario from hurting your Dad. I have the e-reader version of this, and a unplayed Atari 7800 version too. A variation of DK jr called Donkey Kong JR math was released, and thanks to Animal Crossing, I've played it and do not care for it.

In Donkey Kong 3, the game takes a different approach. As Stanley, you gotta get rid of DK, who's slumming in his greenhouse. To get rid of DK.......by shooting bug spray up his ass. I played this also, and remember liking it. here's a video showing gameplay and some DK 3  history

DK entered the SNES era in Donkey Kong Country. DK and his little buddy Diddy, must get there bananas back from King K. Rool. You got help along the way by the Kong family and you animal pals. This was Rare's first Nintendo Game and it put them on the map. This was one the 3 games that I got with my SNES and I have fond memories of it. There was 2 sequels, Diddy Kong's quest which I also like, and DK Country 3, which I didn't care for. Donkey Kong Land was the portable version of DK Country, it also had 3 releases.

Ahh Diddy Kong Racing, I was obsessed with this game. I maintain till this very day that it was better than Mario Kart 64. Car, Planes, and hovercrafts were the vehicles of choice. And an open environment, great race tracks, and boss battles. The N64 version has banjo and a pre-mature ratted Conker. I REALLLLLLYYY need to the DS version someday. 

Donkey Kong 64 was the first game I got on day 1, mainly for the N64 memory update. Like Super Mario 64, it was a 3d adventure game. I don't remember much of the story, or the characters, except the little girl kong was Dixie's sister. I do know it has the original Donkey Kong it it and Rare's jetpac, both I played a lot of. 

The Donkey Konga Games.....to be honest i never gave a shit about them. They never interested me one bit. The did pre-date guitar hero in the music game controller business I think. Well any way here's a gameplay vid.

Donkey Kong has been one of Nintendo's well know characters for many, well, 30 years, A part from all his appearances in many great Nintendo games, he's held his own. Here's to another 30 years DK!














list info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Donkey_Kong_video_games