Editing Donkey Kong Junior (game)

{{Game
|name=Donkey Kong Junior
|image=[[Image:DKJuniore.jpg|100px|Gameboy Advance "e-Reader" release]]
|bgcolor=silver
|fgcolor=black
|developer=[[R&D 1|Nintendo R&D]]
|publisher=[[Nintendo]]
|system=[[Arcade]], [[NES]], [[e-Reader]], [[Virtual Console]] ([[Wii]], [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]], [[Wii U]]), Various Non-Nintendo Consoles
|release='''Arcade'''<br />1982<br />'''NES'''<br />JP July 15, 1983 <br />US June 1986<br />EU June 15, 1987<br/>'''E-Reader'''<br/>US September 16, 2002<br/>'''Virtual Console'''<br />JP December 2, 2006<br />US December 4, 2006<br />EU December 22, 2006<br />'''3DS Virtual Console'''<br />August 31, 2011 (''Ambassador'')<br />April 18, 2013<br />US June 14, 2012<br />EU August 23, 2012<br />SK April 6, 2016<br />'''Wii U Virtual Console'''<br />JP July 15, 2013<br />US April 26, 2013<br />EU April 27, 2013<br />AU April 28, 2013<br />'''Nintendo Switch'''<br />December 21, 2018
|gallery=N/A
|rating=ESRB: E
|}}

'''Donkey Kong Junior''' (commonly abbreviated as '''Donkey Kong Jr.''' in ports and rereleases) is a 1982 arcade game that acts as the sequel to ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''. This game features a role reversal from the previous game. This time [[Donkey Kong]] is the one captured, and his son [[Donkey Kong Jr.]] must rescue him. Donkey Kong's captor is none other than [[Mario]], in his own role as a villain to date.

=Conception=

While developing the game, [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] envisioned it as being "Donkey Kong's revenge". However, the Donkey Kong sprite was too large to control with the technology back then. This lead Miyamoto to create a smaller character, Donkey Kong Jr., to act as the game's protagonist instead.

=Story=

Mario is keeping Donkey Kong locked up in a cage in the jungle, presumably as revenge for Donkey Kong's kidnapping of Pauline in the previous game. But Donkey Kong Jr. soon battles Mario's minions in an attempt to free his father. At the end of the game, Donkey Kong Jr. is able to free Donkey Kong from his cage, but at the same time causes the platform that Mario and Donkey were standing on to fall. Donkey Kong Jr. is able to catch his father while Mario takes a nasty fall (and even gets a halo above his head).

=Gameplay=

The player controls Donkey Kong Junior as he travels across four levels. The first game focused on jumping, but this game instead focused on climbing vines. Donkey Kong Jr.'s only method of attack was caused by bumping into fruit hanging from vines. This would cause the fruit to fall and destroy any enemy it hit. There are also three different types of enemy in the game: the crocodile-like Snapjaw (which, despite [[Lockjaw|sharing its name with a piranha enemy in ''Donkey Kong Country 2'']], appears to be the inspiration for the [[Klaptrap]] enemy), a bird called Nitpicker (the name would later be recycled for another bird enemy in [[Ice Climber]]) and the [[Spark]].

==Levels==

The game contains four levels. Each level is completed when Donkey Kong Jr. arrives at his father's cage, which is located in the upper-left corner of the screen. Afterwards Donkey Kong Jr. is taken to the next level. The only exception is the final level, in which Donkey Kong Jr.'s goal is to free his father from the cage.

*Stage 1- The basic level introduces Snapjaws. The level contains a small network of vines that Donkey Kong Jr. must climb across to reach the top.
*Stage 2- The second level introduced the Nitpicker. It also contained moving platforms, moving ropes and a trampoline that Donkey Kong Jr. could jump with.
*Stage 3- Perhaps the strangest level of the game, it appears to take place in some kind of power plant rather than a jungle. This is where the Sparks appear.
*Stage 4- In the final level, there are six keys that each must be pushed up a chain to be inserted into their respective slots. Mario deploys both Snapjaws and Nitpickers to hinder Junior's progress. After all the keys are inserted, Donkey Kong Senior is freed, and the ending is initiated.

=Continuity References=

*While not a direct link, the implication seems to be that Mario has been holding Donkey Kong prisoner since the ending of ''Donkey Kong''.

=Legacy=

''Donkey Kong Junior'' was successful, but not as successful as the original ''Donkey Kong''. The ''Donkey Kong'' arcade series would be discontinued following the next installment, ''[[Donkey Kong 3]]'', while Mario moved on to stardom in ''[[Mario Bros.]]''. Some elements of ''Donkey Kong Junior'''s gameplay also appeared in later games such as ''[[Donkey Kong GB]]'', ''[[Mario Vs. Donkey Kong]]'' and ''[[Yoshi's Island DS]]''. It likely also inspired the rope-climbing and vine-swinging in ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]'' and the later Donkey Kong games.

A pair of [[Game & Watch]] games were also made based on the game, entitled ''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (Game & Watch)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong II]]''. Both have similar gameplay to the original arcade game, and ''Donkey Kong II'''s upper screen seems to be based on the game's fourth level.

==Ports/Remakes==

*In the 80's, ''Donkey Kong Junior'' was rereleased on various home consoles including the Atari 2600, Colecovision, Intellivision, Atari 8-bita and Atari 7800. 
*It was released twice on the [[NES]], first as a solo game and than in the compilation game ''[[Donkey Kong Classics]]''. The NES version has no known differences from the original. 
**The NES port of ''Donkey Kong Junior'' was also released as an unlockable game in 2001's ''[[Animal Crossing]]'' for the [[Nintendo Gamecube]], for the [[e-Reader]] in 2002 and as a part of [[Nintendo Wii|the Wii's]] [[Virtual Console]] in 2006.
**In August 2011, ''Donkey Kong Junior'' was among the NES games released for free download on the [[3DS]] through the [[3DS Virtual Console#Ambassador_Progam|Ambassador Program]]. It later received a normal eShop release in 2012, and it was also released for the [[Wii U]]'s Virtual Console in 2013.
**In 2016, this version was among the games included in the [[NES Classic Edition]], but it was not included in the Japanese release.
**In May 2019, it was among the NES games made available to play as part of the [[Nintendo Switch Online]] service. This version included cooperative and competitive online multiplayer options.
*In 2018, a version of the original arcade game was released for download on the [[Nintendo Switch]] as part of the ''Arcade Archives'' series.

==Sequels==

It was followed by ''Donkey Kong 3'', which would end the original ''Donkey Kong'' series. This game would also receive an edutainment spin-off on the NES in the form of ''[[Donkey Kong Jr. Math]]''.

{{Donkey Kong Series}}

{{Super Mario Series}}

[[Category: Video Games]] [[Category: Arcade Games]] [[Category: NES Games]][[Category: Virtual Console Games]] [[Category: E-Reader Games]][[Category: 3DS Virtual Console Games]] [[Category: Mario Games]] [[Category: Donkey Kong Games]][[Category: Ambassador Program]]