Donkey Kong for the Game Boy was released in Japan on 14 June 1994, developed by Nintendo together with Pax Softnica and produced by Shigeru Miyamoto. It ended a decade-long break for the series that followed the failure of Donkey Kong 3 (1983), and it was developed alongside Donkey Kong Country.
The game opens with the four levels of the original arcade Donkey Kong and then continues with 97 new puzzle-platform levels across nine worlds, 101 in total. It was the first Game Boy game designed for the Super Game Boy, and critics called it a killer app for the accessory.
It was the last Donkey Kong game that Nintendo developed internally until Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (2004). The game was re-released on the 3DS Virtual Console on 16 June 2011 and on Nintendo Switch Online on 7 March 2025.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Donkey KongLater reissued in the Player's Choice line | Game Boy | June 1994 | Nintendo | 1 |
| JP | ドンキーコングDonkī Kongu | Game Boy | Jun 14, 1994 | Nintendo | 1 |
| EU | Donkey Kong | Game Boy | September 1994 | Nintendo | 1 |
| WW | Donkey KongVirtual Console; without Super Game Boy enhancements | Nintendo 3DS | Jun 16, 2011 | Nintendo | 1 |
| WW | Donkey KongNintendo Switch Online, Game Boy library (NA/PAL and JP); without Super Game Boy enhancements | Switch | Mar 7, 2025 | Nintendo | 2 |
Also known as: ドンキーコング JP1Donkī Kongu JP1
Box art by region
NA Donkey Kong 
EU Donkey Kong 
JP ドンキーコング
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
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GraphicsSuper Game Boy
On the Super Game Boy the game uses up to 13 colors instead of four and adds a border modeled on the original arcade cabinet.1
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AudioSuper Game Boy
With the Super Game Boy, SNES samples provide a different cry for Pauline and different ending credits music.1
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Graphics3DS Virtual ConsoleNintendo Switch Online
The 3DS Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online releases lack the Super Game Boy enhancements, because their emulators do not support the Super Game Boy.1
Translations
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English Official
Nintendo1994Game Boy · Japanese versionReleased · complete
The English version came out in North America in June 1994 and in Europe in September 1994.1
Where to play legally today
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Nintendo Switch Online Subscription
Reception
The game sold 3.07 million copies worldwide and received generally positive reviews; EGM named it Game Boy Game of the Year. Famitsu's Japanese reviewers were less enthusiastic than Western critics, and the game was overshadowed by Donkey Kong Country later in 1994.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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