Donkey Kong is an arcade game by Nintendo R&D1 that opened in Japan in July 1981 and reached North America in October 1981. It is Mario's first video game appearance, back when he was known as Jumpman, and the first game in the Donkey Kong series. It is also regarded as the first platform game to feature jumping. Level 22 of the arcade game ends in a kill screen caused by a programming error.
The game's success drew a lawsuit from Universal City Studios over the King Kong trademark, which Universal lost. Coleco, Atari and Ocean Software were among the companies that made ports, and the Game & Watch version sold about 8 million units.
The Famicom version was a launch title for the console in Japan on 15 July 1983, followed by the NES release in North America in June 1986 and in Europe on 15 October 1986. Memory limits forced cuts, most notably the cement factory stage, which came back in Donkey Kong: Original Edition for Virtual Console.12
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Donkey Kong | Arcade | October 1981 | Nintendo | 1 |
| NA | Donkey Kong | NES | June 1986 | Nintendo | 1 |
| JP | ドンキーコングDonkī Kongulimited release 9 July 1981, wide release mid-July | Arcade | July 1981 | Nintendo | 1 |
| EU | Donkey Kong | Arcade | November 1981 | Nintendo | 1 |
| JP | ドンキーコングDonkī KonguFamicom launch title | NES | Jul 15, 1983 | Nintendo | 2 |
| EU | Donkey Kong | NES | Oct 15, 1986 | Nintendo | 1 |
| JP | ドンキーコングDonkī KonguFamicom Disk System | Famicom Disk System | Apr 8, 1988 | Nintendo | 1 |
| JP | ドンキーコングDonkī KonguFamicom Mini; NES Classics in NA (7 Jun 2004) and EU (9 Jul 2004) | Game Boy Advance | Feb 14, 2004 | Nintendo | 2 |
| JP | ドンキーコングDonkī KonguVirtual Console | Wii | Dec 2, 2006 | Nintendo | 2 |
| WW | Arcade Archives DONKEY KONGArcade Archives (arcade version) | Switch | Jun 14, 2018 | — | 1 |
Also known as: ドンキーコング JP1Donkī Kongu JP1Donkey Kong: Original Edition WW1Donkey Kong Classics WW1
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
-
ContentNES/Famicom
The Famicom/NES port drops the cement factory (50m) stage and most cutscenes, including the opening where Donkey Kong climbs with the lady, because of cartridge memory limits.1
-
GraphicsNES/Famicom
The Famicom version removes the height markers, such as 25m, shown in the arcade game.2
-
AudioNES/Famicom
The NES version adds a new title-screen tune but cuts the final-stage music from two tracks to one.1
Where to play legally today
-
Nintendo Switch Online Subscription
-
Arcade Archives Purchase
Reception
Donkey Kong was the highest-grossing arcade game of 1981 in Japan and of 1982 in the US, with about 132,000 arcade units sold. The Famicom version sold about 840,000 copies in Japan, and the game was inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame in 2017.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
Spotted a mistake? Write to atlas@old-games.net.