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A carpenter, a gorilla, and four screens that launched Nintendo's conquest of gaming.
Shigeru Miyamoto's first major game introduced Jumpman (later Mario) in a mission to rescue Pauline from a barrel-throwing ape. It was one of the first platform games, requiring players to climb ladders, jump over obstacles, and navigate four distinct stages. Nintendo needed a hit to replace unsold Radar Scope cabinets in North America, and Donkey Kong delivered spectacularly. The game grossed over $280 million in its first year and established both Nintendo and Miyamoto as industry powerhouses.
Example
The game exists partly because of a legal dispute. Nintendo could not secure the Popeye license they originally wanted, so Miyamoto created original characters instead. Universal Studios later sued Nintendo claiming Donkey Kong infringed on King Kong. Nintendo won, and their lawyer John Kirby was honored by having a certain pink puffball named after him.
Why it matters
Donkey Kong launched three of gaming's most important entities simultaneously: Mario, Shigeru Miyamoto's legendary design career, and Nintendo's dominance in the global market. It pioneered narrative context in arcade games and established the platformer as a premier genre.
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