Donkey Kong, the Reasons Behind Its Popularity

Dating back to 1980's, Donkey Kong was and still is a popular video game. The video game is premised on only a few characters including the gorilla, a plumber and a kidnapped blonde. Additionally, there are multiple barrels that form part of the game's core. The game was release by Nintendo in 1981 to respond to the arcade craze that had gripped the market then. Unlike the games then where the plot was more of the same, Donkey Kong offered something new when it was introduced. The normal 'shoot me, I shoot you' path was one that it opted not to take. The game offered a well thought of storyline that made it interesting and catchy. The jump-man, who is the gaming hero, has an obligation of rescuing a lady from a gigantic ape known as Donkey Kong. Later on, the hero and ape came to be the lead Nintendo characters. A number of variations of the game were released. However, playing it took a general approach.

Playing the game

Basically, playing the game borrows a lot from its original form.

Firstly, the player, who happens to be the hero, starts at a building's bottom. It is on top of this building that the gorilla has ascended. The player is expected to go up to where Paulina is being held by the gorilla. Generally, the player can move left and right, ascend and descend a ladder, jump over the barrel obstacles as Donkey Kong throws them at him/her or alternatively use a hammer to crash the obstacles. The randomness of these barrels keeps the tension high and as such makes the game quite interesting. When the player gets to the top and rescues the girl, the first level of the game is deemed as complete.

Secondly, the second level opens when the gorilla once again snatches the girl from the player. Generally, the second level is much more challenging than level two. As the player progresses from one level to another, so does the complexity of the game rise and hence making it more and more challenging.

During gameplay, the player has options to pick items for Paulina and as such earn extra points. Generally, the kind of level progression and sequential approach adopted in the game makes it not only interesting but also addictive. In essence, this can be said to be the main reason behind the game success within the video gaming market.