Introduction Part 1 of 2

It loses something in the translation.

The name "Donkey Kong" loosely translates into Japanese as "Stupid Kong" or "Dumb Kong."

However, Nintendo of America- the manufacturers of the game- are anything but stupid.

As early as October 1981, Donkey Kong had already set a new weekly eearnings record ($288) according to Play Meter, the video arcade industry trade magazine. A half a year later, there's no sign of the big Monkey losing popularity.

The reasoning behind this growing popularity is clear.

Most people will talk about the fantastic animation, with Donkey Kong beating his hairy chest, grabbing the damsel in distress and dragging her to the top of a building. Others might talk about the sound effects, the growling ape, the honky tonk music. These two elements- animation and sound- might force a few quarters out of your pocket and into the machine. But to keep pumping those quarter into Donkey Kong, there must be domething else, a bigger payoff- and there is.


Four games in one.

Donkey Kong actually gives you four games for your quarter (providing your good enough). If you can manage to master an entire screen of play, you are rewarded with a totally new game to play.

Achieving these rewards is no easy task.

An explanation...

It started off with a discovery...

Hanging out of an upside down desk stacked three high in a closet in an undisclosed building here on campus...

First: Mario's eye...staring so intensely through the dust caked cover that we are not ashamed it scared the you know whats out of us.*

And then eventually we composed ourselves, got the book down using our characteristic ingenuity (and a lil' derring-do) brought it out to the light, cleaned 'er up a bit and read it cover to cover. (It's 32 pages, with many full color illustrations.)

We asked around the neighborhood and within weeks found a fully functioning Donkey Kong video game machine at a liquor store on 23rd street.

A call for quarters had all us dispersed through out the dorm common rooms, washaterias, fraterity rec [or "wreck" JK! :)] rooms, even the 901 Club (that squirrel lost a draw of straws- if you're wondering it's still a little cleanliness-challenged).

Then, referring to text, we learned how to master this video game "Donkey Kong," getting high scores all the time and writing hilarious jokes for our initials on the high score list. We DID NOT however, we repeat DID NOT use dirty things like A -- or D--.

Our hearts went out to all the good people out there that were spending their hard earned Yankee quarters always to fail at getting a high score, and always at the mercy of that lovable but always frustrating DK- Donkey Kong.






*On reflection, maybe this news isn't worthy of report- we are skiddish by nature.