Donkey Kong (GB, 1994)
Graphics-8 Sound-7.5 Control-8 Challenge-7
Level Design-8 Frustration-7.5 Fun-8.5 Originality-7
Overall Score-8.5
+
Does a good job of steadily introducing new gameplay elements to the player
Interesting mechanics (stop barrels by walking on your hands, place timed springs/ladders/platforms to solve puzzles, smash blocks via a hammer (which limits movement), figuring out how to move the key in each level, minimizer mushrooms (sometimes a tool, sometimes a hindrance))
Acrobatic moves (walk on hands, swing from wires, backflip to jump higher)
Save after each boss
Pretty addictive
Mostly good puzzles
Charming cutscenes between worlds/after bosses
Cool end boss (similar to Yoshi's Island)
+/-
Very easy to rack up lives
Falling too far kills you
Forgiving hit detection (both ways)
Puzzle-specific items are sometimes not needed (you could see it as there being more than one solution to some levels)
-
Repetitive
Some annoying music (the time limit music)
Somewhat floaty control (similar to the NES games, small delay when turning around, auto-somersault when landing from a medium height fall (get knocked over temporarily from greater heights, get killed from too great heights)
Uneven difficulty (even some later levels can be pretty easy)
You can’t defeat Donkey Kong Jr.
Minor slowdown
Trial & error (new mechanics, traps and puzzles)
Can't run
Can't look up/down (rarely an issue but it happens)
No staff roll music
Notes:
-Super Game Boy screenshot
Level Design-8 Frustration-7.5 Fun-8.5 Originality-7
Overall Score-8.5
+
Does a good job of steadily introducing new gameplay elements to the player
Interesting mechanics (stop barrels by walking on your hands, place timed springs/ladders/platforms to solve puzzles, smash blocks via a hammer (which limits movement), figuring out how to move the key in each level, minimizer mushrooms (sometimes a tool, sometimes a hindrance))
Acrobatic moves (walk on hands, swing from wires, backflip to jump higher)
Save after each boss
Pretty addictive
Mostly good puzzles
Charming cutscenes between worlds/after bosses
Cool end boss (similar to Yoshi's Island)
+/-
Very easy to rack up lives
Falling too far kills you
Forgiving hit detection (both ways)
Puzzle-specific items are sometimes not needed (you could see it as there being more than one solution to some levels)
-
Repetitive
Some annoying music (the time limit music)
Somewhat floaty control (similar to the NES games, small delay when turning around, auto-somersault when landing from a medium height fall (get knocked over temporarily from greater heights, get killed from too great heights)
Uneven difficulty (even some later levels can be pretty easy)
You can’t defeat Donkey Kong Jr.
Minor slowdown
Trial & error (new mechanics, traps and puzzles)
Can't run
Can't look up/down (rarely an issue but it happens)
No staff roll music
Notes:
-Super Game Boy screenshot