Donkey Kong (1994 video game)

Donkey Kong, commonly referred to as Donkey Kong '94, is a 1994 puzzle-platform game developed by Nintendo and Pax Softnica for the Game Boy. The player controls the Italian plumber Mario, who must rescue his girlfriend Pauline from the gorilla Donkey Kong. It begins as a remake of the Donkey Kong (1981) arcade game before introducing 97 original levels, incorporating game mechanics from Donkey Kong Jr. (1982) and Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988), in which the player must locate a key to proceed.

The Donkey Kong franchise's creator Shigeru Miyamoto led the development, which ended a decade-long hiatus after the unsuccessful Donkey Kong 3 (1983). The developers sought to reimagine the original game while maintaining the theme of Mario attempting to outwit the trickster Donkey Kong. They gave Mario many new abilities while focusing on puzzle-oriented gameplay to account for the Game Boy's small display. Donkey Kong was the last game developed before Miyamoto shifted to an advisory role on the franchise.

Donkey Kong was released in Japan and North America in June 1994, and in Europe in September. It was the first Game Boy game designed for the Super Game Boy, a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) peripheral that allows users to play Game Boy games on a television. Donkey Kong sold 3.07 million copies, making it one of the bestselling Game Boy games, and received positive reviews. Critics considered it a killer app for the Super Game Boy and praised its gameplay, controls, challenge, and sound.

Although successful, Donkey Kong's release was overshadowed by the SNES game Donkey Kong Country later in 1994, and it was the last Donkey Kong developed internally until Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (2004). In retrospect, video game journalists regard Donkey Kong as one of the best Game Boy and Donkey Kong games. It was rereleased for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011, and for the Nintendo Switch in 2025. Nintendo released a sequel, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, for the Game Boy Advance in 2004.