The perfect platformer doesn’t exis—
I was gifted this game as a youngster I expected the game to simply be a Gameboy port of the arcade game. Surely enough, when I first booted up the game that’s exactly what I got. The first four levels are smaller-scale versions of the arcade original and it controls just like how you would expect. The jumps aren’t very high, there’s no run button and controls feel very simplistic. After defeating Donkey Kong in the fourth level you rescue Pauline and a tender heart appears above them.
But wait!
Donkey Kong isn’t defeated just yet. He quickly gets back up and takes Pauline away again. And this is where the REAL game begins. This wasn’t a huge surprise as I knew that couldn’t have possibly been the end of the game. What did surprise me is that there are 8 worlds with several levels and at least two boss battles in each! Every three levels you come across a confrontation with the big ape himself, and he isn’t happy about your progress.
A quick cut-scene teaches you that Mario can jump on top of objects and pick them up á la Super Mario Bros 2. Even though your moves seem limited at first, Mario is actually incredibly limber in this game. After every boss battle, you’re shown another cut-scene that teaches you a new move or level mechanic. By the end of the game, you’ll be doing handstands, somersaults, clothe-line spins and many other things you wouldn’t expect.
This makes the game endlessly replayable. The tricks you learn and skills you’ve acquired throughout your journey can be applied from the beginning of the next playthrough. There’s also the three collectibles per level that you can collect along the way, some of which are near impossible to reach without knowing how to pull off the platforming tricks learned. Acquiring all three will grant you a bonus mini-game at the end of the level for a chance to win extra lives.
Everything about this game hits all the right notes. The music is varied and the tunes will be stuck in your head long after you’ve shut it off. The graphics are simple but detailed enough to carry the charm we’ve come to expect from a Nintendo title.
The fun mix between platforming action and puzzle-solving kept me hooked on this game and secured a permanent spot in my gaming library. In my younger years when I would trade in most of the games I finished, I held on to this particular cartridge for a very long time. Even after upgrading to the Gameboy Color, Donkey Kong 94 was the only Gameboy game I still held onto so that I could replay it over and over.
The One-Winged Mage, aka Kalas, may have been born with only one wing, but fear not for he has found a wonderful community of friends to share his love of games through Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.
Wahoo! You are a Super Reader! But the adventure doesn’t stop here… There’s more of this project in another castle! This article is just one level in an entire Super Mario Multiverse, a galactic collaboration between writers around the world sharing a bit of our hearts and memories about our favorite Mario games. Visit the Center of the Multiverse to see more:
