Descpription:
The eponymous Donkey Kong is the game's de facto villain.
He is the pet of a carpenter named Jumpman (a name chosen for its similarity to "Walkman"
and "Pac-Man"; the character was later renamed Mario, and made a plumber, not a carpenter).
The carpenter mistreats the ape, so Donkey Kong escapes and kidnaps
Jumpman's girlfriend, originally known as the Lady, but later named Pauline.
The player must take the role of Jumpman and rescue the girl.
This was the first occurrence of the damsel in distress scenario that
would provide the template for countless video games to come.
The game uses graphics and animation as vehicles of characterization. Donkey
Kong smirks upon Jumpman's demise. The Lady is instantly recognized as female
from her pink dress and long hair, and "HELP!" appears frequently beside her.
Jumpman, depicted in red overalls and cap, is an everyman character, a type
common in Japan. Graphical limitations forced his design: Drawing a mouth was
too difficult, so the character got a mustache; the programmers could not animate
hair, so he got a cap; and to make his arm movements visible,he needed colored overalls.
Donkey Kong is the first example of a complete narrative told in video game
form, and it employs cut scenes to advance its plot. The game opens with
the gorilla climbing a pair of ladders to the top of a construction site.
He sets the Lady down and stamps his feet, causing the steel beams to change
shape. He then moves to his final perch and sneers. This brief animation sets
the scene and adds background to the gameplay, a first for video games.
Upon reaching the end of the stage, another cut scene begins. A heart appears
between Jumpman and the Lady, but Donkey Kong grabs the woman and climbs higher,
causing the heart to break. The narrative concludes when Jumpman reaches the end
of the final stage. He and the Lady are reunited, and a short intermission plays.
The game then starts over at a higher level of difficulty.
