Donkey Kong Junior

A sequel in which the roles are reversed — that's Donkey Kong Junior. This time you don't play as the hero catching the gorilla, but as the gorilla's son, who sets out to rescue his imprisoned father from Mario's hands. It's one of the few cases where the previous hero becomes the villain.

Gameplay is built on climbing vines and chains, leaping between them and evading enemies who try to stop Junior from making his way up. Compared to the original Donkey Kong, there's a greater emphasis on vertical movement and grabbing onto creeping plants, which brings its own rhythm and a different pace than jumping over barrels in the first installment.

The ColecoVision built its reputation precisely on faithful ports of arcade classics, and Donkey Kong Junior fits neatly into this lineage. The console had the power to bring the arcade experience home more convincingly than the competition, and for players that meant being able to have their favorite cabinets in the living room.

From a historical perspective, Donkey Kong Junior is also interesting for how Nintendo experimented with its early characters before they became icons. The Donkey Kong series helped build brands back then that remain among the most valuable in the gaming industry to this day.

If you like classic platformers and want to get to know an unconventional take on the famous hero-and-gorilla duo, Donkey Kong Junior on the ColecoVision offers an honest arcade portion with its own distinctive mechanics.

Why play: For an unconventional sequel to a famous arcade game with an emphasis on climbing, in the faithful form the ColecoVision knew how to deliver.