Donkey Kong Jr.

Name: Donkey Kong Jr.
Year: 1995
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genre: Arcade
Hours Played: Countless
Beaten: N/A

Donkey Kong Jr. (spelled different from "Donkey Kong Junior" in the arcades) was the sequel to the original Donkey Kong (so much that they called the third game "Donkey Kong 3").  It's similar to it's predecessor - beat four one-screen levels, rinse and repeat, but while the first game focused on jumping, this game adds a climbing element that becomes the focus of most levels.

The first two screens of Donkey Kong Jr. are great - like the original, there's multiple paths to take thru the level.  The third screen is a disappointment, as it focuses on jumping over climbing, making it feel more like the original game, but it's very linear, with only one path through the level.  The fourth level is nice, as it's reminiscent of the last Donkey Kong level, except (once again) with a heavy climbing element.

While Donkey Kong Jr fairs better then it's predecessor in terms of length (all four levels made the transition this time), it takes a much bigger hit in the graphics department.  Gone are all of Papa DK's animations - now he's just a static monkey in a cage.  The cut scenes once again took a big hit, with only the fourth level "ending" remaining.

Graphics & Animation: 2 (Average)
The graphics are a little more colorful in this game then the original, but the lack of animation on Donkey Kong Sr. hurt it.

Music & Sounds: 2 (Bad)
Only one level has music, and it lacks the memorability of the iconic Donkey Kong theme.

Controls & Level Design: 3 (Good)
Unlike graphics or gameplay, good controls don't age.  You may die from a cheap shot, but you'll never die because Kong didn't go where you told him to.

Story & Presentation: 0 (Awful)
The cut scenes are gone from this game, and I miss them more then I did in Donkey Kong.  In that game, it was instantly obvious you were trying to rescue the girl from the monkey throwing barrels, even if you weren't given any explanation.  In this game, without any context, I feel like the story and the goal are a little more confusing - especially nowadays, when the idea of Mario being a bad guy is pretty shocking.

Length & Replayability: 1 (Bad)
The length of this game fairs a little better then the first - there's four levels instead of three, and I feel like the levels (at least the first two) offer a little more variety.  It still gets old pretty fast, though.

Total: 8 (Average)