Donkey Kong
Dinky Kong is a faithful PICO-8 recreation of the 1981 arcade classic Donkey Kong. Climb girders, dodge barrels, and rescue the captive across four iconic stages. Features two playable characters, authentic stage sequences, and faithfully recreated soundtracks.
Controls
Player 1
System
About
Donkey Kong is one of the most influential arcade games ever made — the title that introduced the world to Jumpman (later known as Mario) and established the platformer genre. This PICO-8 adaptation follows the US arcade set with meticulous attention to detail: animation timing, movement patterns, and stage progression all mirror the original.
Two playable characters offer different visual styles — Minio, the courageous pixel hero, and Smalline, a female alternative inspired by a heartwarming story of a father modding the Atari 2600 version for his daughter. Both characters share identical gameplay mechanics. The four classic stages — Rivets, Elevators, Conveyors, and the final ascent — cycle through the authentic US set sequence, with difficulty scaling across levels.
Gameplay
Mechanics
- Four Classic Stages: Navigate riveted girders, ride elevators, traverse conveyor belts, and dismantle rivets at the summit
- Barrel Dodging: Leap over rolling barrels for points — proximity-based scoring rewards close calls
- Hammer Powerup: Grab the hammer to smash barrels and fiery enemies for bonus points
- Character Selection: Choose between Minio and Smalline at the start — both play identically
- Stage Progression: Follows the authentic US arcade set sequence with escalating difficulty
Scoring
Pro Tricks
- Wall jump escape is implemented for skilled players
- Jump proximity scoring rewards precision — the closer the barrel, the more points
- Some original arcade exploits have been intentionally removed for balance
Credits
- Developer: Heracleum (programming), Trog (graphics & sound effects)
- License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- Original Game: Donkey Kong by Nintendo
- Music: Trog's son