Misc Donkey Kong Challenges

[marinomitch13]

Awesome, Jeff! Good way to avoid legal issues. Although, I believe it's actually some random company in Japan that owns the rights to the DK code (after the lawsuit back in the '80s over Nintendo using DK code for DKJr without permission), so I doubt they'd bother us at all. But still, better to be safe than sorry, I suppose.

[JCHarrist]

I think a group of us walking Allen through this process would make for a fun stream.

That would be a bigger challenge than anything in this thread. 


And welcome to the Forum Jeff!

[ChrisP]

Nobody except Nintendo and Ikegami is sure what exactly the terms of the settlement were. Some say Nintendo owns the code now, but I doubt that for various reasons, one of which being that they've never made the arcade version of DK (nor any of the other games that ITC developed, like Popeye) available on the Wii Virtual Console, or licensed it for one of those TV-plug-in games like Midway did for Pac Man. You'd think they'd have done so if they were legally free and clear, especially after KoK made the arcade version of DK somewhat commercially-viable again, at least for a little while.

Fun fact: the little icon that you use to change settings in the Braze DK kit menus is ITC's logo! The sprite was discovered hiding in the code of the original game.



Part of me feels as though we should just say "to hell with it" and make all the DK ROMs available here for whoever wants them, but there might be risks involved that aren't worth taking.

[marinomitch13]

http://1morecastle.com/2012/06/programmed-donkey-kong/

[JCHarrist]

4900 on 1-1 bottom girder only (survival) (1 man). Got some good fireball luck on this one. It's not usually anywhere near this easy. I bet Phil Tudose would crush at this.


Donkey Kong 1-1 4900 without leaving first girder

[marky_d]

http://1morecastle.com/2012/06/programmed-donkey-kong/

How old is that article? If "several readers" have informed the author that Donkey Kong arcade version is playable in DK64, they are mistaken because there are several obvious differences in the gameplay so it isn't the same code. Someone should let this historian know this.

A couple of similarities you will notice in the ITC alleged developed games are the look of the high score tables, and the use of L=x , P=x, or R=x for level indicators. Congo Bongo's "bonus timer" is almost identical to Donkey Kong's as well.

[marinomitch13]

Nice run Jeff! Added it to the list. Also gonna add a non-survival version of this as well (since someone might get like 7k but die before the timer runs out, and that would be a bummer).

[marinomitch13]

Oh, have you played the arcade version that exists in DK64? I did a long time ago (before I even started playing the arcade version), but not recent enough for me to remember how the gameplay is different...what is different about it?

[marky_d]

I have not played it, but...Classic Donkey Kong Arcade

[Dustin(tiptop)Myers]

The order of the boards is the same as the jap version.
I also think that you couldn't point press off of things in the DK64 version of the game.
I don't think jumping by Dk in the rivet board worked.
I could be wrong though, been a long time since I played it.

[craighiphopfish]

The DK64 version played a bit faster I believe.  I kinda like how you can't get the old nintendo games on the wii.  It keeps those old nintendo arcade games special. 

[marinomitch13]

Cool video. At least it's still way closer to the original DK than the NES version. What is the WR on that 'DK in DK' track?

[Xermon54]

No ladder, only point press on the very first platform of 1-1, haha, that's a good one. I think I could get 8k!... with some luck.

[LMDAVE]

I'm sure it would be very tempting to abandon a good no ladder run and turn it into a good total 1-1 if you had a good start going.

[marinomitch13]

You're right Dave, it's pretty tempting and sometimes a tough decision to make, but it's kinda cool that a lot of the challenges kind of connect with each other in such a way that if you fail at getting the best score at one of them they can be abandoned for another. For example: bottom girder challenge->1-1 highscore -> 4 man challenge or normal game (or any of the 'highscore by level 'x' challenges').