Donkey Kong Classics (NES) - Donkey Kong & Donkey Kong Jr. 2-in-1, Tested

Two arcade classics, one cart

Donkey Kong Classics puts the NES versions of Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. on a single 1988 cart, with a menu to pick the game and one or two players. It was never released in Japan, and it is the easy way to have both on one shelf slot: Nintendo’s 1981 arcade hit, where Mario (then “Jumpman”) made his debut, and its sequel, where Donkey Kong Jr. sets out to rescue his dad.

The games are the same as the standalone NES carts, so if you have those, this is a collecting piece rather than new content.

What to expect from the ports

These are the original NES ports, so the arcade’s cement factory stage and most of the intermissions are not in Donkey Kong; early cartridges did not have room for them. Three stages of barrels and fireballs is still plenty. Players take turns, and there is no battery to worry about.

Pick a grade

Every copy is opened, cleaned and tested by playing, in the grade you pick on my condition scale.

More Nintendo carts of the era: the standalone Super Mario Bros. and the Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt combo.