Donkey Kong, the classic arcade game that put Nintendo on the map. We’ve all played, or at least heard of it by now. But what you didn’t know was, it didn’t stop at the level 100M. Nintendo released another Donkey Kong for the Gameboy Color. Only this time…Things are different. Mario has a few new abilities up his sleeve. And Donkey Kong has a few new tricks hidden behind that tie as well…Will Mario stop monkeying around and rescue his (soon to be ex) girlfriend? Or will he just go bananas from those darn springs that Donkey Kong throws?

Graphics: 7/10
I was going to give this game a lower rating, but you have to remember, this is a 4 bit portable system. Nobody has really mastered graphics yet. But, playing this on the gameboy color is really satisfying. You get as nice background for each level, the opening screen and the file selection screens look great! And so does the pause screen, which is nice. Mario, Donkey Kong, Pauline, the baddies you’ll come across, all look just decent though. There’s nothing too special with them, so it evens out. All in all you have great backgrounds and level design, with just average characters.

Sound: 6/10
The sounds haven’t aged too well. But, they ARE catchy! There are a few different songs that play when you go through levels, and one for the boss levels. This game also has two death noises. One of them is just the standard one that plays when you die, like the in the arcade. But there is also a pretty funny death noise if you fall from too high, get squished, or basically from any environmental hazard.  Which either makes your death not seem so bad, and actually kind of funny.  Or you'll (Probably rightfully) think the game is just making fun of your failures.

Addictiveness: 9/10
Now this is probably the best thing about the game, you just can’t stop! In my opinion, this still holds it’s own today in terms of addictiveness. The levels are just fun to play, along with a nice hint of difficulty. All of that jumping and flipping around will have you thinking “Okay, just one more level…”

Story: 4/10
You start the game, and see the iconic first level, and opening. But then you start, everything is normal…OR IS IT?! Say you press down, and jump, by chance and…What’s this? Mario just went into a handstand? You jump, he just flipped up to the second platform! Wow! This is a breeze now! You can also toss the hammer up too! You finally get to the top, old DK has nowhere to run now! With your new abilities these levels have been a cakewalk on planet easy. You finally make Donkey Kong crash down; your beloved Pauline kisses that big ol’ nose of yours. The End…WHAAAA?! Donkey Kong is back up! He jumps up and takes Pauline AGAIN! *Dramatic music of your choice* And he flees into…The Big City! You and Mario will both simultaneously think "Mama Mia!...Wait what?!" And be whisked off on a grand adventure to multiple locations beyond.

Depth: 4/10
There isn't much depth here. Each level has three collectables in it, and getting them all is a puzzle of itself. But they are the same three over and over again. Nothing really is gained from collecting them either, just a bonus game to earn some extra lives. There is quite a few levels however.

Difficulty: 5/10
This isn’t the hardest game in the world. But, it is at least thoughtful. After every boss level, a new mechanic is added to the game (Locked doors, wires to swing from, levers, and more) or they just show you a trick that will come in handy later. Like doing a handstand to stop falling barrels…Somehow. The later stages can be pretty tricky, but it’s not too hard. Well, unless you are like me and first played the game when you were 4, and had no idea what you were doing. The levels were designed for completionists and casual gamers alike. In each level there are the same three collectables from the arcade game. But on this remake, you can either ignore them all, or do what I normally do; solve the puzzle of how to get all three of the things, and then waltz over to the exit. Some puzzles are harder than others, so be aware, and ready to think your way through each level.

All in all, the game is about as fun as a barrel of monkeys. You can go bananas with it in the RGR if you’d like; mainly because my Gameboy cartridge’s save-battery has tragically died. This is a great game! Anyone would like it, well, probably not Donkey Kong. But outside apes, most would agree it’s worth a try.

Overall: 8/10