6 Reasons Why Donkey Kong is the Real Hero of Super Mario
In the following article, we take a look at an interesting debate within the gaming community. Super Mario is one of the most recognisable and well-loved characters in video game history, yet a powerful case can be made that he is, and always has been, the villain of the series. This article takes a look at one of the main reasons for that conclusion, and argues in favour of Donkey Kong as the true hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. Have a read, and see if you agree.
Find some comprehension questions at the end of the piece.
Six Reasons Why Donkey Kong is the Real Hero of the Super Mario world
Mario is one of gaming’s most recognisable heroes. He’s the face of Nintendo and you can barely blink without a new game starring him and his friends being released.
It turns out though, it was all based on lies. Mario owes it all to Donkey Kong. Here is why:
Mario’s First Appearance
The first time we ever saw Mario was in 1981, when he was referred to only as Jumpman. In the game, players would guide Mario/Jumpman as he dodged barrels lobbed by a crazed gorilla named Donkey Kong who had kidnapped his girlfriend (and who the game was named after).
At first glance, it looks as though our hero Mario/Jumpman is doing the noble thing of saving damsels in distress that he becomes well known for in his own later games.
However, the often overlooked back-story described in manuals, is that Donkey Kong was Mario’s pet. No one knows exactly what went on, but DK escaped captivity after being abused by the plumber and grabbed Pauline (the girlfriend) on his way out.
It turns out that playing and beating this game is to take on the role of an animal abuser, whose goal is to recapture the beast he had made suffer.
Mario’s Second Appearance
The second game to feature Mario was the sequel in 1982 ‘Donkey Kong Jr’. This time though, rather than secretly being a bad guy, he was clearly the game’s villain.
This time you played the role of Donkey Kong Jr. Mario had locked Donkey Kong up again and it was up to the ape’s son to save him.
The game is in some ways a reversal of the first, now with the ape dodging the obstacles that the man puts in his way. But we clearly have the image of Mario as the trouble maker in all this.
The Prequel
In 1984, a Game & Watch instalment brought another insight into the past relationship of Donkey Kong and Mario with ‘Donkey Kong Circus’.
It turns out that the plumber had captured the ape in order to train him as a juggling act.
In the game, Mario forced the poor gorilla to balance on a barrel, while juggling pineapples and avoiding flaming torches. Between burns and pricked fingers, it’s no wonder DK wanted to escape and use the barrels for ironic revenge.
The Remake
In 1994, the original game was remade and expanded upon. At the end it showed Mario defeat DK and take him back to the Mushroom Kingdom, to the very place that he begins his own adventure in his own 1983 adventure.
Not only was ‘Mario Bros’ a spin off of the games made famous by Donkey Kong, but it begins exactly where they end.
Mario Piggy-backs a Monkey Yet Again
Yeah… a gorilla is an ape, not a monkey, but ‘monkey’ is a funnier word.
After Mario became famous in his own right for what could well be some of the most well known and loved games of all time – despite them being spin-offs that he would have never had if Donkey Kong had not provided him the opportunity – he later became the star of another extremely popular franchise.
Mario Kart is the go-to karting game series for console players. Usually, if someone thinks fun, party, go-kart video game, they think Mario Kart. (I personally vouch for the infinitely superior Crash Team Racing, but we’re talking popular vote here).
The original 1992 ‘Super Mario Kart’ came about a little by accident. Nintendo were originally designing a non-franchise linked kart racing game that starred a random guy who used oilcans and bananas as weapons to slow down his rivals.
Once bananas we’re mentioned, it simply made sense that Donkey Kong be the star.
Once it was established that Donkey Kong was the game’s hero, Nintendo invited Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom gang along too. Mario then usurped the title from it’s deserved and rightful owner.
Even worse, DK didn’t even appear in the finished game as a racer. Donkey Kong Jr was let in, but not his elder.
Cranky Kong
Perhaps Donkey Kong’s missing place in ‘Super Mario Kart’ was due to age.
In 1994′s ‘Donkey Kong Country’, it was revealed that the original Donkey Kong is not the same one that we recognise today.
The Donkey Kong that Mario forced to perform, kept in a cage, and beat up numerous times, later aged and passed on his name to his son. Now referred to as Cranky Kong, his grandson, Donkey Kong III is the one we see in the latest kart and sports titles.
Young Donkey Kong has always been a hero, though sometimes the relationship he has with Mario is strained, it is understandable when you consider how the plumber treated his grandfather!
Comprehension Questions
What was Mario originally known as?
What is the name of Mario’s original girlfriend?
What year was ‘Donkey Kong Jr’ released?
What platform was ‘Donkey Kong Circus’ released on?
Have you heard of, or can you think of any other reasons why Mario may not be the hero of his game series?
