Donkey KongFor this month's "Maps of the Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to Captain Drake's Donkey Kong (Game Boy) maps.
A new year means a new beginning. A chance to reflect on the past and to plan for the future.
In 1994, Nintendo looked back to the game that made them so successful back in 1981. Shigeru Miyamoto's arcade masterpiece, the original Donkey Kong, was remade - thirteen years after its initial arcade appearance - and was released along with the launch of the Super Game Boy. The Super Game Boy could play any Game Boy game through the Super NES, but this version of Donkey Kong used predetermined and enhanced colour palettes along with its own arcade cabinet-style borders to provide a fuller console experience, though none of the gameplay was lost if played on a Game Boy.
The gameplay started out the same as the arcade version, with the four original stages where Mario climbed a construction site to save Pauline from the clutches of the mischievous ape, Donkey Kong. But after the fourth stage, Donkey Kong is not yet defeated, and Mario must chase him through another 97 stages in another nine worlds. This is so much more than a remake! The stages had new obstacles and puzzle elements, but Mario's repertoire of new moves can lead him to a happy ending.
Another thing that can lead you to a happy ending are the maps that Captain Drake has assembled. He has mapped all 101 stages, which should come in handy when solving your way to Pauline.
Thirteen years after the more-than-a-remake of a then-thirteen-year-old game, VGMaps.com acknowledges this Super Game Boy masterpiece.
So to recognize the effort put into making these classic maps, Captain Drake's Donkey Kong maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps of the Month for January 2007.
