Donkey Kong is a platformer franchise created by Nintendo. With the lone exception of the Game & Watch line of games, Donkey Kong is Nintendo's first video game franchise, with its first entry being the arcade game Donkey Kong, which was released in 1981. The player character is Nintendo's current mascot Mario, who battles it out with the titular angry gorilla named Donkey Kong. After a six year hiatus since the Nintendo Entertainment System ports of the arcade trilogy, Nintendo relaunched the series with Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Since then, the series now revolves around Donkey Kong and his friends collecting bananas and battling invaders to protect their home, Donkey Kong Island.
Excluding the Game & Watch titles and licensed ports of the arcade games, the Donkey Kong series sold over 65 million units worldwide as of March 2021.[1] Otherwise, including the Game & Watch titles and licensed ports, the Donkey Kong franchise has sold over 90 million units worldwide and grossed more than $5 billion in revenue as of 2023.
Games[]
Classic series[]
Title | Platform(s) | Year | Sales (est.) |
Ref | Revenue (est. US$) |
Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Donkey Kong | 19,481,322 | $4,400,000,000 | [2] | |||
Donkey Kong | Arcade | 1981 | 170,000 | [n 1] | $1,700,000,000 | [5] |
1982 | $1,200,000,000 | [6] | ||||
1983 | $243,000,000 | [7] | ||||
Game & Watch | 1982 | 1,250,000 | [8] | $30,000,000 | [9] | |
1983 | 6,750,000 | [10] | $170,000,000 | |||
ColecoVision | 1982 | 1,000,000 | [11] | $35,000,000 | [12] | |
1983 | 1,000,000 | [13] | $35,000,000 | |||
Atari 2600 | 1982 | 4,000,000 | [14] | $130,000,000 | ||
1983 | 583,000 | [7] | $15,000,000 | [7] | ||
Atari 2600 Jr. | 1986 | 180,523 | [15] | $6,000,000 | [12] | |
Intellivision | 1983 | Unknown | ||||
Famicom | 1983 | 880,000 | [16] | $18,000,000 | [17] | |
NES | 1985 | 250,000 | [18] | $13,000,000 | [19] | |
Famicom Disk | 1988 | 20,497 | [16] | |||
Consoles | 1984 | 270,000 | [20] | $7,000,000 | [20] | |
Atari 8-bit | 1983 | 600,000 | [7] | $30,000,000 | [7] | |
Computers | 1984 | 16,000 | [20] | $500,000 | [20] | |
Atari XE | 1986 | 25,502 | [15] | |||
Kong / Crazy Kong / Select 1 | Computers | 1984 | 200,000 | [20] | $2,000,000 | [20] |
Donkey Kong Classics | NES | 1988 | 1,560,000 | [18] | $78,000,000 | [19] |
Classic NES Series: Donkey Kong | GBA | 2004 | 643,000* | [21][22][23] | ||
Donkey Kong | 3DS (VC) | 2011 | 82,800 | [23] | $348,000 | |
Donkey Kong Jr. | 4,750,000 | $578,000,000 | ||||
Donkey Kong Jr. | Arcade | 1982 | 30,000 | [n 2] | $270,000,000 | [6] |
1983 | $120,000,000 | [7] | ||||
Game & Watch | 1982 | 1,200,000 | [25] | $45,000,000 | [25] | |
1983 | 500,000 | [25] | $27,000,000 | [25] | ||
Donkey Kong II | Game & Watch | 1983 | 1,250,000 | [25] | $59,000,000 | |
Donkey Kong Junior | Atari 2600 | 1983 | 970,000* | [26][27] | $31,000,000 | [28] |
ColecoVision | 1983 | 800,000 | [7] | $26,000,000 | ||
Intellivision | 1983 | Unknown | ||||
Donkey Kong Jr. | NES | 1983 | Unknown | |||
Donkey Kong Junior | Coleco Adam | 1984 | Unknown | |||
Donkey Kong 3 | 255,000 | $49,000,000 | ||||
Donkey Kong 3 | Arcade | 1983 | 5,000 | [n 3] | $24,000,000 | [7] |
1984 | $13,000,000 | [29] | ||||
NES | 1984 | Unknown | ||||
Game & Watch | 1984 | 250,000 | [25] | $12,000,000 | [25] | |
Other classic games | 4,820,000 | $203,000,000 | ||||
Donkey Kong Circus | Game & Watch | 1984 | 250,000 | [25] | $12,000,000 | [25] |
Donkey Kong Hockey | Game & Watch | 1984 | 250,000 | [25] | $12,000,000 | |
Donkey Kong (Game Boy) | GB | 1994 | 3,070,000 | [18] | $120,000,000 | [30] |
Total sales | 29,306,322 | $5,230,000,000 |
Donkey Kong Country series[]
Title | Year | Platform(s) | Sales (millions) |
Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Donkey Kong Country | 13.31 | |||
Donkey Kong Country | 1994 | SNES | 9.30 | [18] |
2000 | GBC | 2.19 | [18] | |
2003 | GBA | 1.82 | [18] | |
Donkey Kong Country 2 | 6.14 | |||
Donkey Kong Country 2 | 1995 | SNES | 5.15 | [18] |
2004 | GBA | 0.99* | [21][22][31] | |
Donkey Kong Country 3 | 4.183 | |||
Donkey Kong Country 3 | 1996 | SNES | 3.51 | [18] |
2005 | GBA | 0.673* | [21][22][32] | |
Donkey Kong 64 | 5.27 | |||
Donkey Kong 64 | 1999 | N64 | 5.27 | [18] |
Donkey Kong Land series | 7.29 | |||
Donkey Kong Land | 1995 | GB | 3.91 | [18] |
Donkey Kong Land 2 | 1996 | GB | 2.35 | [18] |
Donkey Kong Land 3 | 1997 | GB / GBC | 1.03 | [18] |
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat | 1.427 | |||
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat | 2004 | GCN | 0.942* | [21][22][33] |
New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat | 2008 | Wii | 0.485* | [21][22][34] |
Donkey Kong Country Returns | 9.47 | |||
Donkey Kong Country Returns | 2010 | Wii | 6.53 | [18] |
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D | 2013 | 3DS | 2.94 | [18] |
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze | 6.14 | |||
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze | 2014 | Wii U | 2.02 | [18] |
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze | 2018 | Switch | 4.62 | [18] |
Total sales | 53.23 |
Spin-offs[]
Title | Year | Platform | Sales (millions) |
Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Donkey Kong Jr. Math | 1983 | NES | Unknown | |
Diddy Kong Racing | 1997 | N64 | 4.88 | [18] |
Donkey Konga | 2003 | GCN | 1.18 | [18] |
Donkey Konga 2 | 2004 | GCN | 0.523* | [21][35] |
DK: King of Swing | 2005 | GBA | 0.278* | [21][36] |
Donkey Konga 3: Tabehōdai! Haru Mogitate 50 Kyoku | 2005 | GCN | 0.080 | [21] |
Diddy Kong Racing DS | 2007 | DS | 1.59 | [18] |
DK: Jungle Climber | 2007 | DS | 0.468* | [21][22][37] |
Donkey Kong Barrel Blast | 2007 | Wii | 0.562* | [21][22][38] |
Total sales | 9.56 |
Notes[]
- * Includes VGChartz numbers
- Classic NES Series: Donkey Kong | 0.161 (JPN) [Famitsu] + 0.322 (NA) [NPD] + 0.16 (EU/Other) [VGChartz]
- Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA version) | 0.103 (JPN) [Famitsu] + 0.639 (NA) [NPD] + ≤0.25 (EU/Other) [VGChartz]
- Donkey Kong Country 3 (GBA version) | 0.100 (JPN) [Famitsu] + 0.393 (NA) [NPD] + 0.18 (EU/Other) [VGChartz]
- Donkey Konga 2 | 0.133 (JPN) [Famitsu] + 0.39 (NA/EU/Other) [VGChartz]
- DK: King of Swing | 0.048 (JPN) [Famitsu] + 0.23 (NA/EU/Other) [VGChartz]
- Donkey Kong Jungle Beat | 0.220 (JPN) [Famitsu] + 0.462 (NA) [NPD] + 0.26 (EU/Other) [VGChartz]
- DK: Jungle Climber | 0.204 (JPN) [Famitsu] + 0.204 (NA) [NPD] + 0.06 (EU/Other) [VGChartz]
- Donkey Kong Barrel Blast | 0.079 (JPN) [Famitsu] + 0.163 (NA) [NPD] + 0.32 (EU/Other) [VGChartz]
- New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat | 0.114 (JPN) [Famitsu] + 0.151 (NA) [NPD] + 0.22 (EU/Other) [VGChartz]
- These games based on Donkey Kong were converted into Game & Watch systems: Donkey Kong (1982), Donkey Kong Jr. (1982), Donkey Kong II (1983), Donkey Kong 3 (1984), Donkey Kong Circus (1984), and Donkey Kong Hockey (1984).
- A special version of the NES version of Donkey Kong was released for the Wii Virtual Console in 2010.
- Donkey Kong Classics, which was a combo pack of Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr., was not released in Japan.
- A slot machine version of Donkey Kong was released in 1996 only in Europe.
- Hudson Soft developed and released Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushū in 1984 for the PC-6001mkII/PC-6601, PC-8801, and X1 computers.
- A competition variant of Donkey Kong Country was released by Nintendo Power in 1994. Only 2,500 copies were printed.
- Two Arcade semi-sequels to Donkey Kong Jungle Beat were released in 2005 and 2006, Donkey Kong: Jungle Fever and Donkey Kong: Banana Kingdom.
- Donkey Konga 3: Tabehōdai! Haru Mogitate 50 Kyoku was only released in Japan.
Footnotes[]
References[]
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2021/210928.html
- ↑ "The 11 top-grossing video games of all time". Business Insider. August 15, 2015. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017.
- ↑ Brian Ashcraft ; with Jean Snow. ; forewords by Kevin Williams; Crecente, Brian (2008). Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan's Game Centers (1st ed. ed.). Tokyo: Kodansha International. ISBN 4-7700-3078-9. http://books.google.co.uk/books?ei=DH03T87uGYbp8QO-rtHMAg&id=wX8kAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 12 February 2012. "Jumpman hopped over barrels, climbed ladders, and jumped from suspended platform to suspended platform as he tried to rescue a damsel from his pissed-off pet gorilla. The game was a smash, and sixty-five thousand cabinets were sold in Japan, propping up the then-struggling Nintendo and laying the groundwork for Nintendo and Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto to dominate gaming throughout the 1980s and beyond."
- ↑ Horowitz, Ken (2020-07-30). Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games. McFarland. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-4766-4176-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=UXD0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA55. "Nintendo's Seattle factory churned out an incredible 300 machines a day, and the production line put out 85,000 units in only eight months."
- ↑ 1981
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 1982
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 1983
- ↑ http://www.gameandwatch.at/katalog/20/donkey-kong.html
- ↑ https://kopenguin.com/post-2210/
- ↑ Epstein, David (27 June 2019). "Chapter 9: Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology". Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. Pan Macmillan. p. 196. ISBN 978-1-5098-4351-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=oEGCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT196. "The Donkey Kong Game & Watch was released in 1982 and alone sold eight million units."
- ↑ Carlisle, Rodney P. (2 April 2009). Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society. SAGE Publishing. p. 143. ISBN 978-1-4129-6670-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=jLqXM3U_pzEC&pg=PA143.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20210816161212/ninmemori.es/from-1982-to-1984-its-all-about-game-watch-newspaper-ads/
- ↑ McFerran, Damien (18 September 2010). "Feature: How ColecoVision Became the King of Kong". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ↑ Kitchen, Garry E. (March 5, 2010). Expert Report of Garry E. Kitchen. United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. https://www.muddlawoffices.com/cases/allisonvwise/ohio/msj/064-12%20Exhibit%20M.pdf#page=27.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 https://web.archive.org/web/20101206090952/www.atarimuseum.com/whatsnew/2009-MAY-28.html
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/
- ↑ 1.13 million units at ¥4860 ($44)
- ↑ 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 18.12 18.13 18.14 18.15 18.16 18.17 18.18 Nintendo software and hardware sales data from 1983 to present, Updated as of June 2023
- CESA Games White Papers. Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. 2023. https://www.cesa.or.jp/survey/book/hakusho/detail001_2023.html.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/10/15/the-real-cost-of-gaming-inflation-time-and-purchasing-power
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 20.5 1984
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 21.7 21.8 21.9 https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 https://www.npd.com/industry-expertise/video-games/ As of December 2008 for Game Boy Advance titles, as of February 2007 for Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, as of July 2011 for DK: Jungle Climber, Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, and New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 https://www.vgchartz.com/game/26544/classic-nes-series-donkey-kong/sales
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Steven L. Kent (2001), The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story behind the Craze that Touched Our Lives and Changed the World, Prima, p. 352, http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=C2MH05ogU9oC, retrieved 2011-04-09, "With more than 60,000 units sold in the United States, Donkey Kong was Nintendo's biggest arcade hit. ... Nintendo released Donkey Kong Junior in 1982 and sold only 30,000 machines, 20,000 Popeye machines (also 1982), and a mere 5000 copies of Donkey 3 (1983)."
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 25.7 25.8 25.9 Game & Watch
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/19874/donkey-kong-junior/sales
- ↑ https://people.rit.edu/mth3411/140/project3/dk.html
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=UYAxAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA236&article_id=4436,3004138#v=onepage&q&f=false
- ↑ 1984
- ↑ 3.07 million units at ¥4212 ($38)
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/6228/donkey-kong-country-2/sales
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/3110/donkey-kong-country-3/sales
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/553/donkey-kong-jungle-beat/sales
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/27350/new-play-control-donkey-kong-jungle-beat/sales
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/555/donkey-konga-2/sales
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/25337/dk-king-of-swing/sales
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/7157/donkey-kong-jungle-climber/sales
- ↑ https://www.vgchartz.com/game/6975/donkey-kong-barrel-blast/sales
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