Donkey Kong... is a game of guesses (a long and unnecessary Rant of DK arcade)
the Original arcade game that supposedly saved Gaming as we know it... is not a platformer, it is disguising as one, when really, it is a game of Guesses, one wrong guess and it is over to the beginning, 3/4 wrong guesses and no More progress to the next level and a coin wasted,
as iconic as the first level is, it get harder and harder to predict WHEN that barrels be rolling, so many ladders for them to descent, barely any ladder close enough to ascent, doesn't help that there's a few broken ones that can't be used to ascent but pretty much a trap them barrels can descent and KILL the progress as a result when timed incorrectly, and that's just the first level, and somehow it get re-used in even harder loop instead of a new unique one,
speaking of unique, the last level come early, but it is not a good sign, as each side has a small platformer that must be detach in order to complete the loop, one problem tho: THE FIRE, them moving fire is moving unpredictably toward the player, and no matter what, they moving faster and faster as the timing running out, what they make-up for sheer numbers, they lack one thing: jumping, even if the platform is detached, the player can jump it off and get away from danger, but the fire can be everywhere, so it's a matter when to jump off the platform before they Roast the pants off of the player and punish them for even trying, it is even worse when the last level for each loop is always has the fire enemies getting faster and faster and spawn almost instantly, to the point of questioning if it even possible to beat it without getting ROASTED,
third level, like the last level, come early in second loop, and it is a the worse one, as the elevators are moving fast and getting to the literal platform below is a guarantee DEATH, and in between the elevators is a 2 platforms that is guarded by a fire enemy that either move up or down or vice versa, as first elevator move up, it can get to upper platform if the fire enemy isn't in it, and so second elevator move down, and it is hardest shortcut to master, as the player has to time it right to get to the platformer without delaying, otherwise a live wasted, alternatively the player may wait till they to the lower platformer, that led to the Staircase platforms, beside the new fire enemy that reside in 3 platforms, 1 of them needed to be pass in order to get up, there's the springs, Oh god, the springs, it begins to jump and fall in the beginning and never stop coming, as it in a fixed position, should be good, right?, except no, it isn't, as it move Fast, so the player must jump 2 platforms that the springs is falling by, and even when the springs and fire avoided in the stairway platforms, the springs is ALWAYS on the last platform, and jumping before falling, as it's fast, trying to get to the ladder early is nearly impossible without being hit by the springs, so it is always the best option to wait it out Till it's third jump to make a mad dash toward the ladder and climb it up to end the level, it is My LEAST FAVORITE LEVEL OF THE ORIGINAL ARCADE, and i hate to spend a Minute in it each Time i finished a loop,
but the worse offend, is the second level, it come early in loop 3, the platform are moving left and right, pies somehow is deadly, fire enemies moving fast and around, with fire spawner in the middle of it all, with last ladder being moved up and down... yet it is my favorite level, it is hard, don't get me wrong, but it is the only fun part of the original arcade, 4 ladder on the bottom and one of them is near, 4 more ladder on the middle and 3 disconnected platforms, making avoiding fire enemies easy, and 2 ladder that move up and down, but it isn't as punishing as it looks, Unless a fire enemy was near, yes the second and fourth platforms are Conveyor Belt that move left and right depend on each side they go through, but Boy is it nothing but a inconvenience compare to the Rest of the levels, it does get hard, but it isn't unmanageable,
despite all this, it baffle me that the console version is WAY easier than it's original counterpart, what worse, the Conveyor Belts level is removed, WHY?, what's wrong with it?, why do i have to be STUCK with 3 levels that i HATED and Don't Want to replay it again??,
...all this, and i hadn't finished the retroachievements of DK arcade yet....