Donkey Kong - NES

Donkey Kong was released in arcades in 1981 and was not only Nintendo's first real hit for the company, but also marked the introduction of two of the company's most popular mascots: Mario (originally "Jumpman") and Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong is a platform action game in which Mario must navigate through four different industrial levels (construction site, cement factory, an elevator level, and removing rivets from girders) to rescue Miss Pauline in distress from the big ape before time runs out. Once the rivets in the final level are removed, Donkey Kong falls and the two lovers are reunited. From then on, the levels start over with a higher difficulty. On his way, Mario must dodge a constant stream of barrels, "living" fireballs and spring weights. Although not as powerful as in other future games, Mario can find a hammer with which he can destroy the barrels and fireballs for a limited time. Additionally, Mario can also find Pauline's hat, handbag and umbrella for extra bonus points. Donkey Kong is also remarkable because it is one of the first complete narratives in video game form, told through simple cutscenes that advance the story. It should also be noted that in many ports of the original arcade game to consoles and early 1980s computer systems, Donkey Kong used only two or three of the original levels, with the cement factory being the most frequently omitted.