Donkey Kong

Guides
Rarity Guide
Rating Guide

Intellivision Games
Game Info & Reviews

Software
Mattel Electronics
  Action
  Arcade
  ECS
  Gaming
  Intellivoice
  Learning
  Space
  Sports
  Strategy
  1983
  PlayCable
INTV Corporation
Blue Sky Rangers, Inc.
Imagic
Activision
Coleco
Parker Brothers
Atarisoft
Dextell, Ltd.
Interphase
Sega
Test
Demo
Independent
  2600 Connection
  5-11under
  Blah Blah Woof Woof
  CollectorVision
  Côté Gamers
  Dr. Ports
  Elektronite
  Freewheeling Games
  Good Deal Games
  Intelligentvision
  Intellivision Collector
  Intellivision Revolution
  Inty‑Home
  Kai‑Magazine
  Left Turn Only
  Zbiciak Electronics
Intellivision, Inc.
Sears
Digiplay
CBS Electronics

Hardware
Mattel Electronics
INTV Corporation
Sears
Tandy
GTE Sylvania
Independent

Overlays
Text Table
Mattel Electronics
INTV Corporation
Imagic
Activision
Coleco
Dextell, Ltd.
Interphase
Intellivision, Inc.

Trade Lists
Want List

Other Stuff
Technical & Repair Info
Odds & Ends
Old Gaming Magazines
Site Updates
Contact INTV Funhouse

Follow this link for info about the review system. 1 = Terrible, 5 = Awesome!

The horror.

Donkey KongGraphics: 2
Sound: 1
Replay Value: 1
Notes: 1- or 2-player game. I'm feeling generous on this rating. Does not work on Intellivision II.
Screen Shots

What can you say about Donkey Kong? A travesty. Only has two screens - Girders and Rivets. The Elevator and Conveyor Belt levels are missing. Best Score: 42100 [Start: Skill Level 1]




ROM It's been reported that a ROM variant exists.
Box So far, ten variations have been found.
Manual Thirteen variants have been identified.
Overlays Custom overlays have been designed and distributed by Psycho Stormtrooper.
Label Some cartridges are made with a beige plastic rather than the more common black dase. To date, eight labels have been recorded.
Easter Eggs No Easter Eggs have been found.




A total of ten Donkey Kong box variants have been documented.

Image Vendor Part Number Year Origin Description
Donkey Kong Box (Coleco 2471) Coleco 2471 1982 U.S.A. Has 'PLAYS LIKE THE REAL ARCADE GAME' text; standard 'Intellivision' banner; small top flaps have proof of purchase w/ part number on one and date of manufacture on the other
Donkey Kong Box (Coleco 2471) Coleco 2471 1982 U.S.A. Has artwork next to picture of arcade machine; standard 'Intellivision®' banner; small top flaps have proof of purchase w/ part number on one and date of manufacture on the other; has barcode on back; 'NOT FOR USE WITH INTELLIVISION® II' sticker on front
Donkey Kong Box (Coleco 2471) Coleco 2471 1982 Canada French-Canadian; has bilingual 'SPECIAL HOME VERSION OF NINTENDO ARCADE GAME' text; standard 'Intellivision' banner; part number on spine
Donkey Kong Box (Coleco R56413) Coleco R56413 1982 U.S.A. French-Canadian; has bilingual 'PLAYS LIKE THE REAL ARCADE GAME' text; standard 'Intellivision' banner; small top flap has date of manufacture; part number was hidden on internal flap on bottom (found because it's a mashed-up box); unclear if two versions exist, or if one just has sticker covering text on front of box
Donkey Kong Box (Coleco 2471) Coleco 2471 1982 Canada French-Canadian; has bilingual 'NOT FOR USE WITH INTELLIVISION II' sticker covering bilingual PLAYS LIKE THE REAL ARCADE GAME' text; standard 'Intellivision' banner; has part number on spine
Image not available. CBS Electronics ???? None ???? International edition; need image; blue box with five languages, shows Mario climbing a ladder, Kong and some flaming barrels
Image not available. CBS Electronics N/A None   English (U.K.) version; large art, small arcade cabinet
Donkey Kong Box (CBS Electronics 7625-7A) CBS Electronics 7625-7A 1983 Holland English (U.K.) edition; has a very intense Mario threatening a very scary-looking Donkey Kong; back cover has several screen shots; haven't cracked shrinkwrap to find other part numbers within
Donkey Kong Box (CBS Electronics 7625-7 D) CBS Electronics 7625-7 D 1983 Holland German version
Image not available. CBS Electronics N/A None   French version; large art, small arcade cabinet




Reportedly, a ROM variant was released (Europe only?) that fixed the 'Intellivision II' bug. Hankster reports that this is true. This version may also come in beige case, rather than the black one. My copies with the beige case do not work with the Intellivision II.





A total of thirteen Donkey Kong manual variants have been documented.

Image Vendor Part Number Year Origin Description
Donkey Kong Manual (Coleco 78269A) Coleco 78269A 1982 U.S.A. Wonder if they removed the Plays, sounds and scores like the DONKEY KONGTM arcade game! text because, well....
Donkey Kong Manual (Coleco 78269B) Coleco 78269B 1982 U.S.A. Note IntelliVision (upper-case 'V')
Donkey Kong Manual (Coleco 78269C) Coleco 78269C 1982 U.S.A. Note IntelliVision (upper-case 'V')
Donkey Kong Manual (Coleco 78269D) Coleco 78269D 1982 U.S.A. Note IntelliVision (upper-case 'V')
Donkey Kong Manual (Coleco 78269E) Coleco 78269E 1982 U.S.A. Note IntelliVision (upper-case 'V')
Donkey Kong Manual (Coleco 56643) Coleco 56643 1982 Canada French-Canadian release with English and French as a single back-to-back manual, flip over to view other language; note IntelliVision (upper-case 'V')
Donkey Kong Manual (Coleco 56643A) Coleco 56643A 1982 Canada French-Canadian release with French and English as a single back-to-back manual, flip over to view other language; note IntelliVision (upper-case 'V'); Gordon's trashed this one and someone seemingly stuck the French-Canadian cartridge sticker to the French side of the manual, thought better of it and not-so-carefully removed it
Image not available. Coleco 56643B 1982 Canada NOT CONFIRMED; French-Canadian release with French and English as a single back-to-back manual, flip over to view other language; note IntelliVision (upper-case 'V'); presumed since version 'C' is confirmed
Donkey Kong Manual (Coleco 56643C) Coleco 56643C 1982 Canada French-Canadian release with English and French as a single back-to-back manual, flip over to view other language; note IntelliVision (upper-case 'V'); some internal revisions to instructions (layout) etc. were made
Image not available. CBS Electronics ???? None ???? International Edition; blue artwork; languages: English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish; need remaining information
Image not available. CBS Electronics N/A None   International edition; includes English, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Spanish instructions; grayscale art from multilingual box with title and other highlights in blue; need part number, origin, et. al.
Image not available. CBS Electronics ?????? 1983   NEED CONFIRMATION: haven't opened a U.K. version of the game to get info
Image not available. CBS Electronics 2L xxxx 1983   UNCONFIRMED: my German copy of Donkey Kong is still shrinkwrapped; German; no origin printed on manual

Somewhere between revs. C and E, the instructions for inserting the cartridge became more explicit. Were users really that dense?

Original Manual - Page 3

Original instructions for cartridge insertion (page 3)

Revised Manual - Page 3

Revised instructions for cartridge insertion (page 3)

The documentation regarding scoring was modified to describe a bug that exists in the game. I changed at least twice, too!

Manual (rev. B) - Page 7

Rev. B Scoring (page 7)

Manual (rev. C) - Page 7

Rev. C Scoring (page 7)

Manual (rev. E)- Page 7

Rev. E Scoring (page 7)





A total of two Donkey Kong overlay variants have been documented.

Image Vendor Part Number Year Origin Description
Donkey Kong Overlay (Coleco) Coleco N/A None   Custom overlay designed by Psycho Stormtrooper
Donkey Kong Overlay (Reaper 7625-7A) Reaper 7625-7A None   Part of the CBS Overlay Pack (2017)




A total of eight Donkey Kong label variants have been documented.

Image Vendor Part Number Year Origin Description
Donkey Kong Label (Coleco) Coleco N/A 1982 U.S.A. Standard black label; game logo upside down on edge; word wraps: Nintendo, America, Coleco, of, a, Printed, 1982, York
Donkey Kong Label (Coleco) Coleco N/A 1982 U.S.A. Glossy black label; found on tan cartridge; game logo right side up on edge; word wraps: Nin-, of, —, a, video, Roebuck, 1982, New
Donkey Kong Label (Coleco) Coleco N/A 1982 U.S.A. Standard black label; game logo right side up on edge; word wraps: Nin-, of, Exclusive, Intellivi-, su-, Sears, 1982, York; Note: this label has also been found on tan cartridges
Donkey Kong Label (Coleco) Coleco N/A 1982 U.S.A. Standard black label; game logo right side up on edge; word wraps: Nin-, of, Exclusive, Intellivi-, su-, Sears, 1982, York; Note: this label has also been found on black cartridges
Donkey Kong Label (Coleco) Coleco N/A 1982 Canada Standard black label; English label for French-Canadian market; game logo upside down on edge; word wraps: Nintendo, America, Coleco, of, Coleco, Montréal
Image not available. Coleco N/A 1982 Canada NEED CONFIRMATION; Standard black label; French label for French-Canadian market
Image not available. CBS Electronics ???? 1983 England NEED CONFIRMATION: haven't opened a U.K. boxed version of the game to see what its label looks like; English text on label
Image not available. CBS Electronics 4Lxxxx 1983   UNCONFIRMED: my German copy of Donkey Kong is still shrinkwrapped; German label

Besides the minor changes in word-breaks on the label, there were black and tan versions of the cartridge case. The black version seems to be the more common one. I've arbitrarily put names to the case variations - I have no idea which versions were released first, or if any are more common than any other. I am confident in saying that the older copies had a sticker on the back, rather than raised text, indicating that you should insert the cartridge with the other side 'up'.

INSERT OTHER SIDE UP on a sticker on back

Revision "A": Back side of the cartridge had a sticker on it indicating 'INSERT OTHER SIDE UP'.

INSERT OTHER SIDE molded as part of cartridge

Revision "B": Cartridge now has 'INSERT OTHER SIDE UP' text as part of the actual molded plastic, rather than as a sticker.

Back of tan cartridges

Revision "C": Beige cartridge plastic with the same raised lettering as rev. B.





Title Screen Title screen for Donkey Kong.
Game Selection The standard Coleco game startup sequence, complete with error buzz when you first see the screen!
Girders Though this game is pretty much universally reviled and ridiculed in the Intellivision community, graphically, just a few small touches would have done so much: fire in the oil can, more detail on Donkey Kong himself, and of course, more detail for Pauline.
Rivets *Sigh*




If you find new, contradictory, or other information you wish to share, please send a message!