I always liked Donkey Kong Jr. better than Donkey Kong. I think it was that DK Jr. was in a more natural environment than DK which was in construction site and a factory. DK jr. was in a jungle full of vines and birds, at least the first two stages anyway. I liked maneuvering across those vines where you could hold onto one and move faster by holding two. Using fruit to bonk enemies was fun too.

     The story in DK jr. is different than DK. You are the son of DK and must rescue him from the clutches of Mario (not named Jump Man as in DK) who sets loose animals and, in stage three, electrical pulses to stop you. At the end, spoiler alert, you release DK and he kicks Mario off the screen.

   The opening music is Bach’s Fugue in D minor and the message says “Get the key from Mario to save your papa!”. DK Jr. is wearing what looks like a full body diaper suit. The first stage is vines and you collect fruit, using them to bonk enemies if you time it right, and avoid critters that look like small chain chomps or crabs called Snapjaws released by Mario. You get the key at the end but Mario just moves the caged DK off the screen accompanied by a tune.

     The second stage has two parts. The lower half has a spring platform at the beginning, some moving platforms, and a moving conveyor of two poles that change length as they move back and forth. The top half of the screen has chain vines and Mario releases birds called Nitpickers across them who also drop eggs. As in the first stage, you can drop fruit onto animals as you collect them if you time it right gaining extra points. You get the key and another tune accompanies Mario moving DK off the screen.

     Then there is a cut-scene of DK being carried away by a helicopter over some water with DK Jr. chasing him holding an umbrella enabling him to fly (now that’s impossible) to the tune of Camptown Races. The text says, “Keep Going to Mario’s Hideout. Be careful!”.

     Stage three is Mario’s hideout, I presume, and it’s accompanied by strange bubbly sounds. There are four smoothly surfaced platforms powered by a device controlled by Mario at the top of the screen who sends electrical pulses called Sparks along them that you have to avoid. Fruits dropped will negate them and give you points just like with animals in previous stages. Along the sides are metal vines. You get the key at the top of the screen and DK is moved again.

    The fourth and final stage is just a straight row of chain vines attached to a metal girder at the top where DK’s cage is secured by wires to pins. All but two of the vines have keys on them and you have to move them up to unlock the pins that hold DK. Mario sends Snapjaws and Nitpickers. With the two-hand climbing motion you can move two keys up at once. When you release DK, the girder disappears and DK and Mario drop to the ground, DK Jr. catching DK and Mario falling flat on his back. Mario then chases both of them off the screen but is then kicked back into the screen by DK’s huge foot. Mario then runs off the screen the other direction. Then the stages repeat.

   In part two: History and trivia of DK Junior.