Donkey Kong, Jr. Math
Encyclopedia
Donkey Kong Jr. Math, known in Japan
as , is a Nintendo
edutainment
video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
, wherein players must solve math problems in order to win. It was released in 1983 for the Family Computer
in Japan and then for the Nintendo Entertainment System
two years later in North America and PAL regions. It is the only game in the "Education Series" of NES games in North America. Donkey Kong, Jr. Math was made available in the video game Animal Crossing
, along with several other NES titles. It has also been released on the Wii
Virtual Console
in Europe, Australia, Japan, and North America.
Since its release, Donkey Kong Jr. Math has received very negative reception; Nintendo spokesman Tom Sarris commented that it was not well-received, resulting in Nintendo ceasing development of educational games for the time. It was noted as one of the worst launch video games ever made by publications such as Electronic Gaming Monthly
and 1UP.com
. It has also received criticism from several publications including IGN
, who called it one of the worst Virtual Console games. The game was the worst-selling game in the NES' launch library in the US.
for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 1983. It was released as a launch title for the NES in North America on October 18, 1985, and was also released in Europe on 1986. It is the only entry in the "Education Series" of NES games released in North America. The game has been released on other platforms, including the video game Animal Crossing, which featured several NES games. In 2007, it was released for the Wii
's Virtual Console
on March 27, April 20, and September 3 in Japan, PAL regions, and North America respectively.
, subtraction
, multiplication
, and division
.
In the two player mode, two players control two characters as they race to create a math formula to reach the number shown by Donkey Kong, incorporating platform game
play. The mechanics are similar to Donkey Kong Junior; players climb vines to reach higher areas in order to collect numbers scattered around the area. In order to complete mathematics problems, players must collect at least three things: the first number, the symbol necessary to reach the number shown by Donkey Kong, and the second number. When the game features a high number, such as 66, players must collect multiple numbers and mathematics symbols in order to reach this. For example, players could choose a nine, a multiplication symbol, and a seven, followed by an addition symbol and a three to reach the number 66. The two player game have two different levels, Calculate A and Calculate B. Calculate B is more challanging, not only the goal is a negative number, but giving players the set number.
Since its release for the NES
, Donkey Kong Jr. Math has been received negatively. It was the worst-selling launch title for the NES. Nintendo spokesman Tom Sarris said that it "wasn't a big hit", adding that no one was very enthusiastic about the title. He felt that if it was more well-received, it would have led to more educational titles. Author Andy Slaven criticized the premise, deriding Nintendo for combining a well-liked license with math, which is generally disliked by children. Inside Higher Ed
's David Epstein did not find it to be a fun game, while 1UP.com
's Bob Mackey called it the worst NES launch title, criticizing it for its lack of value. He commented that Donkey Kong Jr. moves as well as an infant would in real life. Allgame
's Skyler Miller, however, called it a creative use of Donkey Kong Jr.s graphics and gameplay.
Donkey Kong Jr. Math had a poor reception from IGN
. IGN's Lucas M. Thomas found its controls poor and its execution to be bland and flawed. IGN AU's Cam Shea said it was "too expensive if it was free". He also included it on his list of the worst Virtual Console games, finding it difficult to imagine any reason why anyone would want to buy it. GameSpot
's Frank Provo found that it became boring quickly; he also criticized the mathematics problems, stating that they would either be too easy for young children or too boring for older ones. Eurogamer
's Dan Whitehead commented that it gave him an "ironic smile" as a reminder of the NES era, though he could not justify paying five dollars for it.
Donkey Kong Jr. Math has received criticism for its qualities as an educational game. Elizabeth Sweedyk, associate computer science professor at Harvey Mudd College
, called Donkey Kong Jr. Math a realistic educational video game, criticizing such games as "not fun." 1UP.com's Kevin Gifford called it a game that children would never want to play. Fellow 1UP.com writer Jeremy Parish commented that the game shouldn't be judged on being an educational game, citing quality educational titles as The Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
. However, he noted that it should be judged for being a boring game. Ars Technica
's Frank Caron compared it to other educational games, calling it "no Brain Age" and preferring to play Math Blaster instead. Educational video game developer Traci Lawson wondered whether the word game Bookworm would have been as well-received by players when they were children; she felt that they would be intimidated by it, comparing this to how she felt when she played Donkey Kong Jr. Math.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as , is a Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
edutainment
Edutainment
Edutainment is a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse.-Overview:...
video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, wherein players must solve math problems in order to win. It was released in 1983 for the Family Computer
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in Japan and then for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
two years later in North America and PAL regions. It is the only game in the "Education Series" of NES games in North America. Donkey Kong, Jr. Math was made available in the video game Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing
The Animal Crossing games have garnered positive response. The first three games are among the best-selling for their respective consoles. Animal Crossing has sold 2.321 million copies; Wild World 10.79 million; and City Folk 3.38 million...
, along with several other NES titles. It has also been released on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in Europe, Australia, Japan, and North America.
Since its release, Donkey Kong Jr. Math has received very negative reception; Nintendo spokesman Tom Sarris commented that it was not well-received, resulting in Nintendo ceasing development of educational games for the time. It was noted as one of the worst launch video games ever made by publications such as Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
and 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
. It has also received criticism from several publications including IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, who called it one of the worst Virtual Console games. The game was the worst-selling game in the NES' launch library in the US.
Development and release
Donkey Kong Jr. Math was developed and published by NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 1983. It was released as a launch title for the NES in North America on October 18, 1985, and was also released in Europe on 1986. It is the only entry in the "Education Series" of NES games released in North America. The game has been released on other platforms, including the video game Animal Crossing, which featured several NES games. In 2007, it was released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
on March 27, April 20, and September 3 in Japan, PAL regions, and North America respectively.
Gameplay
The game features one and two player modes, both of which are single screen. In the first mode, the objective is to enter math answers in order to receive points. These questions include additionAddition
Addition is a mathematical operation that represents combining collections of objects together into a larger collection. It is signified by the plus sign . For example, in the picture on the right, there are 3 + 2 apples—meaning three apples and two other apples—which is the same as five apples....
, subtraction
Subtraction
In arithmetic, subtraction is one of the four basic binary operations; it is the inverse of addition, meaning that if we start with any number and add any number and then subtract the same number we added, we return to the number we started with...
, multiplication
Multiplication
Multiplication is the mathematical operation of scaling one number by another. It is one of the four basic operations in elementary arithmetic ....
, and division
Division (mathematics)
right|thumb|200px|20 \div 4=5In mathematics, especially in elementary arithmetic, division is an arithmetic operation.Specifically, if c times b equals a, written:c \times b = a\,...
.
In the two player mode, two players control two characters as they race to create a math formula to reach the number shown by Donkey Kong, incorporating platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
play. The mechanics are similar to Donkey Kong Junior; players climb vines to reach higher areas in order to collect numbers scattered around the area. In order to complete mathematics problems, players must collect at least three things: the first number, the symbol necessary to reach the number shown by Donkey Kong, and the second number. When the game features a high number, such as 66, players must collect multiple numbers and mathematics symbols in order to reach this. For example, players could choose a nine, a multiplication symbol, and a seven, followed by an addition symbol and a three to reach the number 66. The two player game have two different levels, Calculate A and Calculate B. Calculate B is more challanging, not only the goal is a negative number, but giving players the set number.
Reception
Nes
-Localities:In Norway:* Nes, Akershus, a municipality in the county of Akershus in Norway* Nes, Buskerud, a municipality in the county of Buskerud in Norway* Nes, Hedmark, a former municipality in the county of Hedmark in Norway...
, Donkey Kong Jr. Math has been received negatively. It was the worst-selling launch title for the NES. Nintendo spokesman Tom Sarris said that it "wasn't a big hit", adding that no one was very enthusiastic about the title. He felt that if it was more well-received, it would have led to more educational titles. Author Andy Slaven criticized the premise, deriding Nintendo for combining a well-liked license with math, which is generally disliked by children. Inside Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed
Inside Higher Ed is a daily online publication focused on college and university topics, based in Washington, D.C., USA.The publication was founded in 2004 by Kathlene Collins, formerly a business manager for The Chronicle of Higher Education, and two former top editors of The Chronicle, Scott...
's David Epstein did not find it to be a fun game, while 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's Bob Mackey called it the worst NES launch title, criticizing it for its lack of value. He commented that Donkey Kong Jr. moves as well as an infant would in real life. Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
's Skyler Miller, however, called it a creative use of Donkey Kong Jr.s graphics and gameplay.
Donkey Kong Jr. Math had a poor reception from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
. IGN's Lucas M. Thomas found its controls poor and its execution to be bland and flawed. IGN AU's Cam Shea said it was "too expensive if it was free". He also included it on his list of the worst Virtual Console games, finding it difficult to imagine any reason why anyone would want to buy it. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
's Frank Provo found that it became boring quickly; he also criticized the mathematics problems, stating that they would either be too easy for young children or too boring for older ones. Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
's Dan Whitehead commented that it gave him an "ironic smile" as a reminder of the NES era, though he could not justify paying five dollars for it.
Donkey Kong Jr. Math has received criticism for its qualities as an educational game. Elizabeth Sweedyk, associate computer science professor at Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College is a private residential liberal arts college of science, engineering, and mathematics, located in Claremont, California. It is one of the institutions of the contiguous Claremont Colleges, which share adjoining campus grounds....
, called Donkey Kong Jr. Math a realistic educational video game, criticizing such games as "not fun." 1UP.com's Kevin Gifford called it a game that children would never want to play. Fellow 1UP.com writer Jeremy Parish commented that the game shouldn't be judged on being an educational game, citing quality educational titles as The Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? is the title of several edutainment computer games in the Carmen Sandiego series that teach geography. The World games, often marketed as the flagship products of the Carmen series, were created by Brøderbund Software from 1985 to 1996 with another version...
. However, he noted that it should be judged for being a boring game. Ars Technica
Ars Technica
Ars Technica is a technology news and information website created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Ars Technica is known for its features, long articles that go...
's Frank Caron compared it to other educational games, calling it "no Brain Age" and preferring to play Math Blaster instead. Educational video game developer Traci Lawson wondered whether the word game Bookworm would have been as well-received by players when they were children; she felt that they would be intimidated by it, comparing this to how she felt when she played Donkey Kong Jr. Math.