Donkey Kong is an iconic experience, responsible for introducing the most well-known character in all of gaming; Mario. Though he was unnamed in Donkey Kong (which started off as a Popeye game), the character who would go on to head a franchise responsible for moving over 400 million units got his start here. Donkey Kong was largely responsible for creating the entire Mario universe that was to come, as the future games in the franchise all link back to this one arcade cabinet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMijdY4N2LI Donkey Kong was also one of the forerunners to the platform genre, as its addicting run-and-jump mechanics found their way into later titles, including Super Mario Bros. The entire platform genre that dominated the 80's and 90's was a springboard off the ape's back, launching an entire community of gamers who live for the classic style of game play. Without Donkey Kong, it's difficult to imagine Mario being created, and even more terrifying to think about where the industry might be today.
