Nintendo's Building A Donkey Kong Cabinet Bigger Than DK Himself
Donkey Kong fans are currently getting to enjoy the lovable ape with a classic look in the new "Super Mario Bros." movie, but later this summer, some lucky fans will get to experience the addictive arcade gameplay of the original "Donkey Kong" on an epic scale. This opportunity comes courtesy of the Strong National Museum of Play and a little help from Nintendo itself.
The Strong Museum, located in Rochester, New York, teaches and celebrates about the various ways people play. The museum features numerous interactive exhibits and devotes considerable space to the history of video games. In a few short months, the "Donkey Kong" arcade game will be joining its collection. This isn't any ordinary arcade cabinet however.
The Strong Museum has announced that it will soon be unveiling a "Donkey Kong" cabinet that is almost twenty feet tall. Even better, the game will be completely playable for visitors. The "Donkey Kong" cabinet will be over three times larger than the original model but, thanks to a normal sized controller in front of the machine, visitors will be able to play it easily — apart from having to crane one's neck up to see the screen. The game will feature a controller modeled after the classic arcade design and will run on an original motherboard, making this as close to the real thing as possible (just scaled way up).
As part of our June 30 expansion, The Strong will create the world’s largest, playable Donkey Kong arcade game. The game will stand nearly 20-feet tall and will be available for guests to play! Thank you @NintendoAmerica for providing input on the project.#DonkeyKong #Arcade pic.twitter.com/xQhsRVvCib
— The Strong Museum (@museumofplay) April 10, 2023
Kong-sized, but playable by people
In a press release regarding the massive cabinet, vice president for exhibits Jon-Paul Dyson, PhD, acknowledged why this design suited the beloved character: "'Donkey Kong' is a true titan in the video game world—both in terms of character size and the iconic status of the game—so it lends itself perfectly to this playful, whimsical installation."
The Strong Museum specifically thanked Nintendo of America for its support in making this exhibit possible and for providing help in making the arcade cabinet match the one that released in 1981. "Donkey Kong" soon join the museum alongside other games like "Guitar Hero," "Pac-Man Battle Royale," and even another super-sized offering in the form of a giant "Tetris" machine.
The timing of this addition is quite appropriate, as the "Super Mario Bros." movie has just reintriduced the iconic character to a new generation of fans. Donkey Kong was the central (and titular) figure in Mario's original appearance, playing the plumber's nemesis before he even had an official name. Further, "Donkey Kong" was previously inducted into the Strong Museum's own Video Game Hall of Fame, so the cabinet's inclusion in the museum itself is fitting. Now, visitors will be able to experience the history and the legend for themselves — and on a scale worthy of Donkey Kong himself.