Donkey Kong Jr. Math

As he solves math problems set up by his father Donkey Kong. It is the only game in the Education Series of NES games in North America, owing to the game's lack of success. It was made available in various forms, including in the 2002 GameCube video game Animal Crossing and on the Virtual Console services for Wii and Wii U in 2007 and 2014 respectively, and in 2024 for the Nintendo Classics service. Donkey Kong Jr. Math was a critical and commercial failure. It has received criticism from several publications including IGN staff, who called it one of the worst Virtual Console games. Bruce Lowry, Nintendo of America’s vice president of sales from 1981 to 1986, referred to it as “the worst game we ever sold.”

• Title — Donkey Kong Jr. Math • Developer — Nintendo R&D2 • Publisher — Nintendo • Series — Donkey Kong • Platforms — Nintendo Entertainment System • Designer — Toshihiko Nakago • Composer — Yukio Kaneoka • Genre — Edutainment, platform • Modes — Single-player, multiplayer

• Illustration — Two players compete by creating arithmetic equations to reach the number held by Donkey Kong (top center). Player 1 (middle left) climbs vines to acquire numbers. Player 2 (bottom right) stands on its starting platform. The game features two modes, one single-player and the other allowing for one to two players. Its mechanics are similar to its predecessor, Donkey Kong Jr. The Calculate mode has Donkey Kong hold up a number, which players must attempt to reach by collecting a combination of digits and arithmetic symbols to eventually reach that number. Players must climb vines to reach these figures. The +−×÷ Exercise requires players to solve fixed math puzzles by climbing chains to reach the correct numbers and arithmetic symbols to do so.

Donkey Kong Jr. Math was developed by Nintendo Research & Development 2 and designed by Toshihiko Nakago. It was published by Nintendo for the Family Computer (Famicom) and Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It reuses its engine, assets, and gameplay from Donkey Kong Jr. It was a part of the Educational Series on the NES, a series that was originally supposed to have three entries, including music game [[:ja:ドンキーコングJR.の算数遊び#ドンキーコングの音楽遊び|[ja]]], but was the only one released under that line. A lack of success by the game was attributed by a Nintendo spokesman to be the reason Nintendo did not make more educational titles. It was the first spin-off title Nintendo made. The game was first released in Japan on December 12, 1983, and was released shortly after together with Donkey Kong Jr. as a licensed multicart (released in a bundle together with Sharp's C1 Famicom TV). In August 1995, the Sharp multicart was re-released separately from the C1 Famicom TV. The game has been released on other platforms, including the video game Animal Crossing, which featured several NES games. Donkey Kong Jr. Math was re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console in Japan on March 27, 2007, Europe and Australia on April 20, and in North America on September 3. It was re-released again for the Wii U's Virtual Console in North America on August 28, 2014, in Europe on January 22, 2015, and in Japan on April 15.