Donkey Kong Jr. Math (NES)

Donkey Kong Jr. Math

Join Donkey Kong Jr. for a maths lesson with a difference! In this educational NES game, swing and jump around the stage, collecting numbers and symbols to calculate the correct figure displayed by Donkey Kong.

Put your mathematical skills to the test in single player mode or challenge a friend to a two-player maths race. You can even pester your opponent by grabbing numbers before they do!

Donkey Kong Jr. Math Review

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Review by Damien McFerran

Donkey Kong Jr. Math Screenshot

'Edutainment' titles are a strange lot. They're usually poor attempts to shoehorn some 'learning' in videogames, possibly out of fear that games rot the brains of kiddies. Donkey Kong Jr Math is no exception.

The game features one player and two player modes. In the one player mode, the objective is to enter math answers in order to receive points. In the two player mode, each player applies a math operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) to the number they have to make it another number, trying to eventually reach a mutual goal number. However, signs and numbers are on the same field for each player, and they must race to reach the final number.

Donkey Kong Jr. Math Screenshot

The instruction in arithmetic here is not too advanced. Basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems are what you'll find in the game's main single player mode, and the two-player competition is even easier – the six-digit subtraction equation used as an example above is as complex as it comes. And limited content isn't helped at all by stiff, cumbersome and confusing controls, which you'll find in both gameplay modes.

If you get excited by doing math puzzles then this will probably be right up your street but for true gamers this is a complete waste of Wii points. The Donkey Kong licence might tempt some people but this really isn't a proper Donkey Kong game.

If you really must educate yourself, pick up Brain Training on the DS. Your money will be spent far more wisely.

1/5

Average reader rating: 1.77 (26 ratings)

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Screenshots

Donkey Kong Jr. Math Screenshot Donkey Kong Jr. Math Screenshot Donkey Kong Jr. Math Screenshot Donkey Kong Jr. Math Screenshot Donkey Kong Jr. Math Screenshot

Donkey Kong Jr. Math (Video Clip)

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Have your say about Donkey Kong Jr. Math

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1. Kevin United States 30 Mar 2007, 14:03 GMT

This is one I won't be downloading. One player games loses its appeal after a few times playing it. Two player games can be kinda fun. Definately not worth it.

2. Don-Bon United States 01 Apr 2007, 07:01 GMT

This was a bad attempt at an education game. It was boring and uninteresting.

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3. Mendez United Kingdom 02 Apr 2007, 13:05 GMT

Why bring ths to the VC? If it's a 20 year old education game, I can hardly see it getting anywhere near Brain Training and Big Brain Academy...

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4. DjinnFighter Canada 05 Apr 2007, 21:04 GMT

I don't think I will buy this game, but it was way better than the original Donkey Kong Jr.

Very good game for two players, funny to play. But, don't play this alone, B-o-r-i-n-g

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5. Hangover Sweden 18 Apr 2007, 13:24 GMT

Humm... How to gett 72 faster then the other player... 5*9=45 and 4*9=36.. Humm 81... Doh! Im to old for this education.. Mario's Picross is mor Funny!! =P

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6. Bass X0 United Kingdom 20 Apr 2007, 01:44 GMT

Now they have to release Donkey Kong 3 and all the NES Donkey Kong titles will be available on the Wii. Unless they seriously want to release Donkey Kong Classics as well...

7. ricketycricket United States 20 Apr 2007, 16:02 GMT

only reason i'd download this would be to turn it into a drinking game with my friends. now that could be fun. i bet you'd be doing some fuzzy math after a couple rounds

8. deggs Canada 20 Apr 2007, 18:59 GMT

i had a version of this game (or a knock off i guess) for commadore 64 as a kid. it's fun (if it's the same game). woth 500 points? maybe not but I'm still gettin it...

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9. Mendez United Kingdom 21 Apr 2007, 18:20 GMT

1*? It must be terrible then!
It really annoys me when they could be releasing classics and they release these piles of crap instead!

10. mario/zelda_fan Canada 22 Apr 2007, 02:13 GMT

i agree with Mendez, why would they give us this garbage when they could be giving us the the good stuff. I guess it's so all games get out there....or something.

But back to the topic, I would never download this game for four reasons.
1. It's boring and i don't get it
2. Because it's a wast of my points
3. It's a wast of my space for other games
4. If I wanted to play it I could play it on the game Cube Animal Crossing.

11. Felix Canada 05 May 2007, 21:10 GMT

I had it as a kid... Never understand what was the point of the game and how to play it... xD It sucked, indeed

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12. sir.turds.alot United States 12 May 2007, 01:13 GMT

its fun to play...... if you are 4 5 6 7 8 9 or 10. i played it on animal crossing

13. Shivelamouse United Kingdom 20 May 2007, 22:34 GMT

This game is aimed at a demographic that ISN'T 18-25 or 15-17. It's aimed at a much younger demograph, IE little kids. Some parents bought the Wii with the intentions of having their LITTLE kiddies play it, and for some this may be a worthwhile addition to the library.

14. superfurryfox United Kingdom 22 May 2007, 14:05 GMT

I played it for the first time a couple of years back on Animal Crossing, IT IS SO RUBBISH!

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15. SKTTR Germany 12 Jun 2007, 03:20 GMT

A game where two apes must do maths and grab numbers.
There is also a math training mode for one ape.
Everyone who is an ape at maths GO GET IT!!!
NOW! IT'S THAT GOOD! GRAPHICS LIKE NO OTHER! APE SOUNDS! INTERLACE MODE! 2 PLAYER! 500 WII POINTS! DK! DONKEY KONG!

(For MathFreaks and RopeClimbingLovers only!)

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16. Bass X0 United Kingdom 26 Jun 2007, 13:14 GMT

Sorry. I think even math freaks will get bored with this quickly.

17. Jade Louise United Kingdom 09 Aug 2007, 19:28 GMT

Releasing this on the VC is pointless. Its not aimed at kids as they will not even know what a NES is. It was aimed at kids at the time but this re-release is pure nostagia. When I was 5 back in 1988 I remember this playing in Toy & Hobby in Wigan. They had a NES demo deck with 12 games to choose from. I played this for about 2 mins before calling it boring quiting and playing and then getting my Grandad to buy Kung Fu instead.

18. NintendoFan1985 United States 14 Aug 2007, 07:01 GMT

Not worth 500 points. Obviously, it's a math game. The only difference is that it has Donkey Kong Jr. You'd have more fun watching paint dry.

19. Wolf United States 03 Sep 2007, 17:05 GMT

No option for zero stars?

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20. Dazza United Kingdom 03 Sep 2007, 17:24 GMT

Maybe we should add a zero star option just for this game? lol

21. omaley United States 03 Sep 2007, 17:28 GMT

Is this there idea of good games? Come one Nintendo get the good stuff out D:

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22. angel m. rivera collazo Puerto Rico 03 Sep 2007, 21:51 GMT

omg!why?this ungame never had a reason to exist!

23. Darkness Deku United States 04 Sep 2007, 03:03 GMT

Wow! When I saw this game online I couldn't stop laughing! This had to be chosen as a joke. But I can't really rate this game because I only played it once a long time ago.

24. CastlevaniaTest United States 04 Sep 2007, 08:29 GMT

In my opinion, you should only buy this game for the multiplayer, for two reasons:

1. Calculate mode can be played with just one player, but, of course, Player 2 doesn't move, so guess what? You always win! Sure, maybe if you die enough times, P2 will win (I haven't checked), but even if you think it's brain training to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers until they reach a certain number, it's dreadfully boring in this game and you'd prefer doing it in your head.

2. Practice mode can be played without having to boot up the game. Just take out a sheet of paper, write down a math equation, answer it, and check it on a calculator. If you get it right, scream "I WIN 50 POINTS!!!!" at the top of your lungs. That's Practice mode for you. The last step is optional.

The two-player mode is the only thing that gives this game any depth, and even then there are much, much better two-player competitive games you can buy with 500 points.

Do I even need to say it? One star.

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25. Thomas United States 06 Sep 2007, 08:08 GMT

Releasing a game to fill quota is shameful enough...but to scrape the bottom of the barrel in order to do so?

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26. StarSoldier1 Canada 22 Sep 2007, 02:48 GMT

I didn't think the game was all that bad since I thought the one player mode was challenging.

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27. Boredom v2.2 United States 03 Nov 2007, 14:11 GMT

You can actually get this game for free if you have Animal Crossing for Gamecube. In fact for those who don't know, the following NES games are in Animal Crossing:

Donkey Kong
DKJR.
DKJR. Math
Wario's Woods
Excitebike
Balloon Fight
Cluclu Land
Golf
Tennis
Baseball
Punch out (not 100% sure about this one)

and i think that's it. Animal Crossing for Gamecube is still in stores for only $19.99!

28. Garland Russell United States 03 Nov 2007, 20:04 GMT

Ugh. Who in the world would want to buy this? It's lame, terrible, & will bore people of this very quickly.

29. SuperKorinku26 United States 05 Nov 2007, 14:27 GMT

I Lol'ed at (don't spend money on this game)!

30. Denivire Canada 12 Nov 2007, 07:45 GMT

I think it was only put up there to make parents happy that you can learn from games... way to save your behinds with that one Nintendo!
Too bad no one will get it.

31. learn japanese ds Canada 08 Jan 2008, 16:41 GMT

This should be an easter egg on the next Brain Age!

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32. deadbattery United States 11 Jan 2008, 12:41 GMT

Ah, those clever minds at Nintendo - releasing this abomination in September to coincide with the start of the school year! After all, NO ONE cares about games like Super Mario RPG and Zelda: Majora's Mask, but what we DO want is a bland "edutainment" title released solely as an excuse to disprove rumors that "all Nintendo games are uneducational." Math and classic Nintendo games go together as well as fat men and bicycle pants.

And yes, I've played the game in Animal Crossing. My favorite parts were the "long division" segments: they consisted of climbing a rope quickly with NO MATH INVOLVED. Pretty educational.

33. wedge554 United Kingdom 28 Jan 2008, 18:15 GMT

... or a cyanide pill is better, which is also cheaper!

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34. WaddleWave Puerto Rico 05 Feb 2008, 19:19 GMT

Things that are better than $5 on this:
watching paint dry, watching grass grow, watching public broadcast, watching LifeTime network, getting a BA degree, picking up the phone, getting up from your chair, jumping, waving...in fact... a calculator is more fun than that...and it works faster.

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35. MasterMario United States 01 Mar 2008, 20:14 GMT

Bad game.It will entertain you for 10 minutes, then the fun stops.

Edit: I was wrong. It entertains you for less than 5 minutes, and then the fun stops.

36. juhok Finland 10 Apr 2008, 20:18 GMT

What were they thinking..?

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37. Bass X0 United Kingdom 10 Apr 2008, 20:30 GMT

@ juhok
Back when the game was originally made? A cash-in on a well known series.
Putting it on the VC now? Its a game available to them to put on the VC but they won't be expecting many downloads. VC doesn't distinguish between good and bad games.

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38. WaddleWave Puerto Rico 15 Apr 2008, 15:32 GMT

@Wolf- There really should be a zero star option...for games this bad!... I mean...head over to Cruis'n USA, the same DAMO gave it... 1 star, a N64 game, dunno if this two games are the same! Maybe you learn to Math in Cruis'n USA and the driving is awful in Jr.MATH.

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39. WaddleWave Puerto Rico 15 Apr 2008, 21:06 GMT

LMAO!! Did you guys saw what does it says at the end of the video!? My sides hurts from laughing! Totally unexpected! I've never got the courage to click the video before...who the heck needs a video of that anyhow!?...Still LMAO!!

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40. Dazza United Kingdom 15 Apr 2008, 23:17 GMT

Good old Drake! Nice Easter egg :D

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41. MasterMario United States 16 Apr 2008, 02:21 GMT

That was unexpected!

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42. Bass X0 United Kingdom 16 Apr 2008, 14:39 GMT

Is getting it in Gamecube Animal Crossing technically spending money on it?

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43. slangman United Kingdom 18 Jun 2008, 14:41 GMT

I unlocked this in Animal Crossing, then i played it to see what the fuss was about, all i found was a very basic maths game where you get the right numbers by climbing ropes. Got bored after 5 mins playing and never touched this game after that. Who would have thought maths would be so boring?

That my friends is the quality of DK Jr Math. In other words don't bother wasting your 500 Points.

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44. Mr. Cheez United States 28 Jun 2008, 18:38 GMT

I got this game as a Christmas present in Animal Crossing, and It's complete garbage. It's a very basic math game, and I didn't even know what I was doing as I played it. I just jumped up and grabbed random numbers. I got a good amount of bells off it though ;)
Stupid deer! Why couldn't you have given me a GOOD game like Clu Clu Land or Wario's Woods!? 1 star indeed.

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45. Mr. Cheez United States 28 Jun 2008, 18:54 GMT

Whoa, the video even warns you not to buy this game. That's pretty bad. And funny! :D Honestly, the only reason anyone would spend 500 pts on this embarrassment is if they were gifting it to someone as a joke.

46. bladeso'steel99baby United States 01 Jul 2008, 15:13 GMT

even though its 20 years old, this game still makes brain age look like total crap. its brilliant math quizes allow you to improve your math while still having a blast. in my opinion, donky knog 64 was good, but the additional math component wittnessesd in this game makes it the finest of the series. cinco estrellas!

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47. Kirby8 Denmark 03 Jul 2008, 20:18 GMT

Its a funny consept but a crappy game give us donkey kong 64 now

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48. Tony United States 07 Jul 2008, 19:33 GMT

Its fun with 2 players

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49. Mr.Game and Watch United Kingdom 10 Jul 2008, 20:15 GMT

If you got this raise your hand.
Raises hand embarrassed
The controls didn't work.

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50. Mipsymoodle United States 14 Jul 2008, 18:32 GMT

this is just a joke on the virtual console customers, there are so many f***in games to put out and this is what nintendo gave us, 1/5, id give it a 0 but its not an option, TOP 20 WORST GAMES IN THE HISTORY OF GAMING

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51. Bass X0 United Kingdom 14 Jul 2008, 21:12 GMT

there's actually worse nes games out there.

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52. Dazza United Kingdom 14 Jul 2008, 22:19 GMT

Did they make a 'Urban Champion Does Math' that I never heard about? :D

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53. William Netherlands 19 Jul 2008, 17:18 GMT

I would like to see the Angry Video Game Nerd cover this. He would get quite venomus!

Sombody tell him!

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54. BleachFan888 United States 21 Jul 2008, 19:40 GMT

I'll admit, when I first saw this game, I laughed. There's no way a game like this could be good, even if it does say "Donkey Kong" in the title.

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55. Bensei Austria 25 Jul 2008, 11:47 GMT

Well, I really liked that game, but also, I didn't buy it alone. I got it with Animal Crossing.

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56. Magic_Ocarina United States 03 Aug 2008, 22:18 GMT

When did the gaming company think that monkeys can be smart?

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57. Beau Skunk United States 06 Aug 2008, 08:09 GMT

While most gamers may dismiss this title, the game acctually would be nice to have if you're grown-up, and have children of your own. (My sister has kids.) It could get them used to math. Nothing like tricking kids into learning with a video game.
;) So it's not a complete loss. So, I'll be more forgiving and give this 2 stars.

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58. Tabbyluigi United States 09 Aug 2008, 16:34 GMT

It is a pretty bad game, I played on animal crossing and i hated it.

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