<Tr> <Th> Sound </Th> <Td> i8035 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Display </Th> <Td> Raster monitor (vertical), 224 × 256 resolution, 256 out of 768 colors </Td> </Tr> <P> Donkey Kong (Japanese: ドンキー コング, Hepburn: Donkī Kongu) is an arcade game released by Nintendo in 1981 . An early example of the platform game genre, the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles . In the game, Mario (originally named Mr. Video and then Jumpman) must rescue a damsel in distress named Pauline (originally named Lady), from a giant ape named Donkey Kong . The hero and ape later became two of Nintendo's most popular and recognizable characters . Donkey Kong is one of the most important titles from the golden age of arcade video games, and is one of the most popular arcade games of all time . </P> <P> The game was the latest in a series of efforts by Nintendo to break into the North American market . Hiroshi Yamauchi, Nintendo's president at the time, assigned the project to a first - time video game designer named Shigeru Miyamoto . Drawing from a wide range of inspirations, including Popeye, Beauty and the Beast, and King Kong, Miyamoto developed the scenario and designed the game alongside Nintendo's chief engineer, Gunpei Yokoi . The two men broke new ground by using graphics as a means of characterization, including cutscenes to advance the game's plot, and integrating multiple stages into the gameplay . </P>

When did the original donkey kong come out