Re-releases
The NES version, along with its predecessor, was re-released in 1988 in an NES compilation titled Donkey Kong Classics. This version was later released on the Nintendo e-Reader and is available on the Virtual Console for the Wii.[22] The NES version is also a playable game in Animal Crossing, though a special password is needed from an official website which is now no longer available. Donkey Kong Jr. was made available for the Nintendo 3DS from the Nintendo eShop, released in Japan on April 18, 2012,[23] in North America on June 14,[24] and in Europe on August 23[25] and was given away free to the Ambassadors users before the full release. It was again released for the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014.[26] The arcade version of Donkey Kong Jr., featuring both the Japanese and American versions, was released by Hamster Corporation for the Nintendo Switch as part of the company's Arcade Archives series in December 2018.[27] The NES version was released on the Nintendo Classics service on May 15, 2019.[28]
In 2004, Namco released an arcade cabinet containing Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Mario Bros.
Competitive play
On August 10, 2008, Icarus Hall of Port Angeles, Washington, scored 1,033,000 points playing Donkey Kong Jr.[29]
On April 24, 2009, Steve Wiebe eclipsed Hall's score, finishing with 1,139,800 points.[30] On September 3, at 1984 Arcade in Springfield, Missouri, Mark L. Kiehl of Enid, Oklahoma surpassed Wiebe's record with a score of 1,147,800.[31][32] Steve Wiebe regained the record with a score of 1,190,400 on his home machine set on Tuesday, February 16, 2010.[32][33] Mark Kiehl has since eclipsed the previous world record with a score of 1,307,500.
In popular culture
The game spawned a cereal with fruit-flavored cereal pieces shaped like bananas and cherries.
The game was featured on numerous episodes of Starcade. Host Geoff Edwards noted that he had the arcade machine in his dressing room and found the game to be highly difficult.
Donkey Kong Jr. was featured in Saturday Supercade (a series that aired on Saturday mornings from 1983 to 1985) with the title character voiced by Frank Welker.
Donkey Kong Jr. is one of the 8 playable characters in Super Mario Kart for the SNES. This version was released as a racer in Mario Kart Tour alongside Mario from the same game in 2020.[36] He is also a playable character in Mario's Tennis on Virtual Boy and Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64.
In the version of Super Mario Bros. 3 seen in Super Mario All-Stars, as well as the Game Boy Advance version, the king of World 4 was transformed into a young gorilla identical to Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr. is among the characters in Super Mario Maker that players can transform into by use of Mystery Mushrooms.
