Joystiq [Nintendo]

Animal Trainer

Job experience: Donkey Kong Junior (Arcade, 1982)

Donkey Kong Jr. is the only game to ever feature Mario as an antagonist. With a small whip he holds an irritated DK Senior in a cage while the player, DK Junior, attempts to reach the key to bust him out. Mario is alien to this game's natural environment and surrounding animal kingdom, which makes him appear sinister in his intention to hold DK captive. Is Mario just a cruel and abusive zookeeper, or is Junior the real villain here? It probably makes little difference because the game sold really well.

This is one of the few times we can remember having felt the slightest contempt toward our otherwise virtuous and honorable hero. Well, unless you count sports titles like Mario Golf: Advance Tour for GBA in which you have to earn the right to play as Mario because he's apparently too good to show up in his own game. You know what? No. If his name dominates the title and he's featured on the box art in a foremost position, we want to tear off the cellophane and hit the links immediately playing as Mario, not some faceless pair of siblings. Alright? End rant.

02/07/08