While yet to make their way to NSO. It's a shame, since NSO provides an easy and accessible way for you to experience classic titles that were once difficult to get a hold of, while giving those games another chance to receive the recognition they deserve.

As someone who's benefited from NSO's selection of classic games, I've found myself curating a list of titles that I hope to see on the service. Thankfully, I'm now able to cross one game off my list, and this title has me more excited than usual. Not only does this addition allow me to experience what is often regarded as one of the strongest titles in the Game Boy library, but its inclusion on NSO allows the game to be recognized for its importance in beginning one of my favorite Nintendo series.

Donkey Kong Has Just Been Added To NSO

The Game Boy Classic Has Had Few Rereleases

As revealed via a short announcement trailer on the must-play puzzler Mario vs. Donkey Kong, a series of fun-filled and engaging puzzle-platformers, and a franchise that I personally have adored for many years.

It's my love for Mario vs. Donkey Kong that has made me so eager to try out Donkey Kong and see where the series' many ideas and mechanics originated. Unfortunately, Donkey Kong only received a single rerelease prior to its inclusion on NSO, being added to the 3DS virtual console in 2011. The lack of from Nintendo has forced the game to fall further into obscurity, preventing Donkey Kong from getting the recognition it deserves as the starting point of such a successful puzzle-platforming series. Thankfully, the game's addition to NSO means this is no longer the case.

Donkey Kong Is An Excellent Puzzle Platformer

The Game Is Both Deceptive And Wildly Inventive

What makes Donkey Kong such an exciting addition to NSO is how highly-regarded the title is, often being cited as one of the Game Boy's best offerings. It may not seem like this at first, as Donkey Kong begins by taking you through the four stages of the original 1981 arcade game. However, Donkey Kong is also deceptive in this way, hiding dozens of original levels behind the opening segment that introduces a variety of inventive mechanics, which you must quickly adapt to in order to reach the end of the stage within the allotted time.

Donkey Kong was also one of the first games to take advantage of the Super Game Boy peripheral, allowing you to play Game Boy titles on a TV via the SNES, further showcasing its historical significance.

What I adore about the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series is each game's sense of variety, with each level feeling different from the last. It's that same variety which makes me so excited to dive into Donkey Kong on NSO. Not only is the game beloved by so many for firing new ideas at such a rapid pace, but Donkey Kong also shows how these mechanics can be woven together to create a barrage of unique challenges, proving itself as both a great starting point for Mario vs. Donkey Kong and an excellent title in its own right.

There's no doubting how the addition of Donkey Kong is a huge boost to NSO's library of classic titles. Donkey Kong's inclusion not only serves as an important step in recognizing the game's impact and overall legacy, but the game itself is a wildly inventive and engaging title, making it more than a worthy addition to the service. As someone who has been eagerly awaiting Donkey Kong's arrival on NSO, I can't wait to start playing and to see everything that this title has to offer.

Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube