If you've swotted up on your gaming history, then you'll perhaps already know that the original Donkey Kong from 1981 (lord almighty...) actually started life as a Popeye the Sailor Man project, featuring the main man himself alongside Olive Oyl and antagonist Bluto.
As the tale goes, Nintendo had failed to secure the license for the Popeye project, and so Donkey Kong (along with a certain plumber named Mario Jumpman) was born.
For a look at how the game was shaping up with the original characters, however, a design document by Shigeru Miyamoto himself has been highlighted by Digital Eclipse's Mike Mika on Twitter, having been uncovered and shared by @forestillusion a couple of years ago (with scans credited to Gaming Historian).
We missed it back then, but it's fascinating stuff for Nintendo buffs. Check it out below:
You can definitely see how this design document eventually evolved into the final product, right? In fact, the level layout on the right looks pretty darn finalised in terms of the overall concept (albeit without the bombs and dynamite). Elsewhere, sprites for Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Bluto can be seen in the top left (just about), along with a cute little image of Popeye in the bottom left.
To cap it all off, Miyamoto's signature is prominently displayed in the top right. What a fascinating glimpse into the origins of Donkey Kong! For more information on how Popeye evolved into Donkey Kong, check out the article below:
What do you make of this design document from Miyamoto? Are you glad Nintendo ultimately ditched Popeye for the likes of Mario and Donkey Kong? We sure are..! Share your thoughts in the comments below.
[source twitter.com, via twitter.com]
Comments 28
It's awesome to see these early design docs! I was always curious if the main games design was different from the original DK at all. Looks like everything was laid out from the start!
This would have absolutely worked, yet I somehow don't think it would have been as big a hit.
Dam me again, thought we were getting a new DK Switch platform game. 😃
You've got to wonder if Mario's big nose evolved from Popeye's incredible chin. You know, because small sprite and stuff
The silhouette of that Popeye drawing/sprite where he's pointing at the ground looks almost identical to the Mario sprite in the DK Game & Watch where he points at the ground in one of his frames. They must have used Miyamoto's drawings as a reference when making it.
So was it donkey Kong that got its popularity? Or even with these characters would it remain all the same, interesting.
So do we reckon koopas came from people mocking Miyamoto's Popeye and saying he looks like a turtle? :')
In an alternate reality we would have been playing Super Popeye Odyssey 5 years ago.
Also.. a time limit.
The fuse on the right.
Interesting. I also like that Miyamoto eventually got to make a Popeye game, though it would be quite different, but still really good! It worked out for the best though as Nintendo ended up owning the IP for their biggest hit. Had it been under license, things can change.
If Popeye had stayed, who would be his Yoshi? Eugene the Jeep? Would Alice the Goon be Daisy?
I'm kinda curious about that alternate universe.
On a side note, I'm surprised there hasn't been a Popeye 2D Beat-em-up, at least not that I'm aware of.
It always amazes me that the most iconic character in video games — whose likeness has been plastered on everything from tea cups to theme parks — was the result of a failed attempt to get the licence to spinach-addict seaman.
I imagine Miyamoto wasn’t expecting that the small handful of red and blue pixels he drew at the time would eventually become a more culturally impactful character than the one he was replacing.
Wasn't Jumpman a construction worker at first? Hence the girders. I think he became a plumber with Mario Bros. (1983).
Wouldn't it be great if Nintendo got together with Digital Eclipse and did a collection like the Atari one? From DK up to the end of the Wii? Guess I am just greedy.
That level layout looks like how 25m is depicted in non-Nintendo versions of Donkey Kong. It’s neat how that document showed how everything was almost finished before Miyamoto suddenly got his brilliant idea. This game could’ve worked, but no offense to Popeye, I’m so glad we got DK instead!
@The_BAAD_Man Not in the US/UK but Popeye is weirdly popular in Japan.
It would've been just as good, but I wouldn't want to imagine a gaming world without Mario and the Donkey Kong Country games!
In an alternate universe, they enjoy Nintendo Switch games like Bluto Country: Tropical Freeze and Super Popeye Odyssey.
They should put Popeye on NSO to celebrate.
Nintendo might be able to release the original Popeye Arcade game next year (maybe as a Hamster arcade archive), if assumptions are correct that the license will be public domain in 2024.
@MedusaMadman77 That and the arcade version on Arcade Archives.
We have the shovelware from 2021, but it only makes me wish we had the NES and Arcade games. If a no name developer can make a Popeye game, what's stopping Nintendo and Hamster from releasing the originals?
@HammerGalladeBro Absolutely and good question.
I … kind of miss Popeye. Made my kids watch Sindbad (sic) the Sailor a few years ago, and I think they were entertained but slightly baffled. Looks like we’ll be having spinach for dinner tonight!
In 2025 Popeye will become public domain in US. That means that Nintnendo can release a special Donkey Kong remake that could also give you the chance to play as the spinach loving sailor man. Nintendo could release the remake for free in Switch 2 like Astro's playroom. But i know they wont
You know, we need to see Hamster release Arcade Archives: Popeye on the Switch, and Nintendo put Popeye on the NSO: NES App.
Funny how some iconic characters/franchises were almost licenses. Mario was Popeye, Alex Kidd was Son Goku, Mega Man looks a lot like Astro Boy, Warcraft was originally supposed to be a Warhammer game... Then there's Sonic, who was original, but seems to share a lot of design DNA with black and white early cartoon characters like Felix the Cat or Mickey Mouse.
@SmaggTheSmug Sonic was a mix of Speedy Gonzales and Doraemon. Little Mac was Rocky Balboa, Solid Snake was John Rambo, Shinobi was Sonny Chiba.
@glaemay
solid snake was snake pliskin.
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