Donkey Kong Speedrunning Community Discovers Hidden Levels Beyond Kill Screen
After almost half a century since its release, the speedrunning community has stumbled upon a surprising discovery in the classic Donkey Kong arcade game. Contrary to popular belief, there are additional levels hidden beyond the game’s infamous kill screen, offering a new challenge for players to overcome.
In a recent 29-minute YouTube video, renowned Super Mario Bros. speedrunner Kosmic shed light on this revelation. The US arcade version of Donkey Kong, commonly used for competitive play, was previously thought to end abruptly at the first barrel stage of level 22 due to a glitch in the game’s bonus timer algorithm. This glitch causes the game to prematurely terminate after reaching just 400 bonus points, preventing players from reaching Pauline at the top of the tower.
Upon receiving a message on Discord from another DK speedrunner, Kosmic delved deeper into the possibility of bypassing the kill screen using an exploit. By manipulating coordinates on a malfunctioning ladder, Mario (or Jumpman) could ascend indefinitely, potentially reaching the top before the faulty bonus timer expires.
Utilizing an emulator and frame advance to execute precise inputs, Kosmic successfully ascended DK’s tower in a peculiar, floating manner. He managed to surpass the first barrel stage of level 22 and progress through five additional stages, ultimately reaching the 22-6 rivet stage. However, without any broken ladders to exploit further, the game concludes after acquiring six out of the required eight rivets, presenting the final kill screen.
Achieving this feat requires extreme luck, with odds comparable to a 1/1024 chance of success. Kosmic also emphasized the necessity of using frame advance to slow down the gameplay, as executing the required joystick movements in real-time would be practically impossible.
Unveiling five additional screens in a game as old as Donkey Kong is a remarkable discovery, hinting at the potential for higher levels yet to be conquered. Perhaps on its 88th anniversary, we might witness a player reaching level 23…
What do you make of this discovery? Climb down to the comments below and let us know.
[source youtube.com]