Play Donkey Kong Wizardry Online

Donkey Kong Wizardry is a 1983 arcade game by Nintendo, playable through MAME 0.243. It arrived during a period when many developers were experimenting with the single-screen platformer format, building on familiar mechanics while introducing new ideas. The game takes the basic Donkey Kong premise but shifts the setting and objectives into a more fantastical direction.

You control a small wizard who must navigate a series of multi-level stages, avoiding enemies and environmental hazards. The main goal is to reach the top of each screen to confront Donkey Kong, who now occupies the role of a spell-flinging antagonist. Key mechanics include dodging fireballs, freezing enemies in place with a spell to create temporary platforms, and transforming certain objects like barrels into harmless creatures to clear a path. The pacing is deliberate, demanding careful timing and positioning rather than pure speed. It feels like a strange but methodical twist on the original formula, where every move requires foresight.