Jack
- This article is about the spring-like obstacle that first appears inDonkey Kong. For theToad Force V character fromMario Party Advance, seeJack (character). For the obstacle also called a piston, seeSkewer.
- Not to be confused withTrampoline.
| Jack | |
|---|---|
 A jack from the original arcade version ofDonkey Kong | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong (1981) |
| Latest appearance | Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (cameo) (2025) |
| Effect | Defeats or damages the player. |
Jacks[1] (also calledmad springs,[2]springs,[3][4]I-beams,[5] orpistons[6]) are obstacles first appearing inDonkey Kong.
History[edit]
Donkey Kong[edit]
In theDonkey Kong arcade game, jacks are constantly bouncing and dropping nearDonkey Kong on75m. IfMario gets hit by a jack, he loses a life. Jacks do not appear in the ColecoVision and TI-99/4A ports ofDonkey Kong due to technical limitations. However, they do return in theDonkey Kong arcade game port included inDonkey Kong 64. Thejump board fromDonkey Kong Jr. closely resembles a jack.
In theGame Boy version, jacks are thrown by Donkey Kong instead of spawning from his position. Negating them with ahandstand causes them to fall off-screen like most enemies and obstacles, instead of becoming usable likebarrels.
Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix[edit]
Sound effects of the jacks can be heard in the latter part of the song "Moustache, Barrel, and Gorilla" inDance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis[edit]
Jacks appear in B2 inDK's Hideout inMario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, sporting spikes on their top and bottom sides as a visual indicator of their harmfulness. They work the same as inDonkey Kong, spawning from Donkey Kong's position and bouncing towards thegirder structure below. If aMini Mario without a shield comes into contact with a jack, the Mini Mario breaks.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Jacks are hazards in75 m, a stage inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl,Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. Donkey Kong's sprite at the top of the screen activates periodically, and during this event, jacks bounce from the left, similarly to the original. Jacks do not appear in theΩ form of 75 m in the latter two games.
Naming[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis | contents/data/anims/spiked_spring_anim.bin | spiked_spring | spiked spring |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ジャッキ[?] Jakki | Jack | |
| Dutch | Krik[?] | Jack | |
| French (NOA) | Vérin[?] | Jack | |
| French (NOE) | Ressort[7] | Spring | |
| German | Wagenheber[?] | Jack | |
| Italian | Martinetto[?] | Jack | Super Smash Bros. Brawl |
| Cric[8][9] | |||
| Portuguese | Mola[10] | Spring | |
| Spanish (NOA) | Matatena[?] | Jacks | |
| Spanish (NOE) | Resorte[?] | Spring |
References[edit]
- ^1986.Donkey Kong instruction booklet (PDF).Nintendo of America Inc.. Page 5.
- ^Instruction manuals for the Atari 8-bit, Apple II, Commodore VIC-20, MS-DOS, and Atari 7800 ports ofDonkey Kong[page number needed]
- ^Instruction manual for the Commodore 64 (Atarisoft) port ofDonkey Kong[page number needed]
- ^Bihldorff, Nate, Jason Leung, and Drew Williams (1999).Donkey Kong 64Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 127.
- ^Instruction manual for the Coleco Adam port ofDonkey Kong[page number needed]
- ^Barton, Jeff, Mario De Govia, and Donato Tica (December 1, 1999).Donkey Kong 64 Prima's Official Strategy Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN0-7615-2279-4. Page 67.
- ^Donkey Kong (Atari) European instruction booklet.Atari (French). Page 4.
- ^Donkey Kong (3DS -Virtual Console) e-manual.Nintendo (Italian). Page 8.
- ^"Occhio ai cric" – Guida strategica (Livelli evolutivi).Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition.Nintendo (Italian).
- ^Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, Jumping Jacks challenge
[Edit] Donkey Kong | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Donkey Kong •Mario •Pauline |
| Levels | 25m •50m •75m •100m |
| Items and objects | Bolt •Conveyor Belt •Girder •Hammer •Ladder •Lift •Parasol, Hat & Bag |
| Enemies and obstacles | Barrel •Cement tub •Fire •Fireball •Jack •Oil drum |
| Music | Opening •25m Theme •Hammer |
| Other | Gallery •Media •Staff |
