Donkey Kong Barrel Smashing Arcade Classic Re-Released For Nintendo Switch

Donkey Kong is available as part of Nintendo's Arcade Archives Series and actually contains three version of the game, which was originally released in arcades. There's the original Japanese version of the game along with slightly newer Japanese edition with some minor updates and bug fixes. Finally, there’s an intentional version that even includes online leaderboards. 

This is the true arcade version of the game, meaning that it's not a watered-down port (as we've seen for the NES and subsequent platforms). So, if you want to get your hands on the "true" version of the game that introduced us all to Mario, this is the way to go. 

We should also mention that Nintendo is giving you two different ways to play the game. You can play it in a horizontal orientation, which is more ergonomic given the how the Switch is designed. However, Nintendo also gives you the ability to rotate the switch vertically and play the game that way. It may be a bit more awkward to play the game in this orientation, but it is more faithful to the taller aspect ratio of old school arcade cabinets.

While Donkey Kong is available now, a rarer title -- Sky Skipper -- will arrive in July. Other gamers in the Arcade Archives Series include Punch-Out and the original Mario Bros.

If you want more retro gaming goodness on the Nintendo Switch, the Switch Online service will launch later this year priced at $19.99 per year (or $34.99 per year for a family plan with up to 8 users). In addition to bringing cloud saves for modern switch games, a back catalog of around 20 original NES games will be included for you to play.