Trivia / Donkey Kong '94

• Keep Circulating the Tapes: While the game was on the 3DS eshop (at least, until it closed on March 27, 2023), despite it being one of the game's main selling points back when it was released, it lacks the Super Game Boy enhancements, which requires you to hunt down the original Game Boy cartridge, the Super Game Boy peripheral itself, and a Super Nintendo Entertainment System in order to have them. However, certain specialised emulators can accommodate for the Super Game Boy.
• Killer App: It acts as one for the Super Game Boy, being promoted right alongside it and launching on the same day the peripheral did in Japan. It also includes numerous enhancements when inserted into the peripheral, such as enhanced sounds and a unique border and color palette.
• No Port For You: As the remake it was intended to get became a completely different game, this game has yet to see an Updated Re Release or Video Game Remake to this day (interestingly enough, said game got a Video Game Remake in 2024).
• Sequel Gap: Not counting rereleases, this is the first Donkey Kong title since Donkey Kong Jr. Math back in 1983, making it an 11 year gap between games.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Early screenshots and footage featured in various VHS tapes and one of the Nintendo Power preview laserdiscs showcase several large differences from the final game, such as that the game was originally called Save the Lady from Donkey Kong in early footage, (a Mythology Gag to the original arcade game's instruction card) and that Pauline and Donkey Kong's sprites were originally more faithful to their arcade sprites at one point before being redesigned for the final game. Beyond that, Pauline originally had a different, deeper sounding voice and the level design is also different in points as well.
  • One early screenshot shows◊ that there were plans to have a flying squirrel boss that was scrapped from the final game. This also indicates that the game was planned to have original bosses alongside Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Junior at one point unlike in the final game, where you only face the latter two.
  • The bonus game had a drastically different appearance early on◊ in early screenshots, showing a Wheel of Fortune like wheel with a light that Mario has to stop with his hammer.
  • A remake of the game was planned for the Game Boy Advance titled Donkey Kong Plus, which beyond having enhanced visuals, would've also featured a level designer that would've been accessed through the Nintendo GameCube link cable. For unknown reasons, this was scrapped and the game would be retooled into an original game instead, Mario vs. Donkey Kong.
• Working Title: Donkey Kong '94 was the game's tentative title during development, with the final game being called Donkey Kong and on the game's title screen and in Japanese, GAME BOY Donkey Kong.^note As slated on the main page, the working title is used here for the sake of differentiation. It was also titled Save the Lady from Donkey Kong in early builds.

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