Donkey Kong Jr. is one of those classic NES games that looks simple but gets brutal fast. You play as DK's kid, climbing vines and dodging snapjaws (those weird piranha things) while Mario—yeah, Mario—drops barrels and springs on you from above. The controls feel stiff at first, but once you get the rhythm of hopping between ropes and platforms, it’s weirdly satisfying.

Just don’t get cocky—one wrong move and you’re tumbling all the way down. And those bugs? They’re faster than they look. The later levels turn into a panic scramble where you’re basically praying to make it past the third vine. It’s old-school hard, but in that way where you keep muttering “one more try” at 2 AM.

Controls are straightforward: arrows to move, Z/X for jumps and grabs. No fancy combos here—just pure, sweaty-palm platforming. If you dig this, the Sonic 2 mods or other NES classics might scratch the same itch.