Jack
- This article is about the spring-like obstacle that first appears in Donkey Kong. For the Toad Force V character from Mario Party Advance, see Jack (character). For the obstacle also called a piston, see Skewer.
- Not to be confused with Trampoline.
| Jack | |
|---|---|
 A jack from the original arcade version of Donkey Kong | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong (1981) |
| Latest appearance | Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (cameo) (2025) |
| Effect | Defeats or damages the player. |
Jacks[1] (also called mad springs,[2] springs,[3][4] I-beams,[5] or pistons[6]) are obstacles first appearing in Donkey Kong.
History[edit]
Donkey Kong[edit]
In the Donkey Kong arcade game, jacks are constantly bouncing and dropping near Donkey Kong on 75m. If Mario gets hit by a jack, he loses a life. Jacks do not appear in the ColecoVision and TI-99/4A ports of Donkey Kong due to technical limitations. However, they do return in the Donkey Kong arcade game port included in Donkey Kong 64. The jump board from Donkey Kong Jr. closely resembles a jack.
In the Game Boy version, jacks are thrown by Donkey Kong instead of spawning from his position. Negating them with a handstand causes them to fall off-screen like most enemies and obstacles, instead of becoming usable like barrels.
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" in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis[edit]
Jacks appear in B2 in DK's Hideout in Mario 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 in Donkey Kong, spawning from Donkey Kong's position and bouncing towards the girder structure below. If a Mini Mario without a shield comes into contact with a jack, the Mini Mario breaks.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Jacks are hazards in 75 m, a stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super 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 the Ω form of 75 m in the latter two games.
Additional names[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 of Donkey Kong[page number needed]
- ^ Instruction manual for the Commodore 64 (Atarisoft) port of Donkey Kong[page number needed]
- ^ Bihldorff, Nate, Jason Leung, and Drew Williams (1999). Donkey Kong 64 Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 127.
- ^ Instruction manual for the Coleco Adam port of Donkey 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). ISBN 0-7615-2279-4. 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
| Donkey Kong | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Donkey Kong • Mario • Pauline |
| Levels | 25m • 50m • 75m • 100m |
| Items and objects | Bolt • Conveyor Belt • 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 |
