Jungle King

Company: Taito Year: 1982 Resource: junglek

Jungle King has four levels, each of which could be considered a separate game in its own right. It is notable that this game scrolls right to left, while the vast majority of scrollers go from left to right, although most people probably wouldn't even notice that.

• The first level may have been the best level in the game. You use your jump button to move from right to left across a series of swinging ropes, while avoiding the monkeys that can send you falling to the ground. This level is easy to master, but you do have to time your jumps to make it to the next vine.
• The second level is a swimming sequence. You move Tarzan around in the crocodile infested water. You have a breath meter here that you must watch to avoid drowning (simply swim up to the surface to get more air). You can stab the crocodiles with your knife, but only when their mouths are not all the way open.
• The third level is a rock jumping sequence. Simply use your joystick and jump button to leap over rolling boulders as you climb a hill on the way to your eventual goal.
• The fourth and final level has you guiding your intrepid hero through a native village. You have to jump the villagers while their spears are down, and eventually make your way towards Jane who is being lowered into a pot to be boiled for supper.

You then get to view a short 'I Love You' ending, and then the game begins again with increased difficulty.

Jungle King was the first 'side-scrolling, jumping & attacking game with a humanoid character', appearing in arcades three years before Miyamoto's classic Super Mario Bros. This was also the first video game ever to feature Tarzan as a playable character. But, Taito never bothered to get permission from the estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs, so they were sued for copyright infringement for using Tarzan's likeness. So this title quickly went out of production, and is rather rare today. They later reworked the graphics and released this game as Jungle Hunt. A reworked version of this game is known as Pirate Pete. (arcade-history)

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Jungle King™ to the rescue…and to the top of the charts!

Each stage in the rescue attempt requires a different skill, a different defense or plan of attack. Sometimes only a quick, instinctive reaction will work; other times strategy must be matched with delicate timing for success. It's this variety of play, of characters and situations that is keeping players at the controls…and keeping earnings on an upward swing!