Have you ever wished to experience the thrill of feeling miniature, just like Mario did when faced with his towering seven-foot gorilla adversary? On Monday, the Strong National Museum of Play unveiled its ambitious plans to develop a monumental, 20-foot-tall Donkey Kong arcade cabinet. This cabinet is set to be nearly four times larger than the original 1981 version, yet it will be fully playable, eliminating the need for any quarters. This exciting project is sure to captivate both retro gaming enthusiasts and newcomers alike as they engage with this iconic piece of gaming history.

Nintendo is famously protective of its intellectual property, yet the dedicated team at the museum leading this project revealed they are working closely with the Japanese gaming giant to ensure that this oversized version stays true to the spirit of the original game. Jon-Paul Dyson, director of The Strong’s National Center for the History of Electronic Games, shared insights with Gizmodo during a phone interview, explaining that their team received valuable feedback from Nintendo of America and subsequently presented their work to the company for approval on this groundbreaking supersized cabinet. The construction of this massive Donkey Kong is set to begin in the coming months, with a grand unveiling planned at the museum’s Rochester, New York location on June 30.

Transforming a classic game designed for CRT televisions into a modern experience on a large flatscreen proves to be quite challenging. The engineers at The Strong Museum are utilizing an authentic motherboard from the original Donkey Kong arcade machine, carefully adapting it to a Home Arcade System Supergun JAMMA interface. To enhance the gaming experience, a backup emulator motherboard is also employed to upscale the RGB output to a striking 1.56mm pixel pitch LED display. While players won’t interact with the oversized control panel directly on the cabinet, a separate configuration will ensure that even individuals resembling the height of characters from New Donk City can enjoy the gameplay comfortably.

Andrew Borman, the digital games curator at The Strong, emphasized that the original motherboard remains largely unaltered, aside from essential maintenance. By utilizing this piece of technology from the original cabinet, the team is committed to providing an authentic video, sound, and gameplay experience that players expect and cherish from their gaming memories.

Recreating vintage video games on contemporary hardware presents a unique set of challenges, particularly when it involves scaling them to the extent that The Strong Museum is planning. Dyson explained that within the emulator community, there are specific elements referred to as “significant properties” which define what makes a game feel authentic. This encompasses a range of factors, such as how colored pixels are displayed on the screen and the responsiveness of the controls. The museum is even taking into account the perspective of players; traditionally, players at the 1981 arcade machines were positioned directly at or slightly below eye level with the screen. However, in this case, unless you’re as towering as Donkey Kong himself, you’ll likely be gazing up at the impressive display at The Strong.

“One of our primary challenges lies in grasping the original hardware configuration and understanding how any modification could affect the overall gameplay experience,” Borman explained. “This same level of detail applies to the controls, as the sensation and feedback from the Donkey Kong joystick and buttons play a crucial role in shaping the entire gaming experience.”

Dyson noted that The Strong is not attempting to compare itself with other supersized arcade cabinets, such as CES 2020’s 16-foot-tall NBA Jam created by Arcade1Up, renowned for their retro arcade machines. However, he emphasized that even though the original Donkey Kong arcade cabinet emerged relatively late in the arcade era, it marked a pivotal moment in gaming history. It was the first instance where players could control Nintendo’s iconic character Mario within the U.S. market, a significant achievement that paved the way for Nintendo’s successful launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System in America in 1985. This development also solidified Shigeru Miyamoto’s status as a leading figure in the gaming industry, a legacy that continues to this day.

This monumental cabinet is part of the museum’s expanded ESL Digital Worlds gallery exhibit, designed to highlight the extensive history of play within popular culture. Featuring this gigantic cabinet serves as a striking representation of that enduring gaming legacy.

“When the meteoric rise of arcade gaming occurred, Donkey Kong was one of the few games that managed to thrive,” Dyson remarked. “In this regard, Mario serves as a living connection we have to the rich history of gaming.”

The colossal cabinet is a central feature of The Strong’s $65 million expansion, set to be unveiled on June 30 in Rochester, New York. According to museum officials, this impressive cabinet will be prominently showcased as soon as visitors step through the door, setting the stage for a remarkable gaming experience.