Retro 8-Bit Donkey Kong T-ShirtDonkey Kong debuted in his very own arcade game in 1981. He is a large, powerful, muscular gorilla who kidnapped Jumpman's girlfriend Pauline, then took refuge on a construction site and tossed barrels at Jumpman to keep him away. Donkey Kong became one of the most popular arcade games of all time, and when the gorilla started appearing in Nintendo Entertainment System video games, he became a true icon and a spirit animal for gamers everywhere.