The Strong Museum of Play has announced plans to construct the world's largest playable Donkey Kong arcade cabinet as part of its 2023 expansion.
The custom machine will stand approximately 20 feet tall and will be playable from an external control panel positioned directly in front of the cabinet, offering museum visitors a hands-on, oversized take on the 1981 arcade classic.
Donkey Kong, developed and released by Nintendo in 1981 and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto, is widely cited as a turning point for the company.
The arcade original introduced the character who would become Mario and helped establish Nintendo's future foothold in video games after earlier struggles in the coin-operated market.
The Strong's project is explicitly framed as a celebration of that legacy and of the cultural impact of arcade gaming.
Museum staff described The Strong as a hands-on, collections-focused institution dedicated to the history and exploration of play.
Located in downtown Rochester, New York, the museum is home to the World Video Game Hall of Fame and maintains an extensive collection of video game artifacts and consoles.
The announcement, made in April 2023, positions the oversized Donkey Kong cabinet as both an exhibit piece and an interactive attraction.
The museum will allow visitors to play the machine through the external controls, giving a physical, public-facing experience of an arcade classic rather than a behind-the-glass display.
Donkey Kong began life as a coin-operated arcade title and was subsequently ported and reissued across numerous home systems and compilations over the decades.
The character and game continue to be referenced across Nintendo's catalog, and Nintendo often highlights classic franchises in events such as Nintendo Direct and via digital storefronts like the Nintendo eShop.
By commissioning a record-setting, playable cabinet, The Strong underscores the ongoing public appetite for tangible, nostalgic experiences tied to video game history.
The project adds a high-profile, interactive centerpiece to the museum's existing mission of documenting and exhibiting the cultural history of play, while directly honoring one of Nintendo's earliest and most influential arcade successes.
The custom machine will stand approximately 20 feet tall and will be playable from an external control panel positioned directly in front of the cabinet, offering museum visitors a hands-on, oversized take on the 1981 arcade classic.
Donkey Kong, developed and released by Nintendo in 1981 and designed by Shigeru Miyamoto, is widely cited as a turning point for the company.
The arcade original introduced the character who would become Mario and helped establish Nintendo's future foothold in video games after earlier struggles in the coin-operated market.
The Strong's project is explicitly framed as a celebration of that legacy and of the cultural impact of arcade gaming.
Museum staff described The Strong as a hands-on, collections-focused institution dedicated to the history and exploration of play.
Located in downtown Rochester, New York, the museum is home to the World Video Game Hall of Fame and maintains an extensive collection of video game artifacts and consoles.
The announcement, made in April 2023, positions the oversized Donkey Kong cabinet as both an exhibit piece and an interactive attraction.
The museum will allow visitors to play the machine through the external controls, giving a physical, public-facing experience of an arcade classic rather than a behind-the-glass display.
Donkey Kong began life as a coin-operated arcade title and was subsequently ported and reissued across numerous home systems and compilations over the decades.
The character and game continue to be referenced across Nintendo's catalog, and Nintendo often highlights classic franchises in events such as Nintendo Direct and via digital storefronts like the Nintendo eShop.
By commissioning a record-setting, playable cabinet, The Strong underscores the ongoing public appetite for tangible, nostalgic experiences tied to video game history.
The project adds a high-profile, interactive centerpiece to the museum's existing mission of documenting and exhibiting the cultural history of play, while directly honoring one of Nintendo's earliest and most influential arcade successes.
