A strange little side quest
The rules may be simple on screen, but the backstory around Turtle Run Adventure is anything but tiny. Donkey Kong arrived in 1981 with a character called Jumpman, who would later become one of gaming's most recognizable figures: Mario. The broader history adds one more wrinkle. Early computer role-playing games helped turn rules, inventories, exploration and character progression into systems that could support long-form digital adventures. That history is one reason familiar mechanics can still feel new when they are recombined well.
