Today, as part of the 90,000 square-foot expansion, the Strong National Museum of Play, home to the World Video Game Hall of Fame, has announced that they will create the world’s largest, playable Donkey Kong arcade game. It will stand nearly 20 feet tall and will be a prominent feature in the expansion which is dedicated to the history of video games. Nintendo of America is providing input on the project which will open on June 30, 2023.

As part of our June 30 expansion, The Strong will create the world’s largest, playable Donkey Kong arcade game. The game will stand nearly 20-feet tall and will be available for guests to play! Thank you @NintendoAmerica for providing input on the project.#DonkeyKong #Arcade pic.twitter.com/xQhsRVvCib

— The Strong Museum (@museumofplay) April 10, 2023

With the new machine, Donkey Kong will be about 370% bigger than the original and will be constructed from an aluminum frame with an MDF fiberboard. It will run with a motherboard from an original Donkey Kong cabinet, mirroring the original gameplay and experience as close as possible.

Players will stand at a pedestal beneath the screen and use a regular-sized control panel that replicates the original joystick and buttons.

“Donkey Kong is a true titan in the video game world—both in terms of character size and the iconic status of the game—so it lends itself perfectly to this playful, whimsical installation,” says Jon-Paul Dyson, PhD, vice president for exhibits at The Strong. “The museum’s expansion will provide a new and bigger home for the World Video Game Hall of Fame, and fittingly, Donkey Kong was inducted into the hall in 2017. We’re thankful to Nintendo of America for providing guidance as we create this unique game feature as authentically and true to the original game as possible.”

The world’s largest Donkey Kong arcade game will be visible from the first-floor welcome atrium of the Strong’s expansion. It will be playable just outside the ESL Digital Worlds gallery on the second floor.