Congo Bongo (1983). Play online

Summary

Congo Bongo (also called Tip Top) popped up in Sega’s arcade lineup in ’83 as a bold isometric response to Nintendo’s Donkey Kong. You play a red‑nosed safari hunter chasing a mischievous ape named Bongo after the primate sets the hunter’s tent ablaze. The perspective folds the jungle into a three‑dimensional grid, letting you hop up cliffs, ride hippos, and dodge rolling rhinos without scrolling.

The cabinet did well in Japan, ranking fifth on Game Machine’s June‑1983 list, and after an initially weak U.S. debut it became a staple in arcades, praised for turning the classic platform formula “into three dimensions.” Home ports exploded onto the market—Apple II, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, Atari 2600/5200, Intellivision, MS‑X, and dozens of others—earning several Arkie Awards for audio‑visual effects despite mixed reviews about control feel.

Decades later the original arcade version resurfaced as an unlockable in the Sega Genesis Collections for PSP and the Ultimate Genesis Collection on modern consoles, and a refreshed remake landed on PS2 under the Sega Ages series.

Storyline

In Congo Bongo, you play as a red‑nosed safari explorer whose tent has been torched by a mischievous ape named Bongo. The game’s four distinct screens each challenge you to race from the lower‑left corner toward the ape’s position, which appears on the right or upper‑right side of the screen. Your objective is to out‑run the flames and capture Bongo before he escapes. The simple yet frantic chase captures the classic arcade spirit of timing and quick reflexes.