Congo's Caper

Lore & Background

The plot of Congo's Caper involves a half-human, half-monkey boy named Congo, who sets out on a quest to rescue his girlfriend after she is abducted by a demon. The player controls Congo across 35 levels set in worlds including a jungle, a mountain range, a pirate ship, a volcano, and a ghost town. Bosses include the demon, a T-Rex, a ninja, a pirate, a mad scientist, and a vampire. If Congo is hit by an enemy, he reverts to his monkey form; if hit again, the player loses a life.

Reader's Guide

Congo's Caper received mixed to positive reception upon release. Nintendo Power praised the game's graphics, controls, password feature, and variety of levels, but noted that it did not do anything that Super Mario World and countless other games had done just as well. AllGame rated it three and a half stars out of five. Power Unlimited gave it a score of 80%, describing it as a fun, varied platform game, but one that would not be remembered by anyone as a seasoning, citing stiff controls and overly easy levels. The game's significance lies in its place within Data East's catalog of Super NES titles and its eventual inclusion in the Joe & Mac Retro Collection, ensuring continued availability on modern platforms.

Did You Know?

• Congo's Caper was developed and published for the Super NES by Data East.
• The game was released in Japan in 1992 and in North America in May 1993.
• It was later released on the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo Classics service on May 26, 2022.
• The game is planned to be included in a compilation called Joe & Mac Retro Collection, to be released for modern consoles in 2026.