Screenshots
Monkey Magic
Monkey Magic is an action arcade game released by Nintendo in 1979. Players control a monkey navigating through stages filled with obstacles and enemies. The gameplay involves jumping and maneuvering to avoid hazards while collecting items or reaching specific goals. As an early Nintendo arcade title, it reflects the company's experimentation with action mechanics before the widespread success of Donkey Kong. Controls are straightforward, using a joystick to move and a button to jump or interact. The game features multiple stages that increase in difficulty as players progress, with each screen presenting new arrangements of obstacles to overcome. Monkey Magic represents an early example of Nintendo's arcade output during the late 1970s.
- Developer
- Nintendo
- Released
- 1979
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Rating
- 4.5 / 5 (5K)
- Last updated
Monkey Magic Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Monkey Magic on our in-browser Arcade emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Joystick Up | Move up |
| ↓ | Joystick Down | Move down |
| ← | Joystick Left | Move left |
| → | Joystick Right | Move right |
| X | Button 1 | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | Button 2 | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| S | Button 3 | Tertiary action |
| A | Button 4 | Quaternary action |
| Q | Button 5 | Fifth button |
| W | Button 6 | Sixth button |
| 5 | Insert Coin | Insert coin |
| 1 | 1P Start | Start / Pause |
Coin and Start are convention "Insert Coin: 5" and "1P Start: 1". Some arcade boards expect specific button mappings — check the in-game prompts on coin-up.
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Monkey Magic Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Monkey Magic on Arcade before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Monkey Magic" Arcade longplay 1979
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Monkey Magic released?
Monkey Magic was released in 1979 for the Arcade.
Who developed Monkey Magic?
Monkey Magic was developed by Nintendo, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
What type of game is Monkey Magic?
Monkey Magic is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Monkey Magic for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Monkey Magic runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Monkey Magic in the browser?
No. Monkey Magic streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Monkey Magic?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original Arcade cartridge supported.
Does Monkey Magic work on mobile devices?
Yes — the Arcade emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Monkey Magic this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Monkey Magic. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
