Thank your own personal deity—possibly Melinoë—it’s Friday! Depending on where you are, there’s a fair-to-certain chance that it’s going to be a mighty chilly weekend, so you’d best get some indoor entertainment sorted. Personally, I’d go make a quick (and free and easily cancellable) 30 day Amazon Prime Gaming account to secure the many free games on offer. Otherwise, there’s my usual list of Cheap Stuff Worth Getting laid out below.

Meanwhile, in retro news, I’m commemorating the 43rd birthday of a true arcade cab classic, Donkey Kong. This one, I cannot confess to playing at launch—I wasn’t old enough to stand, or not poop myself, let alone grip a stick and go leaping/hammering barrels to save Pauline. To say gamers were taken by Shigeru Miyamoto’s brilliantly designed platformer is quite the understatement; that OG Donkey Kong spawned a franchise of ports, spin-offs, and sequels that has endured to this very day. The last revenue estimate we have for the DK empire? Five billion dollars (A$7.6bn). Which is bananas.

This Day in Gaming

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

– Donkey Kong (ARC) 1981. Get

– Dr. Mario (NES) 1991. Get

– NBA 2K (DC) 2000. Sequel

– Aggressive Inline (PS2) 2002. Ebay