Oh yeah, geocachers — it’s on like Donkey Kong!

We’re taking it back to old skool like an old fool with a Geocache of the Week that combines the retro-arcade fun of Donkey Kong with another, like, totally rad hobby: geocaching!

Remember Mario, the love-sick plumber who tirelessly climbed ladders and jumped barrels to rescue his beloved Pauline from the clutches of a very angry gorilla? Almost 40 years after the original Donkey Kong video game was released, cache owner CacheDweeb created a gadget cache to make any OG geocacher say, Whoa, dude. That’s like, totally rad!

The cache is patterned after claw machine games still seen in malls. The object is to pick up a marble from the bottom of the cache with a magnet (attached to a string), and bring it to the top. Holes in each tier allow the string, magnet, and marble to pass through until the marble is brought all the way up. When the string is pulled, the marble is released then falls into a hole inside the cache. This triggers a lever that pushes open a drawer containing the log.

This cache typically takes about 5-10 minutes of playing to get the magnet to the bottom, grab the marble, bring it to the top, then release it to open the cache drawer.

CacheDweeb came up with the idea through the private Gadget Cache Builders group of which he’s a member. Similar to magician’s oath to protect trade secrets, this group keeps things hush-hush to avoid spoilers. However, they do share their skills, experience, friendship, and love of geocaching with each other.

All of his hides are gadget caches and he also belongs to the C-Mass Geofest committee who work with the Sturbridge, Massachusetts Tourist Association and local Chamber of Commerce.

But wait, there’s more. This CO recently figured out how easy it is to add sounds to gadget caches, so now Donkey Kong video game music plays when the door to this cache is opened. Righteous!

He hopes that will put a smile on peoples faces and bring people back to happy memories of their childhood. And that, geocachers, is gnarly.

Continue to explore some of the most amazing geocaches around the world.
Check out all of the Geocaches of the Week on the Geocaching blog. If you would like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, fill out this form.