The Game & Watch title Donkey Kong Circus, released 3 years after the original Donkey Kong, may be set as a prequel to the original Donkey Kong. It is said that it was Mario who unwittingly started the conflict by mistreating his pet, and the scene depicted in Donkey Kong Circus may be an example of this mistreatment, if Mario is taming him to perform rather than being a mere audience member. However, the relationship between the two in this instance seems to be good-natured.

The model numbers of the Game & Watch titles Donkey Kong Circus and Mickey Mouse (Panorama) appear to have been flipped by mistake, as Donkey Kong Circus has the model number "MK-96" while Mickey Mouse has "DC-95".