Donkey Kong was the first commercially released arcade game designed by Shigeru Miyamoto.
Nintendo released Donkey Kong in 1981 after Miyamoto was asked to develop a new arcade project. The game placed a jumping hero, originally called Jumpman, in a construction site where he climbed platforms and avoided barrels thrown by a giant ape. Its character-driven structure helped distinguish it from many abstract shooting and paddle games of the period.
Donkey Kong was also important for Nintendo's international arcade business. The character later known as Mario became the company's enduring mascot, while Donkey Kong received a series of sequels and spin-offs. Miyamoto had worked at Nintendo before this project, but Donkey Kong was his first game to reach commercial release, making it the appropriate answer rather than a later Mario title.