here's how i've transcribed,by ear,the bar bones of the donkey kong theme's main riff:

e--------5---------------------------6----------5------------|
B-----------------6-8-6-----------------------8---8-5--------|
G---5--5----------------7--------7-7-------------------------|
D------------------------------------------------------------|
A------------------------------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------------|

e-------8--------------8--10---------------------------------|
B---5-5----------10-11-----------------8-10-----------8------|
G-----------------------------------10-----------9-10--------|
D------------------------------------------------------------|
A------------------------------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------------------------------|


that's the main riff,the bare bones of the song.