I'm wondering if the bad blood between Nintendo and its former developer-for-hire, Ikegami Tsushinki, was the reason Nintendo wasn't allowed to use the arcade Donkey Kong's program code? The lawsuit began in 1983 (after the release of Donkey Kong, Jr.) and finally ended in 1990. Certainly not all was well in this relationship.
I re-iterate: Do you think Nintendo was the real loser here?
If that is the case, then Ikegami permanently (?) owns the whole arcade DK (and DK, Jr.) program code, and thus Nintendo is screwed out of ever using it again, correct (as a result of the settlement)?
Ikegami also developed program codes for arcade games published by other companies, like Sega's Congo Bongo. Could that mean Ikegami could ultimately screw the publishers of their money since they never credited Ikegami with development?
~Ben