Mario vs. Donkey Kong Review

Game: Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Genre: Action, Puzzle
System: Nintendo Switch
Developers | Publishers: Nintendo
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Price: US $49.99 | UK £39.99 | EU € 49,99
Release Date: February 16th, 2024

No review code was used, as I purchased the game myself.

Mario is back again on the Nintendo Switch after his successful outing last year in Super Mario Bros Wonder. This time, Mario teams up with his old rival, Donkey Kong, in the remake of the 2004 Game Boy Advance game Mario vs. Donkey Kong.

I did play the Game Boy Advance version, but since it was twenty years ago, my memory of it now is non-existent. So, a remake on my favourite handheld, the Switch, felt like a good time to hop back into the game and remember what I had forgotten.

The Story of Mario vs. Donkey Kong

A 3D animated image in Mario vs Donkey Kong featuring a brown monkey with a surprised expression, looking over its shoulder. In the background, there's a storefront with a blue door, two covered windows, and a red 'SOLD OUT SALE' sign with an exclamation point above it. The setting appears to be a sunny, urban street with green shrubbery to the sides. — Donkey Kong’s worst nightmare has come true: all the toys are sold out.

The Mushroom Kingdom’s newest toy, the Mini Mario, is super popular, and Donkey Kong wants them all to himself. When he can’t find any in the stores, he raids Mario’s Toy Factory, grabbing all the Mini Marios and scattering them across the jungle, lava-filled mountains, factories, and more. So, of course, being the heroic plumber that he is, Mario has to chase after Donkey Kong to retrieve his Mini Mario toys.

Along the way, Mario faces various puzzle and platforming challenges in different worlds. Mario’s revamped adventure is expanded from the six worlds of the GBA version to eight, with two new worlds added: Merry Mini-Land and the Slippery Summit.

In the main game, each of the eight worlds has nine levels: six regular levels, one Mini-Mario level, one Donkey Kong level, and one bonus Toad level, so there is plenty to keep you playing for a while.

Puzzling, Platforming and Collect Gifts

Screenshot from Mario vs. Donkey Kong. The central character, dressed in blue overalls, a red shirt, and a red cap, stands at the beginning of a level with the words 'HERE WE GO!' displayed in large, colorful block letters above. The game level features typical elements such as question mark blocks, a green pipe, and a red springboard. The background shows a whimsical cityscape with buildings resembling the character's attire and the number '05' indicating remaining lives and '120' suggesting the time or score. — Puzzling and platforming

The gameplay is a mixture of puzzling and platforming, with each level divided into two parts. First, you have to locate a key and carry it through the level to a locked door. Behind the locked door, you’ll find another stage within the level, where a trapped Mario toy waits in a bubble; that’s your goal.

A screenshot from Mario vs. Donkey Kong set in an industrial indoor environment with wooden rafters and metal platforms. The character, wearing blue overalls, a red shirt, and a red cap, stands on the ground level beside a row of blue Toads. Above are conveyor belts and a red ladder leading to a platform with a question mark block. The top left of the screen displays '07' indicating lives remaining and three empty item slots, while the top right shows '090' likely indicating the level timer. — Rescue the Mini Marios

Within each course, three gifts can also be collected as an optional task. But for those of us who like to 100 per cent score for every game, these are easy enough to grab as you make your way toward the keys and Mario toys. Keep in mind, you are racing against the clock, so you don’t want to hang around for long before tracking down those presents.

At the end of each world, there are two final courses. One is where Mario guides the Mini Marios back to a toy box. And a second where Mario faces Donkey Kong and must throw barrels at him until he moves to the next world; it’s similar to a boss level.

On every level, Mario has to climb ladders, swing on monkey tails, activate or deactivate coloured blocks, cross pits, and find keys. In the special stages, you need to guide Mini Marios to a toy box, helping them cross ravines and dodge enemies to stay out of harm’s way.

A New Play Style and Co-op

A vibrant screenshot from Mario vs Donkey Kong. The scene is set in a lush jungle with palm trees in the background. The main character, dressed in blue overalls and a red cap, is accompanied by three smaller characters in similar attire, all standing on a red, moving platform. To the left, there is a yellow springboard and a floating platform with spikes underneath. The top left of the screen shows a star with 'x13', indicating lives, and five collected pink coins. The top right includes a timer symbol with infinity, suggesting unlimited time for the level. — Casual mode with the save flag

Mario vs. Donkey Kong has two playstyle modes: a new casual and the classic playstyle from the GBA game. In casual mode, if Mario comes into contact with an enemy, instead of getting a Game Over screen and restarting the level, he goes into a bubble. He floats back to a safe spot so you can try again; it’s the same as the bubble/checkpoint system used in Super Mario Bros Wonder. Having causal mode opens the game up to more players who would have been frustrated by playing the classic mode, as it’s more of a challenge.

New co-op mode

This remake also features lovely enhanced graphics and co-op two-player with Toad as the second-player character, so I tried out the two-player mode with my non-gaming partner. When playing co-operatively, in most levels, a second floating grey key is to be found, this adds another layer of strategy to the stage. When I first saw the grey key, I was curious if it would work, so initially, to me, it felt like it was a lazy way of adding a 2-player to Mario vs. Donkey Kong, but I was wrong.

It’s great fun, and having the second key often forces you and your gaming partner to work together in imaginative ways, as long as you communicate with one another without shouting. Playing with a friend can also make difficult late-game stages easier since you can split up to finish the level. For example, my gaming partner hit the hard-to-reach Switch while I ran through the gate, though that only happened when we could coordinate ourselves properly…..which wasn’t often!

Relaxed and Enjoyable Vibe

A screenshot from Mario vs. Donkey Kong with an urban backdrop featuring pastel-colored buildings. In the foreground, the main character in blue overalls and a red cap is on the left, looking towards a complex network of green pipes. There's a character with a mushroom cap trapped in a bubble in the center of the pipes. Various game elements are visible, such as a red springboard, question mark blocks, and barrels with 'OIL' written on them indicating obstacles or enemies. The top left corner shows 'x02' indicating the remaining lives, and the top right displays two game icons, one with flames and the other with a fruit, next to '+120' points and a timer with '051' seconds left. — Collect the Mini Mario at the end of the level.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong’s gameplay has a relaxed and enjoyable vibe. It’s a slower, more methodical experience, as one hit means death in classic mode.

So, you need to do a little thinking as to how to approach each level since one hit means death. It’s the type of puzzle game you’ll play for a bit, have a great time, and it leaves you feeling positive and content afterwards.

Visuals and Music

n this screenshot from Mario vs. Donkey Kong, the main character in blue overalls and red shirt is mid-jump towards a red crate in an industrial setting with visible pipes and chains. A large brown ape character is standing on a green and gray platform, surrounded by color-coded buttons. The background features dark machinery and brown boxes. The top left corner shows 'x05', indicating the number of lives, and the top right corner has a timer with '171' seconds remaining. Four 'DK' icons suggest a connection to the ape character or level objectives. — Hit Donkey Kong with barrels

After I familiarised myself with some older images I realised that the game looked surprisingly good on the GBA, the Switch version looks even better, with full HD and re-textures of nearly everything.

The levels have been given a lot of detail, and enemies have been made to look more like toys. Mario has little touches of improved animation; I love the way he balances himself or performs a double jump on the ice; it’s the little touch-ups I like.

The soundtrack has also got a complete makeover, swapping out the GBA music for live instrumentals. The music in this game is great, keeping the original arrangements but greatly improving them with new instruments and tones that fit the levels even better.

A screenshot from Mario vs. Donkey Kong showing a lava-filled environment with rocky backdrops. The character, wearing blue overalls and a red cap, is mid-jump between two floating blue conveyor belts with red dashed outlines indicating their movement path. Below, a bright orange pool of lava glows, with two small platforms floating above it. The top left corner shows a star with 'x12', suggesting the number of lives left, and the top right displays a timer with '109' seconds remaining for the level completion. — It’s hot stuff Mario; watch out!

Conclusion

Mario vs. Donkey Kong’s simplicity makes it perfect for quick gaming sessions during quiet moments. Plus, with the new 2-Player mode, you can enjoy the fun with a friend.

It’s well-designed, and the different mechanics and level themes keep it from getting boring. Even though it’s not trying to do too much, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is still a charming game that offers a break from more complicated puzzles, a throwback to simpler times and a joy to play.

Final Verdict: Two thumbs Up