Mario vs Donkey Kong - Review

It is no secret that Mario vs Donkey Kong is a remake of the first entry in the series, which released on GameBoy Advance as a puzzle platformer. This release has updated the games visual look, going from a fine if basic flat pixel look, to a more 3D style, likely due to the available power the Switch provides. The change is a welcome update, even though the overall visual aesthetic is still relatively simple, but a visual upgrade alone does not a good game make. So the real question we need to ask, does the gameplay hold up today for those who have memories of the original and even more importantly, does it welcome in those who never played it before.

First off, the games narrative is extremely simplistic, this is a Mario game after all, so players of all ages will be able to follow along with ease. The opening cutscene is really the main meat of the story, in a nutshell Donkey Kong sees that new Mario mini figures have been made and are a collectable toy and given his propensity to horde bananas, we know he likes collecting things. However by the time he arrives to pick up one of his very own, the store is completely sold out and rather than going to a different store, he does what any sane ape would do, heads right to the factory. Bursting into the Mario Toy Company, he quickly discovers a heap of the toys in the open and bags them up for himself, literally. Fleeing the scene of his crime, Mario spots him running away and is clued in on what is going on right away and then gives chase, in the hopes of getting the Mini Marios back.

The game begins by placing Mario inside the Mario Toy Company and then gives you a series of levels that act as a tutorial for all you need to know about the games mechanics. As you progress through the game, Donkey Kong will escape from each world to new ones, such as Donkey Kong Jungle, Fire Mountain and Merry Mini-land, just to name a few. In the true classic Mario way, each world has a host of familiar elements all of which culminates in a boss fight against Donkey Kong himself. However, prior to engaging in the fight you will need to collect a series of items from each of the stages ahead of the final one. That means collecting a key to get through to the next stage, a Mini Mario figure that fell from the sack as Donkey Kong fled through the stage and even a few presents littered around the place. After a while you might think it’s just a repeating pattern, but the game does change things up with the final level before the boss fight. These levels are more like the later games in the series or if you are an older gamer like myself, Lemmings, where you need to direct a set of the Mini Mario toys along a path to the toy chest.

All of that likely sounds challenging and for the seasoned player the games default difficulty level Classic, will ensure you get the same challenge that was first offered back in 2004. This mode is fairly easy to understand, each stage you enter gives you a timer to complete all the actions by, but if you take a hit whilst in the stage you lose and have to start over from the beginning of the stage. If that sounds to much for you, or you just want a bit of an easier time, the game does offer a new Casual mode, something that was not in the original release. This mode drops the timer from the stage, which alone makes a massive difference, but it also adds checkpoints throughout the stage. That means if you are near the end of the stage and you get hit, you won’t have to restart all over again. The other thing that it does is keeps your present collectables in your inventory, meaning you won’t have to get them each time you go back to a checkpoint.

If you are someone who either wants to play with someone else, or looking for something a little different, the game does offer a local co-op mode. In this mode player one is Mario and player two is Toad and while the stages are mostly the same, they do have a few little differences to accommodate the second player. While the changes to the stages are nice, the game was not originally built for multiplayer, so it can feel a little forced at times, but regardless it is a nice addition to have. Once you have beaten the game for the first time, extra modes are also unlocked, including a time attack mode, for when the timer was not painful enough and a new expert difficulty mode. Both modes do extend the games replayability a fair bit, but only if you are someone who wants to test themselves in new ways, either way its nice to see them added. There are also a few other extras to discover, but those are something best left for you to discover on your own, of if you don’t want to wait, a google search will also reveal them.

Overall, Mario vs Donkey Kong is an extremely fun 2D puzzle platformer, that has kept its core gameplay intact, whilst embracing its completely updated visual design, which is not an easy thing to do. For those concerned that the gameplay or controls would still feel like they were pulled from 2004, worry not as they feel quite modern and never got in the way of the fun. For some that haven’t played the original game, like myself, you’d never even know this was a remake. The only criticism is that players might find it a little too easy, but for those who don’t it is nice to see Classic mode added. However, playing through the levels definitely brings back memories to the glory days of puzzles and 2D platformers of the 90s. If you grew up playing the likes of Lemmings, The Lost Vikings or even Worms, you’ll go bananas over Mario vs Donkey Kong.

The Score

8.0

Review code provided by Nintendo

The Pros

A fun puzzle platformer that brings nostalgia from the 90s to the modern day

Updated graphics are a welcomed change, but still manages to feel right

The Cons

It could be a little to easy for some gamers, which feels like a misstep

The games main mode can feel a little short, especially if you are not into extra modes