Mario Vs Donkey Kong Review

Some rivalries will outlast time itself. Cats vs Dogs, Pepsi Vs Coke, and of course, Mario Vs Donkey Kong. This game is obviously about the latter. Originally released on the Gameboy Advance, Mario and Donkey Kong tells the story of a Mario Mini toy shortage, driving Donkey Kong mad so he steals all of the mini Mario figurines right from the factory. Mario must protect his mini Mario’s as well as his profit margins to get them back. What’s it Like? Put on your denim denim denim, get your Mario cap, and prepare to do a stocktake as we review Mario Vs Donkey Kong on the Nintendo Switch.

For those who never played the original, Mario Vs Donkey Kong plays like the NES classic, Donkey Kong Jr, with each stage comprising of 2 phases. The first phase is collecting items and a key. The key cannot be carried up ladders, and should you drop it, resets after 12 seconds, meaning you sometimes have to get creative about how you will get it to the door. The second phase sees you collecting the last of the items, and rescuing the mini somewhere on the level. You can use R to freelook to plan out your approach, which is a good feature but one I seldom used. These levels are broken down into worlds, with 6 levels each, plus a toy level, and finally a boss battle. The game is relatively easy as I feel it’s aimed at a younger audience, but I still did find myself getting caught out on one or 2 levels. Boss battles with Donkey Kong are also forgiving, allowing you to get hit a few times at the cost of your perfect score.

There are some bonus 1-up levels mixed in with the game that are somewhat akin to Quidditch, giving you an allotted timeframe to catch the golden key, while grabbing as many 1-up mushrooms as you can. These were a welcome side step to break up some of the other puzzler levels, and I enjoyed the variety of objectives throughout. There is also a 2 player mode that allows players to team up to tackle objectives. It’s well thought out and sees Toad join Mario, adding an extra key to find to unlock the door, as well as sharing the spare lives pool. I only got to play a few levels in Co-op mode, but it had a lot more depth than I was expecting, and I’m looking forward to playing some more levels with my kids (who I’m making Toad.)

Instead of a simple HD upgrade, Mario Vs Donkey Kong has been given a gorgeous visual upgrade, sporting bright, detailed environments, beautifully animated characters, and Donkey Kong even has rendered fur. Much like most Nintendo First Party games, Mario Vs Donkey Kong is a visual treat with a bright and varied colour palette. The game runs smoothly at a solid framerate, and the animations are both fluid and well-animated. The minis, in particular, are humorous and full of charm, from trying to jump up to Mario, to calling out to him should he wander too far. It’s very close to Super Mario Wonder’s attention to detail, minus a few new expressive features, but even so, enemies have a panicked look on their faces when you reach for the hammer, as well as a lot of other nice touches here and there. The vibrant graphics are backed with a big brass band soundtrack that’s snazzy and catchy, rarely overstaying its welcome.

The difficulty curve is well done for the younger ones, slowly introducing tougher enemies and move sets to help you accomplish your goals. Some enemies force you to stay on the move, especially as nearly all avian life wants to target our hero with some well-timed… missiles. Players can also switch between normal mode, and casual mode, which is especially handy for the little ones making the game a more forgiving experience.

What is a little disappointing is that I just wish there was more here to get stuck into. The campaign will only take about 5 hours or so to knock over, and while the multiplayer mode might give it a little more replayability, it’s not going to be a game you keep coming back to unfortunately. For the younger audience, Mario Vs Donkey Kong will most likely be a decent challenge, and as it’s aimed at a more younger market, it will be right up their alley. But as an adult gamer, it’s a nice little distraction that may keep you busy for a weekend of light gaming.

All in all, Mario Vs Donkey Kong is a great game with the usual Nintendo charm and polish we have come to expect. Unfortunately, it falls a bit short in both replayability and game time but is a perfect game for a slightly younger audience that will enjoy a carefully balanced challenge. I really enjoyed my time with Mario Vs Donkey Kong, I just wish there was a little bit more of it.

So What’s it Like? Mario Vs Donkey Kong is like a cross between Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr.