Official Review Nintendo Switch Updated

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch)
Official GBAtemp Review

Name: Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Item: Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Rating: 8.5
Author: KiiWii

Product Information:

Release Date (EU): February 16, 2024
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Genres: Puzzle, Platform

Game Features:

Single player

Local Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Co-operative

Review Approach:

Game code provided by the publisher for the purpose of review.

A beloved classic gets a new lease of life, but is it worth £39.99?

It’s difficult to believe that 2004 was two decades ago, and even harder to believe that Mario vs Donkey Kong is just as old, originally releasing for the Game Boy Advance as a semi-sequel to the original 1994 hit Donkey Kong. Since then we’ve seen the two butt heads in kart racing, tennis, and just general fighting, but outside of that there’s actually been six dedicated Mario vs Donkey Kong entries ranging from the DS all the way to the Wii U. Back in the present we see the first game completely remade for the new generation, complete with a fresh time attack mode, two-player coop, refreshed graphics and more. Does this recent release do enough to justify its £40 price tag though?

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A Revitalised Classic

My last look at this series was Tipping Stars all the way back in 2015 when it came out. Tipping Stars was an incredibly safe and incredibly short game, bringing little of note to move the franchise forwards. Compared to that, Mario vs Donkey Kong is an absolute breath of fresh air. The game gives you the option to play both via a classic and casual mode. As you might expect, classic mode preserves the original 2004 experience with just some fresh new graphics to bring it into the current decade. Casual mode by comparison adds in some more modern touches to make the game more accessible than ever, with checkpoints in levels and the lack of a timer make the game less stressful. It’s by no means a difficult game even when played in classic mode, but these changes make it even easier for anybody in the family to hop in; this is especially great when you consider the inclusion of a full coop mode too.

The puzzles on offer feel timeless. Having forgotten much of the original game, I had a great time figuring things out again and occasionally having moments of enjoyable familiarity. The first world acts as a tutorial for the game ahead, introducing your basic movement and goals. From there you’ll see each of the worlds that follow introduce new ideas under set themes, with both the difficulty and complexity steadily increasing too. The levels themselves are split into two sections, where you’ll first have to find a key to progress through a locked door, and then rescue your toy counterparts. This formula is stuck to for the first six levels of a world, with the final two being made up of you guiding your newfound mini companions back to the toy box while collecting tokens to spell out “TOY”, and a confrontation with DK himself to serve as a conclusive boss fight.

If you’ve only seen Mario in any of his Super platforming sagas, you might find this game feeling a little off at first. Though slower and more intentional, you’ll see him maintain most of his standard toolkit, with the addition of fun extras like handstands to stop falling bricks from hurting him. He must be wearing steel toecap boots! You’ll see a good variety of hazards as you play through the game as you ride on enemies, jump on switches, and slowly free the mini mess of marching Marios. I personally found the the later stages to be pretty taxing, with there being no apparent solution until the penny inevitably drops and things just fall into place. I had a great time with this blend of lateral thinking and escape room-esque puzzling; it did a great job of keeping me engaged, to the point of an overrun lunch hour or two!

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Over Too Quickly?

Despite being a good time, I do feel it necessary to address that the included content adds up to maybe six hours of playtime, even for those eager to collect everything in each level. This isn’t an especially long game and I can understand some being underwhelmed to some extent, especially when you consider this doesn’t feature the Japan-exclusive e-reader levels of the original.

I feel there are higher expectations of games in 2024 compared to when the original game released 20 years ago, and this is especially true for remakes where there’s expected to be reasonable and tangible justifications for the price of buying the game again. Mario vs Donkey Kong feels like a well-rounded remake in a number of ways, but I can understand the argument of there not being enough to warrant the £40 asking price. Especially so when you consider the alternative of just adding the original game to a service like Nintendo Switch Online. It’s a fantastic game, don’t get me wrong, but if it were just a touch cheaper at £30 or £35 I could see it being a far more enticing package, especially when stood next to Mario’s more recent adventures at a similar asking price.

Verdict

What We Liked ...

Progressively challenging levels
Two player cooperative
Two extra worlds to explore
Free demo available

What We Didn't Like ...

Just 5-6 hrs of gameplay
No e-Reader levels!?

Gameplay

The gameplay still stands up today as a simple but effective puzzle-platformer that has a nice little retro twist on it. The boss fights can be jarring at first but with a little patience you get into the groove of what's expected of you, and it's a lot of fun!

Presentation

Lush scenery and nice animation overlay the original game's ideas and layout. Characters and enemies look more vibrant and move more fluidly than ever before. Each menu is well laid out and easy to grasp for those aiming to collect everything!

Lasting Appeal

The omission of the e-Reader levels is a bit odd considering that would have been a killer add-on, but the 130+ levels and challenges to collect every single star means there is plenty to come back for and replay.

8.5

out of 10

Overall

Mario vs Donkey Kong is a fantastic game even today, and anyone who has never played this sort of escape room hijinx before should definitely take a look, because it's devilishly addictive!

M7L7NK7
Mar 4, 2024

5 hours of gameplay but an 8 for lasting appeal?

console
Mar 5, 2024

I did play Mario vs Donkey Kong on Ryujinx. It's very short game. Not worth £40 / $50. It should be £5 / $10. Because this game is great for kids and teens.

Reactions: Ligeia

K Kwyjor
Mar 5, 2024

Did the reviewer play all the way through to the New Game+? Because that extends the game significantly – it's not just the same old levels a second time.

Also I'm not sure what the "Japan-exclusive e-reader levels" have to do with anything since they were, y'know, Japan-exclusive. Also there really weren't very many of them. https://tcrf.net/Mario_vs._Donkey_Kong_(Game_Boy_Advance)#e-Reader_Levels

Reactions: impeeza

Ligeia
Mar 5, 2024

This is the usual Nintendo cheap remake, the base game is solid so it still holds up and is enjoyable, but this remake is certainely not worth the outrageous price. It should be 10-15€ tops.

Kwyjor said:
Also I'm not sure what the "Japan-exclusive e-reader levels" have to do with anything since they were, y'know, Japan-exclusive. Also there really weren't very many of them. https://tcrf.net/Mario_vs._Donkey_Kong_(Game_Boy_Advance)#e-Reader_Levels

Still it's the kind of neat little bonus Nintendo would add in their remakes if they cared.

Reactions: console

Cpro86
Mar 6, 2024

For Older generation, playing Mario or Donkey kong just to remind us the sweet memories of our chilhood, not for gaming experience L.O.L

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