A year ago, Mario and DK were arguing on the big screen. This is the perfect opportunity to revive a forgotten game series. Maybe Nintendo thought so too and is releasing a Switch remake of the puzzle game Mario vs. Donkey Kong on February 16th, which was originally released for Game Boy Advance 20 years ago.
A slightly different Mario game
Donkey Kong is dozing on his sofa when a TV advertisement for the new Mini Mario toy sends him into a frenzy. Because the Mini Marios are sold out, the monkey can only think of one alternative: break into the factory and steal all the Mini Marios, of course! Mario follows Donkey Kong to steal the toys from him level by level.
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The game is initially divided into eight worlds, each with eight levels. The first six levels each consist of two platformer puzzles. You have to use Mario's skills to get a key that will open the level door. In the second part you have to get hold of the Mini Mario.
The controls are incredibly simple: Mario can jump, pick up objects and climb. So you have to jump over chasms, eliminate enemies, press switches or climb ladders to reach the goal. It's best to collect three gifts that are hidden in each level.
Because the levels are short, varied and wonderfully uncomplicated, the flow of the game is pleasant and fun. Each world has its own theme and introduces new elements, which creates even more variance. In the snow world you have to pay attention to the slippery surface, while in the jungle the focus is on rope acrobatics.
Once you have freed the mini-Marios in the first six levels of a world, a mini-Mario level and a boss fight against Donkey Kong follow. In Mini Mario levels, the Mini Marios march behind you, but they cannot jump. You therefore have to find another way for them and guide them safely to the toy box.
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After completing the eight worlds, the game is not over yet: You will be surprised with eight additional plus worlds in which the concept even changes slightly. The levels here are a combination of the classic sections and the mini Mario levels. You have to activate a Mini Mario who is carrying the key and then lead him to the door.
Even if the total of 138 levels suggests a lot of scope, you only need about six hours, to have seen everything in Mario vs. Donkey Kong – favorably appreciated. On the one hand, it's quite short, but also varied and entertaining.
All important innovations in the remake
First of all, the solid audiovisual revision should be mentioned. The graphics are certainly not impressive, but you can expect a coherent and contemporary Nintendo look. I want to highlight the charming and funny cutscenes.
In terms of content, there are two new normal worlds and two plus worlds compared to the original. The a total of 34 new levels Not only do they fit well with the rest of the game in terms of quality, but they even stand out thanks to the interesting mechanics.
One change that not all fans will like is the difficulty level. You can earn a star in every level. Once you've had enough of it, you'll gradually unlock secret professional levels. In the original you got a star if you broke the Hi-Score in a level. In order to collect enough points, you had to collect all the gifts, defeat opponents and complete a level as quickly as possible. In some cases, a perfectly planned route was necessary to achieve this. Figuring out shortcuts and perfecting a level contributed to motivation. In the remake, this point hunt is no longer necessary and all you have to do is find the three gifts for the star. This makes the remake much less challenging.
To compensate for this, you will later unlock the best time mode, in which you have to complete the levels in a certain time. But that doesn't get to the core of the points system from the original. The mode serves more to extend the playing time and doesn't even offer a reward if you play through the entire game again in this way.
Another interesting innovation is the 2-player mode, thanks to which you can enjoy the game with a friend. In co-op mode there is a second key in the levels that you have to collect, so the game is even slightly different in co-op mode. It would have been even cooler if there had been levels designed specifically for co-op mode – a shame.
Conclusion on Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is actually a great and entertaining game. Personally, I even love the beginnings of the series and would be very happy if the puzzle platformer got a new offshoot in this form. Nevertheless, I think 50 euros for this remake is a bit too much. And that doesn't really relate to the short playing time.
Rather, I think that Mario vs. Donkey Kong simply doesn't benefit as much from a remake as, for example, a Super Mario RPG. Sure, the graphics of the original are totally outdated, but mechanically it still works wonderfully. If the GBA classic were in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog, I would have had a good time with it too. Especially since I like the challenging level of difficulty of the original more. As an expert on the template, the innovations are not worth 50 euros to me.
However, if you have never played the GBA game and like puzzle games, then I can recommend this relaxed puzzle platformer. You can find a free demo in the eShopwhich you can test in advance to get a better impression of the game.