Mario vs Donkey Kong review – A good game from another era

I mentioned it in my other recent write-up about the Switch remake: the hybrid nature of Nintendo's console combined with its longevity, among other things, created the right conditions for the Japanese company to capitalize on its library of series and titles. Even from the least known commercial angles in its history. Somehow, building on the success of the Mario movie increasing the commercial appeal of the Mario world, we have a remake of Mario vs Donkey Kong, a Game Boy Advance game that is certainly not among Nintendo's “heavy” names, not yet, not even in 2004 when it was first released.

It's good to remember that this game was created for the Game Boy Advance, so we can better understand the design and sizing choices. Of course, the nature of the device, with its specific “horsepower” as well as its (portable) gameplay, has limited it to an absolute limit. So we are dealing with a puzzle platformer that was released as an unofficial sequel to the first Donkey Kong game in 1981.

Here, Donkey Kong doesn't kidnap Pauline, of course, but he steals Mario's stormy little toys from the factory that makes them, and for some reason the “real” Mario takes all of this very personally and goes after him to get them back. Of course, at certain points in the game, these Storm toys act like little kids following him around and asking after him when he goes too far, which left me confused to be honest. Are they alive? Is this why Mario is so determined to get them back? On the other hand, these toys, if I understand correctly, are sold by this manufacturer, so…

Maybe it's best not to overanalyze. I'm going to assume that all these cute little Marios are just windy, overly advanced robots. Aside from the gag that elevates the narrative frame, the story clearly doesn't matter much.

Thus, the game is divided into worlds, with each world consisting of 6 “normal” paths, one path where the gameplay turns into something reminiscent of Lemmings (with live games) and one boss battle with Donkey Kong that each time references the 1981 original. .game.Each path is now split into two boards/stages. In the first, the player must first locate the key and then carry it to the locked door to open it, and in the second, simply access the game to get it.

In the first stage, the key cannot leave Mario's hands for more than 12 seconds, making the path back to the door completely different from the path to the key. Each track also has 3 gifts scattered around to act as collectibles for those who want to up the difficulty a bit. The gameplay is a mix of simple platforming and mostly simple puzzles. As is often the case with Nintendo games, it's easy to get through the credits but for anyone wanting to keep going, there's a challenge mainly in the post-credits content.

As expected, it's a well-designed game that communicates its rules and ideas very clearly, while also having a variety of settings and mechanics. Each world has its own concepts that influence gameplay and something new is constantly introduced that advances its central idea through clever little variations and additions. Rolling floors, ice that slides so you can move the switch, switches, enemies that can be used as platforms, lasers, etc. It is what we call “strong” in its design. Its elements are measured but intelligently combined and each has a clear purpose, nothing superfluous. Its simplicity, in most cases, is its great asset.

On the other hand, we are talking about a game that is very limited both in terms of level design, which is usually in the range of 1 to 1.5 screens, and in terms of duration. The puzzles are of a good standard but rarely become thought-provoking when you can see the credits in less than five hours.

Although Nintendo made an effort to expand the original experience with a time trial mode and new worlds, it still only clocks in at 10 hours. Of course, this is from the perspective of someone with enough experience in puzzle games and platformers. I feel like the game is mainly aimed at kids, as a friendly introduction to the genre. If we look at it this way, it is clearly more successful.

As a remake now, it's very successful. The polished visuals are excellent at conveying information and with a colorful character, the addition of co-op is always welcome as are the additional gameplay options. However, it's the music and sound that steal the show. The jazz arrangements of well-known themes from the Mario series as well as the original orchestrated compositions are truly wonderful, almost in themselves building the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that defines it.

Finally, in closing, I think what's worth mentioning is that the game feels like it's kind of out of season. That is, it comes from a time when handheld gaming was equated with the Game Boy and not with mobile phones and tablets. Today this might create confusion but also an unequal comparison.

I mean that the game in its entire scope, from gameplay to its structure, duration and general philosophy, adapts to portability (it's perfect for 15-20 minute sessions) and to a casual mentality that we now don't often find on our consoles – even on “Portable” converter. It seems a little “foreign”. This side of the market has now mostly moved to mobile and in most cases is based on a free-to-play model or something similar, so the €50 that Nintendo is asking here I don't think it will easily find a positive response in the market.

summary : Mario vs Donkey Kong won't blow anyone's mind, but it's a good puzzle game and an impeccable remake, with a polished technical aspect and plenty of additions. Its relaxed atmosphere and smart gameplay make it ideal for short rest sessions during the day. The biggest problem in my opinion is the price at which it is marketed. Its short lifespan and limited design, inherent to the Game Boy Advance hardware, can't easily justify the money it commands in this day and age. Excellent as an introduction to the genre for children, and certainly a lot of fun for those with a penchant for such experiences, but I find it difficult to highly recommend it to the rest of us.

Box art

Tested on: Nintendo Switch

Developer : Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

available for me : Nintendo Switch

release date : 02-16-2024