Mario Vs Donkey Kong brings the now 20 year old classic Game Boy Advance game to “new and improved life” without losing any of its original charm, in fact the charm level is vastly increased.
In this nostalgic recreation you take control of Mario in an age-old rivalry that dates back to the formation of Nintendo. That is of course Mario vs Donkey Kong, a rivalry we also saw reignited in the Super Mario Bros Movie recently that created some of the best moments of that film.
As Mario you work your way from level to level collecting presents for bonuses and making your way to the Mini-Mario Toy to unlock the next area, and yes Mini-Mario-Toy is just as cute as it sounds.
These puzzles aren’t’ too challenging in the early stages but as the game progresses you’ll need to rely on the various jumping techniques you’ll learn along the way and you might find yourself struggle in the later parts of the game. In each world you’ll find two more quest levels to complete, one where you need to guide the Mario-Mini toys through to the other side like the little Lemmings they are and a second one where you must defeat Donkey Kong one on one in a game you work out as you play.
The new version of Mario Vs Donkey Kong features all-new graphics and all kinds of new puzzles to test your platforming skills on.
Are Mario and Donkey Kong Friends?
I generally don’t like remakes, but I can hand on heart tell you that these recent releases from Nintendo are certainly more than a standard rerelease of a game you used to love. In many ways it feels like a new game even if you’ve played some of these levels to death in their original format. There’s a shine to the new paint that has been applied that really resonates with the player and I’m certainly on board for what they are doing here.
Mario Vs Donkey Kong is a great reminder that there is a game for everyone and not all titles need to be giant graphical masterpieces with confusing storylines or played through a headset in a room far away from anything you can accidentally damage. Some games are just thoughtful fun platform puzzlers that are best enjoyed while relaxing on the couch with your feet in recline.
At around a $69,95au price point I feel like it’s a hefty price to pay for an old game even though it’s new and improved. What I would say is that the replay value on a title like this is very good, so you’ll certainly get your money’s worth in the end.
