Mario Vs. Donkey Kong

Genre: Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

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Review:

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is the second game in the Mario Vs. Donkey Kong series (the first being the 1994 remake of Donkey Kong released on the original Game Boy), a series of games that have consistently remained in the Puzzle-Platformer genre, though the specific form that took has changed drastically over the years. However, when this game originally released on Game Boy Advance in 2004, it was still a direct extension of the gameplay we saw in the original Game Boy game, with players taking the role of Mario navigating his way through a level full of switches, traps, obstacles and enemies, getting to a key, and then bringing that key to a door to finish the level.

The 2024 remake of that classic game that has made its way to Nintendo Switch keeps all of this intact, though a lot of changes and additions have been made this time around. There’s a new casual mode that makes this already somewhat easy game even easier for younger players, there are new instructional hint boxes to instruct newer players in Mario’s extensive move set, there’s a new co-op mode, and there are 30 or so entirely new levels, including some “Mini”-focused levels loosely inspired by the latter games in the series that made the small robotic toy versions of Mario and his companions the star of the show.

Of course, all of this is in addition to a completely overhauled presentation, with fully 3D visuals that look clean and animate wonderfully, and a remade soundtrack that revamps the synthesized music of the original game with a more orchestral sound.

All of this is… actually pretty good. Personally, I’ve always felt Mario Vs. Donkey Kong to be an inferior game compared to the sublime title that preceded it, but it has always been a solid game despite this, and this new release really does everything it can to brush it up and make it better in just about every way, more like something we would expect from a modern console release from Nintendo. And the added content this time around is much-appreciated too.

However, there are a few problems here as well. The wonderful new visuals don’t change the stiff, slightly clunky gameplay that just doesn’t have the fluidity we have come to expect from modern Mario games. And then of course there’s the elephant in the room – even with the added content, the smaller scope here compared to other modern Mario games, as well as the fact that this is a remake of a 20 year-old handheld game, do not feel like they justify this game’s bloated $50 price tag. A $30 price or even $40 would have been easier to swallow here – something akin to what the original Game Boy Advance game cost back in the day.

Still, while it’s overpriced, and while I still prefer the original Game Boy Donkey Kong, it’s hard to deny that this remake of Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is quality from top to bottom. In fact, with a more reasonable price, this would have been a magnificent way to reintroduce modern players to this series. However, if you’re willing to shell out for it or wait for a good sale, I would still recommend this game to Puzzle-Platformer fans, as it is an excellent entry in the genre.

tl;dr – Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is a remake of a Game Boy Advance Puzzle-Platformer that not only completely recreates the visuals and sound from scratch, but adds multiple new features and a bunch of new levels as well. This is an all-around solid remake of a solid game, which is why it’s disappointing that the price seems overly high for what’s on offer here. Still, if you’re a fan of Puzzle-Platformers this is a game you’d be advised to give it a chance if you can snag it on sale.

Grade: B

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2024 Game Awards:

Winner:

Most Overpriced ($50) – This is a genuinely solid remake of a very good Game Boy Advance game, but it’s still a remake of a Game Boy Advance game. We’re talking about a game I can buy right now on eBay for under $15, a game that when it was brand new sold for $30, a game that is now 20 years old. And we’re not talking about a true classic like The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening or Super Mario RPG. It’s pretty clear that there’s only one reason this game is priced only $10 less than Princess Peach: Showtime! and Super Mario Party: Jamboree – because they can get away with it.

Runner-Up: Best Port / Remake

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The Nintendo Switch 2 Difference

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong

Genre: Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

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Review:

In testing out Nintendo Switch games on Nintendo Switch 2, some games have really surprised me, while others have underwhelmed. Mario Vs. Donkey Kong, however, has left me… whelmed.

In terms of graphics and performance, this game looked find on Nintendo Switch, and without a patch there’s not much room for improvement on Nintendo Switch 2. This game does see one minor improvement to the loading times – loading into a level on Nintendo Switch 2 took 5 seconds instead of 7. However, that’s one of the most minimal improvements that I’ve seen on Nintendo Switch 2 that’s still an actual improvement.

In short, I think you have just as much reason to get this game on Nintendo Switch 2 as you have to get it on Nintendo Switch, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. This is still a solid Puzzle-Platformer that looks and plays great, and it’s still absurdly overpriced. It’s your call how to take that.

tl;dr – Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is a remake of a Game Boy Advance Puzzle-Platformer that not only completely recreates the visuals and sound from scratch, but adds multiple new features and a bunch of new levels as well. This is an all-around solid remake of a solid game, which is why it’s disappointing that the price seems overly high for what’s on offer here. Still, if you’re a fan of Puzzle-Platformers this is a game you’d be advised to give it a chance if you can snag it on sale.

Grade: B

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