Mario vs. Donkey Kong Review: An Old-School Gem Gets Some New Polish

Remember Mario vs. Donkey Kong on the Game Boy Advance? I sure do. That puzzle-platformer gem came out way back in 2004, but now it’s getting new life with this total overhaul version for the Switch. Talk about a blast from the past!

The basic idea is that Donkey Kong breaks into Mario’s toy factory and nabs a bunch of wind-up Mini Mario toys. So Mario’s gotta hustle after the big ape through over 100 stages spread across 8 worlds, grabbing back his prized merch along the way. It’s a silly excuse for a story, but it sets up the core puzzle-solving gameplay nicely.

Each bite-sized level has two parts. First, Mario hunts down a key and lugs it to a locked door. Then, he tracks down the Mini Mario toy tucked away somewhere in the level. Mario’s got a nice moveset that takes some skill to master, with handstand jumps and pivot kicks letting you zip around levels with flair once you get the hang of it. But really, it’s about figuring out how all the conveyor belts, teleporters, switches and other gizmos fit together so you can grab that key or rescue that silly toy.

It’s a seriously old-school formula, but the remake juices it up with spiffed up HD visuals, two brand new worlds to conquer, and quality-of-life stuff like a casual mode so you don’t bang your head against levels for too long. If you’ve never played it before or just feel like some nostalgia, it’s well worth giving this remake a spin!

Mario’s Still Got Skills

The basic objectives in Mario vs. Donkey Kong’s bite-sized levels stay pretty consistent throughout the whole game. Mario’s gotta grab a key, lug it to a nearby locked door without dropping it for more than 15 seconds (otherwise it magically zips back to the start – what a pain!), and then track down the missing Mini Mario toy hidden somewhere else in the level. Clear both halves, and boom – stage complete.

It may sound kinda monotonous when I lay it out like that, but man, the variety between levels keeps things fresh and forces you to stay nimble. One stage you’re riding floating Shy Guy enemies over lethal lava. The next, you’re freezing time to sprint up crumbling platforms. Then comes navigating dark caverns by torchlight or puzzling out how to manipulate that stage’s color-coded blocks and switches to open the path forward.

Having Mario’s full moveset on tap is key to keeping that spark alive too. Compared to the free-flowing feel of the Super Mario run ‘n’ jumps, Mario’s a bit more grounded here. But once you master balancing on one hand for extended vertical leaps or chaining together pivot kicks into triple jumps, you’ll be flying through levels with serious style. It just feels so smooth and intuitive – even if blundering into enemies means instant death instead of power-ups.

To spice up the 20-year-old formula, the remake throws in two entirely new worlds: Merry Mini-Land and Slippery Summit. The first dials up the theme park thrills with flower-powered fans for handy floaty jumps. The ice slides and momentum tricks in the latter keep the puzzle logic firing too. Honestly, they fit right in with the best of the existing levels.

So even two decades later, Mario vs. Donkey Kong still manages to leverage its simple building blocks into constantly surprising level design. Figuring out how all the parts snap together into one perfect solution gives that awesome little mental rush each time too. Just try not to get too dizzy triple-jumping over spikey pits in celebration!

Options For All Play Styles

Even though Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a remake of a 2004 portable game, the devs didn’t just crank up the graphics and call it a day. Nah, they took the time to install some spiffy modern features that should make the whole experience way more accessible. Huge props for that!

Easily the biggest addition is the new casual mode. One click, and all those pesky level timers vanish. No more feeling rushed or stressed! Mario also gets five health bubbles that work kinda like extra lives. Take a hit and you’ll respawn at the nearest checkpoint instead of getting booted back to the start of the level. There’s something so freeing about trial-and-error puzzling or snagging collectibles without the pressure of pulling off one perfect run.

And that casual style doesn’t dilute the brainbusting challenge either! The puzzles themselves don’t get watered down at all. But it does make the platforming bits way more forgiving, especially for younger folks. Although true masochists can still toggle it off to experience that authentic old-school frustration, I guess.

Beyond casual mode, the 2-player co-op deserves a shout-out too. Grab a buddy and play as Mario with Toad tagging along, then quarrel over whether to nab that enticing present hovering over the spike pit or make a beeline for the exit. Or laugh as you accidentally bubble your mate into oblivion trying some foolish trick jump. It’s good fun! Just strange you can’t turn on casual mode during co-op.

Once you blast through the main adventure, Time Attack mode adds another way to push your skills too. Can you race through levels under an even tighter clock to snag those gold medals? I’m satisfied just making it through in one piece, but it’s there for those who crave more challenge.

So while Mario vs. Donkey Kong brings a healthy dose of old-school gameplay, it smartly coats it in modern conveniences. Whatever your play style, there’s probably a mode or option to match.

A Visual Toy Box

I’ll be real with you: the original Mario vs. Donkey Kong was not winning any beauty contests back on the Game Boy Advance. Blocky characters, simple backgrounds…let’s just say it embraced that whole pixelated retro vibe. Not so hot in 2022 and beyond!

So one of the best parts of this remake is seeing all those familiar Mario baddies completely transformed into wind-up toy versions of themselves. We’re talking Shy Guys and Piranha Plants made out of shiny plastic and sporting big cartoonish eyes. Adorable! Bob-ombs waddle around with visible clockwork guts. Chuckya enemies grab you with plastic claws. Spin a Thwomp around and its goofy facial expression hilariously spins too. The attention to detail with the miniature motifs is fantastic.

And it’s not just the enemies either. Mario looks crisper than a pair of overalls fresh off the line, with colors that pop instead of muddy visuals. The backdrops have all kinds of lively touches as well, from fluffy clouds lazily drifting by to smoke puffing from smoldering volcanoes. It really feels like playing inside a colorful toy box world brimming with personality.

Don’t expect elaborate story sequences though. The brief opening of DK crashing into the factory sets up the wacky premise, while the ending merely shows the ape reluctantly returning the pilfered toys. But the visual gags crammed into those quick bookends still raise a smile, proving that brevity can absolutely still equal charm.

So if you played the original, prepare to be dazzled by the gorgeous new paint job. And if you missed out on this gem back in the day, rest assured it holds up wonderfully in the modern era – no eyesore graphics to distract from the brilliant puzzles. Just shiny, vivid playtime fun!

Plenty More Toys Left To Find

Blast through all eight worlds in Mario vs. Donkey Kong’s main adventure and you’ll probably clock in around 6 hours give or take. But the fun doesn’t stop there – the game keeps the content train steaming way longer with its postgame offerings. We’re talking more levels, more challenges, and more opportunities to push Mario’s skills to the brink!

After the credits roll, you’ll gain access to the Plus Worlds. These crank up the puzzle complexity in totally remixed versions of the eight main worlds. I actually dug the extra brainburn, but for those seeking pure platforming thrills, maybe steer clear. Chaining all of Mario’s sweet acrobatic moves likely won’t save you here!

Beyond that lies the true gauntlet: a series of 16 punishing Expert stages packed to the gills with precision jumps over insta-death spikes and maze-like levels demanding total mastery of every mechanics. These are made to flex on your friends with and make you utterly doubt your gaming skills – in a fun way, I swear!

It’s definitely enough content to keep devotees occupied for a good while after finishing the main story. My only little gripe is that there aren’t any real rewards for completing it all. Sure, you can shoot for gold medals in the Time Attack mode. But some unlockable artwork or behind-the-scenes stuff would have added a nice incentive to keep pushing onward after the story wraps.

Still, if you just want to bathe in that “ah-ha!” rush of puzzling out particularly devilish toy box stages? Mario vs. Donkey Kong has pleasures to spare. Those Mini Marios won’t rescue themselves after all!

Still A Champ After All These Years

Replaying a game from nearly 20 years ago can be a risky move – for every title that holds up, 10 more turn out feeling painfully outdated. But I’m thrilled to report that not only does Mario vs. Donkey Kong on Nintendo Switch keep pace with modern puzzle-platformers, it straight up winds up teaching many newer games a lesson!

By today’s standards, the core formula of snagging keys, saving Mini Marios, and puzzling your way through tight 2D levels probably sounds almost painfully simple. Yet through whip-smart level design and sheer invention, this remake manages to build exponentially more and more complexity onto those firm foundations without anything ever feeling overwhelming. Honestly, I remain floored by how bursting with ideas each new stage still manages to feel. It’s a masterclass in doing so much with so little.

What’s even more impressive is that, rather than simply coasting on nostalgia autopilot, the developers had the courage to sprinkle in legitimate quality-of-life upgrades. Stuff like the casual mode and bubbly respawns retain all the cranium-straining challenge while sanding off unnecessary frustration. Modern gaming conveniences organically meshed with 20-year-old design brilliance? Now that’s how you honor an older game’s spirit while still evolving with the times!

Are there some slight quibbles still? Sure. Certain actions in busier levels occasionally feel a bit less polished than Mario’s silky standards. And post-game content rewards could feel a touch sparse. But set against the sheer quantity of diabolical toy box puzzlers, those feel like small prices to pay to enjoy this remake gem.

So if you missed Mario vs. Donkey Kong the first time around, fixing that oversight has never been more rewarding. And even veterans should admire both the technical spit-shine and intelligent tweaks made throughout. Because when the foundation is already as rock-solid as this, Sometimes all you need is a fresh coat of paint to reveal the masterpiece hiding underneath!

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