The Mario vs. Donkey Kong puzzle/platformer series debuted on the GBA in 2004, and there’s been a few entries over the years, including on the Wii U and 3DS. This most recent edition is a remake of the original GBA version. Is it just a new lick of paint that this game has been given? This is a short impressions article of the demo that includes some of the history of the series. The full game releases on February 16.
Origins and history
I was one of the lucky people that was given the opportunity to download a few certain GBA games onto my 3DS as compensation when the 3DS had a price drop back in 2011. As part of this Ambassador Program, Mario vs. Donkey (the GBA version) was offered to download. I’ve been playing through this concurrently with the remake’s demo (which is available now on the Switch eShop).
The original GBA Mario vs. Donkey Kong has charming sprite-based graphics and a simple, humorous story of Donkey Kong becoming obsessed with collecting mini Mario Toys. The gameplay revolves around Mario traversing puzzle-based stages to find keys and mini Marios to progress. Donkey Kong acts as the boss of the various worlds. The puzzle elements are satisfying, and it’s a solid concept that borrows much from the original arcade Donkey Kong game.
I’d say that it could be argued that the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series truly started with Donkey Kong ’94 on the Game Boy. This game was like an extension of the original arcade Donkey Kong and was really fun. It included a stage similar to the most famous one, Mario (or “Jumpman”) hurdling over barrels from the original arcade game. Donkey ’94 had similar elements to the GBA Mario vs. Donkey Kong, including key collecting, hammers that can be used as weapons (that inspired the hammer weapon in the Super Smash Bros. series), and similar physics and general feel of movement.
The remake
The remake offers two difficulty levels (the demo does, at least) — Casual and Classic. The older games could be challenging, and that’s what made them so satisfying to advance through. However, I think an easier difficulty level is a really good addition, as it’ll allow people to more easily get sucked into the gameplay, and hooked on the concept. The Presentation of the remake is great and starts with a full 3D CGI video of Donkey Kong getting his idea to collect the mini Marios. It honestly is really impressive, especially compared to the GBA original. The gameplay is almost exactly the same as the original, except now things are presented in 3D, and visuals are on the level of a Switch game (although, as I’ve said, the actual gameplay and perspective is still 2D).
This is a great demo. The puzzle-solving gameplay can get difficult and really tests you at times. For this reason, I think it’s a really good game to help spatial awareness and puzzle-solving development in younger players and it would be a game I would encourage people to play who want to develop their problem-solving skills. The demo is short consisting of four levels in the first world. It does give a taste of what to expect from the game, but I think it actually undersells it a bit as this game is a kind of experience that you feel like playing regularly and may end up eventually mastering and targeting your own high scores.
It’s looking good for Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2024). While the game, in terms of gameplay, is virtually identical to the original, it’s a really solid experience, and its origins are part of Nintendo’s history. The presentation is great, but will there be any extra content to warrant the high price tag?
