Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis

"Lemmings, anybody?"

The first Mario vs. Donkey Kong game was enjoyable and I picked this one up expecting a platformer of the same kind. But what I've been given is a Lemmings-like puzzle game. Is that good or bad? Well, let's see...

Graphics: 7/10

It's joyous, colourful, and overall Mario-like. The cutscenes are pretty neat even if the in-game graphics won't have you faint from an overdose of awesomeness. At least, the background manages (most of the time) to remain just that: a background. Meaning you won't have flashy effects all over the place making the game unplayable. So, not really outstanding, but efficient.

Story: --/10

I really don't know what grade to put. Donkey Kong kidnaps a girl, Mario is off to save her with the help on the Mini Marios. So, the story is kind of... nonexistent. But isn't that usual in all the Mario games? I'm sure some die-hard fans would argue it's "trademark" by now. Let's note that the girl isn't Peach but Pauline, apparently (according to the instruction booklet) she was the female character in the old arcade Donkey Kong games. I wouldn't know, I never played those.

Sound: 5/10

The music is really forgettable and the sound effects, the Nintendo-like high-pitched ones, are getting downright annoying after you've passed the first world. I used to think that kind of sound effect was cute. Then I've grown up.

Gameplay/Controls: 8/10

So, this is where it's at... As I've said, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 is a Lemmings-like puzzle game, meaning once your Mini Marios start walking, they won't stop and it's up to you to guide them all to safety, or rather to the exit of the level. Of course, you won't have a whole army of puppets to control, unlike Lemmings, and as you're the one to get the Mini Marios walking, you can take care of them one after the other, not all at once. Besides, you can make them stop walking. But you get bonus points if you don't.

So, how does it play? Well. Even very well. You take care of everything with the stylus, starting slowly with just having to move your Marios around to making them bounce from wall to wall and activate interrupters... The Mini Marios are very responsive and usually they do just what you want. And if they don't, more often than not it's your stylus-move that wasn't precise. Though controlling many Mini Marios at once can prove a bit tricky and they can end up bumping into each other instead of all walking in the same direction like you wanted them to, but this very rarely causes problems.

Difficulty/Play time: 8/10

The puzzles are never extremely hard, from what I've seen so far. The first world is a breeze and all the puzzles are manageable after only a few tries at most. As you progress further, new puzzles will be added (interrupters, warp pipes, fire traps...) to keep you entertained throughout the game. Just finishing the game can be achieved in a couple of days (or even hours if you're good) but you get a rating for each level depending on your score (bronze, silver and gold) and getting a gold star for every level will be tricky.

Wifi: 4/10

I'm sure some people would disagree with me here, but I'm not that interested in the online aspect of the game. Basically, as you progress through the game you unlock kits to edit your own levels in the "Editor" mode. It's not a bad idea at all, but I have neither the patience nor the inclination to do any level design and I don't feel like trying to complete badly designed fan-made levels, or even worse, impossible to complete levels, the ones made just to spite other players. Of course, the game loses most of its replay value if you never go online. I guess this "share your creations with other people" is just not my kind of thing.

Rent/Buy?

The game is some fun but the solo mode is short, so I'd advise you to rent it. Unless you like the kind of online mode that's in the game, in which case you should buy it as the game's lifespan will be increased dramatically. It's a matter of taste, really.

So, I'll give this game an overall rating of 6/10 because it is indeed fun and it plays well, but the offline mode seems a little too short and easy, and I just don't like the online features all that much.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/13/07