Mario vs. Donkey Kong

"Don't toy with Mario."

Most of us probably remember the original Donkey Kong arcade game back in the early 80's. This was Mario's debut, and the time where Donkey Kong was his prime nemesis. After that, the two went their separate ways and didn't cross lines again until Nintendo decided to reunite the two in a Game Boy game entitled Donkey Kong '94. It kept some of the same styles of the original Donkey Kong, but added depth, longevity, and many Kong had died down for good, except for the occasional friendly rivalry at kart-racing, parties, and Nintendo mascot brawls. 10 years later, the ape and plumber are back at it, battling for control of...wind-up toys!?! Well, even if Nintendo can't make a decent storyline, they can make a worthwhile gaming experience.

While lounging on his couch watching some TV in his jungle hut, Donkey Kong spots an intriguing commercial. "New Mini-Mario Toys!" the announcer shouts. "Hurry, before they're all sold out! Buy one! Buy them all!" Ah, yes. The fundamental words of any successful infomercial. Of course, it sinks in. Donkey Kong rushes off to the nearest toy store to nab one for himself. Unfortunately, they're all sold out! Enraged, Donkey Kong gets an idea. He sneaks off to the factory where the toys are produced, breaks in, frightens the Toads, grabs the whole supply, and runs off! (Sheesh, why couldn't he just have taken one and left? It would leave less evidence.) The Toads inform Mario of this mishap, so the plumber marches off to stop the hairy ape for the first time in a decade!

This is basically Super Mario Bros. 2 meets Donkey Kong. There are 12 worlds total, 6 of which are considered "secret". You can perform many basic tricks with Mario, such as the standard jump, the handstand, the backwards somersault, swinging from bars, and grabbing things. Each of the "main" stages has two parts to them. In the first part, you must find the key, grab it, and run it back to the keyhole without getting hit or losing it. Once you've done that, you'll progress to the second part of the stage. Here, you basically have to avoid certain obstacles in order to reach the capsule which contains a Mario toy. When you rescue the toy, you'll complete the stage. And at the end of each world, you'll enter a stage where you must guide 6 Mario toys through a maze, collecting letters that spell "TOY", avoiding obstacles, and sealing them inside a toybox.

There are also several items and features that are vital to completing each new twists. After that, it seemed the rivalry between Mario and Donkey stage. First and most common are the switches. When you press a switch of a certain color, grid lines of that color will form into blocks which help you reach new areas, while any blocks of a different color will revert back into grid lines. You'll also find hammers in some stages. These act just like they did in the original Donkey Kong, music included! When you have a hammer, you're basically invincible. Any enemy you hit with a hammer will instantly be vanquished. Only downside is that you can't jump, and the time the hammer lasts is very limited. Other items, like trash cans and barrels, can be used as both platforms and weapons. And the 3 presents found in each stage will award you bonus points at the end.

Of course, the enemies! What would a game be without enemies? Many of the enemies you'll come across you should recognize from previous Mario games. Examples of these would include Shy Guys, Piranha Plants, Boos, Thwomps, Ninjis, and Bob-Ombs. Of course, there are some new faces as well, like Ramrams, Sir Shovalots, and Flamethrower Shy Guys. These enemies can be picked up SMB2-style and thrown at other enemies or at spikes, where they can be ridden across safely.

But what about Donkey Kong? Alas, Donkey Kong is ever-so-happily waiting for you at the end of each world, waiting to ambush you with barrels and bombs. The boss of each world, so to speak. You can grab these barrels, bombs, fruit, etc, and you them back at him, however. Mario's finally getting vengeance from 1980 by pelting DK with a barrage of barrels! Bwahaha! Of course, the strategy for defeating Donkey Kong varies every time. Some of the later fights are actually quite challenging.

From when you first begin the game, Mario vs. Donkey Kong will seem like a fairly short game due to you only seeing 6 worlds. I reality, there's 12, and that's not counting the "expert" stages you can unlock. I refuse to give any further details about those at this point, due to me running the risk of spoiling the game for you. Fear not, this game is fairly lengthy and difficult.

Control. Here's the one key flaw that prevents this title from achieving greatness. Now, normally when you pick up a Nintendo game, its controls are easy to master, very responsive, and rarely provide a problem. Here, surprisingly, there's a problem. The controls have some very slow reaction time. And other times, it will seem completely unresponsive. This is especially frustrating if you're trying to jump off a conveyer belt headed for a Piranha Plant, for example. The game may not respond quickly enough, and you'll hit the Piranha Plant. On the bright side, the controls are fairly basic and easy to master.

Graphics. For a GBA game, these are really good. It's what you could call "mock 3-D". It uses an array of pixels to give the characters a 3-D look, but not in a polished fashion. The cut-scenes look really nice, looking like a collection of freeze fames from a GCN game. In the actual game, visuals are downgraded, but still fairly detailed. Some of the characters have a tendency to turn blocky, though.

Sound. Let's start off with music. It's...simplistic, to say the least. Normally, Mario games carry some very catchy and memorable tunes, but the ones in this game are quite forgettable. Of course, Nintendo was trying to keep an "old-school" feel to this game, so I don't think they were aiming for spectacular music. Also, Mario talks in this game, and surprisingly, his voice is pretty clear and fluid! he sounds just like how he did in Mario Sunshine with the noises he makes when he jumps and attacks, and he has quite a few speaking parts during the cut-scenes. For once, character voices are a big plus.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong has a fairly moderate level of difficulty. Definitely not something you could beat in a day. Sure it starts out very easy, but as you reach the 4th and 5th world, it's starts getting really tricky, even to the point of frustration of walking outside for a few huffs of fresh air. Some puzzles can have you scratching your head for over an hour. Also, replay value is pretty nice, since there are some incentives for collecting every item in a stage, such as the "expert" stages.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a worthy sequel to Donkey Kong '94, especially for those who missed out on it. If you consider yourself to be "old-school" by any means, this one's right up your alley. Of course, it's not really a game a casual gamer can enjoy. You have to have an appreciative taste for classic gaming in order to fully enjoy this game. Those who do, however, are bound to have a field day.

Rent or buy?
Are you a retro nerd and nostalgia freak with retro signs hanging from your wall and old-school games shoved away in your closet? Buy this. Are you an old-school die-hard? Rent this. Are you a Mario fanatic? Rent this. Do you have any soul about video games at all? Rent this. Do you have no soul at all? Stay away from this and get out of my sight..

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/21/06