Mario vs. Donkey Kong

"This is a great game"

This is a sequel to the Donkey Kong Game Boy game which expanded on the original Donkey Kong game which was in the Arcade. Anyways, this is a fun game, but it is a little to short and easy. Here's the review!

Controls- 10
What's not to like? Mario is controlled very smoothly and all of his moves such as the Handstand and Back-flip are easy to use and always there. You can also view the map by holding L & R, and it's a GBA game, so the controls are very easy to use.

Graphics- 9.5
The Graphics in this game are very smooth and pretty to look at, and they're Donkey Kong Country style! Mario, Donkey Kong, and the Mini-Mario's and Toads are all highly detailed and very easy on the eyes. The backgrounds for the levels are also beautiful, and the objects and enemies are all good looking! The only bad thing about the Graphics is that the Cut-scenes aren't very detailed and they don't move(they are still shots).

Story- 9.0
The plot for the story is this. Donkey Kong is one day sitting on his couch watching TV when he sees an ad for the new Mini-Mario toy. He quickly falls in love with them and then runs to the store to buy one. Except when he gets there, they are sold out. Luckily for DK the Factory is just across the street so he goes there and steals the Mini-Mario toys. When he's running away Mario spots him just in time and chases after him. Thus the game begins. The Story is also told through Cut-scenes as well. The Story is definitely original, but what are you supposed to expect in Story from a Mario game?

Sound- 9.0
Some Classic Mario tunes can be found here, such as the Hammer music played when Mario picks up a Hammer. There's also a whole bunch of new tunes here as well, and the good thing is that they are actually pretty good. Also, expect to hear tons of Mario's voice in the game. I like the concept of him being a bit too chatty, but for people who hate his voice, this will definitely be a downfall for you people. Anyways, the only bad thing about the Sound is that Mario's voice can get too annoying at times after you've heard the same speech over and over again.

Gameplay- 9.5
Each Level is pretty much unique(except for a few) and thorough, as they each contain their own unique puzzles and enemies. The First Four Worlds are simple(except for a few high score stars on World Four) and the last Two are much harder. Not too hard, but they do put the game in a change of pace(as in difficulty). As far as the Levels go, they vary in difficulty and originality. You'll first be doing 6 Platforming Levels, which are classic jumping around and throwing enemies, and these Levels have two parts to themselves. The first part will have you bringing a Key to a Locked Door, and these parts are definitely harder than their counterparts. The second part will have you finding the Mini-Mario toy, and these are definitely easier. After you complete these 6 Levels, you move onto the Mini-Mario Level. You play these like you play the Lemmings. You must guide the Mini-Mario's to a Toy Box while avoiding hazards such as lava, spikes, and enemies. The Mini-Mario's can only jump and move, so don't expect them to be fighting enemies. Also, they have low AI, so you have to be very careful while guiding them. There is 1 of these levels in each world as well. After you beat that part, then you move onto the final section. The Boss Battle. That's right, you square off against DK while trying to avoid getting hit and hitting him. You also have HP, which I think is sort of a stupid idea. Depending on how many Minis you saved, that is how much HP you will have(Ex. 1-6). DK will always have 4, which is sort of a downer. Anyways, after you beat tht section, you're done the world and then you get to move on to the next one. There is a total of 6 worlds, btw. After you beat the Normal Game, you unlock the Plus World, where you must now lead a Mini-Mario with a Key to the Locked Door. There are 6 levels of these, and each only has 1 part, which is a bummer. The last stage features a boss battle with DK, and you'll always have 6 HP here. The problem is, the Plus World won't last long. But, on top of all of this, there's also Expert Levels, in which you can unlock by getting a certain amount of High Score Stars. For every 9 stars you get, you'll unlock a level. There's 12 total Expert levels as well. These will be a tough test of your gaming ability(sorry, I took that from somewhere) as well(P.S. my favourite on is X-2). But, there's only one problem... Mario vs. Donkey Kong is too short and a little bit too easy.

Replay Value- 9.0
Since this game is a little short, you can easily beat the game in a few days. But, I personally have played through M vs DK about 3-4 times. You can make it a little more challenging by trying to collect the least presents, only one Mini-Mario on the level, and absolutely no stars. (Btw I found this challenge on the M vs DK message board at GameFAQS so I'm not taking any credit for making the idea up).

Overall- 9.5
As you can see, this game is pretty darn good. It is a successful follow-up to Donkey Kong 94(GB) and it is just plain awesome. It also has very few flaws. So, what are you waiting for... GO AND BUY IT! But you probably already have it, don't you? Well, whatever. This is a great game worth playing!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/25/04