Mario vs. Donkey Kong

"A fun romp that offers some noggin-based gameplay and loads of replay value."

This is definitely one of those games that you should pick up for your GBA system. Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a fairly unique game, much in the vein of the Klonoa series. It's not your usual platformer, and it definitely creates its own niche in the ever-expansive selection of Mario titles that you can get your hands on.

If you've played Klonoa, then you might know what to expect, meaning, there's TONS of puzzles spread throughout the game that are meant specifically to tax your noggin. Each level in Mario vs. Donkey Kong is actually quite similar to an obstacle course, with poles, springs, and Mario's arsenal of moves, which even manage to include a handstand.
If you don't really care about getting extras and great scores, then you might be able to plow through this game fairly quickly. That approach in turn will definitely bring down the replay value though. You could definitely work your way through this game in a matter of two hours. BUT if you love getting every little thing in a game, and you don't mind the extra time and effort, then there is lots of unlockable levels, and even an expert difficulty that push the replay that much farther.

The basic goal for each level is simple enough. Your objective is to find the key in each level, which unlocks a door that brings you to the second section of a level. In the second part of each level, you work your way toward collecting a "mini-Mario", basically, a toy version of Mario. After all of the levels in each world are complete, you then fight the boss -- Donkey Kong!
Yeah...if you expected Donkey Kong to get equal air-time, then you'll definitely be SEVERELY dissapointed. He rears his head in the beginning of each section, and then you quickly, and quite easily, defeat him to advance forward to the next world. So, really, you could compare this game to a more recent VS. pairing, Freddy vs. Jason. Freddy got most of the air-time and was made to be much more intelligent than his rival Jason. If you're a big Donkey Kong fan than you may be a tad dissapointed.

But hey, that's not to say that just seeing Donkey Kong isn't a bit of treat. The graphics in this game are great, and fairly detailed. The levels are colorful, Mario is beautifully animated, and the psuedo-3D effect on some objects actually does this game a bit of good. Also, the music is nothing to snuff at, as it fits the mood of the gameplay extremely well.

However, a few errors keep this game from being perfect. As said before, the game can be beaten easily if you're not looking for extras. Also, Donkey Kong's boss battles were incredibly easy, although still fun. On top of that, some of Mario's controls could be a little sketchy -- for example, trying to pull off a handstand to launch yourself up onto another platform can present a challenge, as the move doesn't always flawlessly execute whenever the button combinations are pressed. After a while though, the player learns to compensate for and master the occassional flaws in control. But really, this is all just nitpicking, as there really isn't anything terminally wrong with Mario vs. Donkey Kong.

Overall, you can't go wrong with Mario vs. Donkey Kong, unless you don't like using your brains over your brawn. If you're willing to put some extra effort into the levels, instead of just trying to plow through them, then you'll definitely find a game that will keep you busy for weeks, if not months. I'd highly recommend this game to people who are looking for something different to play on their GBA, instead of the usual SNES rehashes.

--PROS--
1) great puzzle gameplay
2) brings together Mario and Donkey Kong...again.
3) graphics and music are great for a GBA title
4) loads of replay value

--CONS--
1) game can be plowed through a little too easily if you don't bother with secrets
2) Donkey Kong deserved more time on the playing field

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/29/04