REVIEW: ‘Mario vs. Donkey Kong’ Is An Updated Classic With Rough Edges

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is one of those Nintendo properties that always feels forgotten until a new entry comes out. It takes the classic Mario gameplay and changes it into a puzzle platformer with the classic rivalry between Mario and Donkey Kong mixed in. Dating back all the way to 2004, this often-forgotten property was born on the GBA, with gameplay similar to the 2024 release. And in a way, this 2024 release controls similarly to a GBA game, for better and for worse.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong kicks off with Donkey Kong seeing a new commercial for mini Mario figurines. Naturally, when Donkey Kong goes to get one, they’re not available. So what does any normal person do? If you said, “Raid the factory, take all the stock, and run from Mario,” I’d be concerned about your well-being. But that’s what Donkey Kong does. And so a cat and mouse chase begins with Mario trying to get back everything Donkey Kong stole.

One thing that stands out quickly is just how good Mario vs. Donkey Kong looks. The cutscenes are flashy, and it feels like you’re apart of a cartoon series. Plus, every level, from the background to the foreground pieces, mesh together well to create memorable stages. This game excels at adapting classic Mario enemies into toy-like figures. Piranha Plants, Shy Guys, and more are full of little details that turn their historic characters into believable automatons that each add great spins to the game’s puzzles.

The gameplay offers a fun spin on classic Mario platforming that’s been simplified to sometimes an extreme extent. Mario’s an excellent example of this. Compared to a game as recent as Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Mario here is much more sluggish. His running is at a snail’s pace. This is okay to a degree since this is a puzzle game but there needs standardization of movements to build the puzzles around. But that movement doesn’t mesh well with his overall kit.

In other areas, his movement feels great. For instance, his jumping is similar to what we’ve come to expect from this gaming legend. He can do normal hops, backflips to go higher, and he can even do a handstand to get to taller places. The horizontal distance never matches the vertical height he can achieve. Then there are the hitboxes. Enemy attacks or environmental obstacles never have consistent danger areas. You’ll learn to expect how to avoid a specific enemy’s attacks, but Mario grazing another’s attacks will lead to a K.O. This is especially annoying in later levels when there are more hazards being balanced together for increased difficulty.

Each of the eight worlds is distinct in its own way, full of eight levels to complete. They all introduce new enemies and obstacles that normally fit the theme at first. Then past elements are re-introduced, creating odd mishmashes. Overall, each world and level are fine for a first playthrough. The first six levels of each world are broken into two parts. The first is to get a key and unlock a door locked by DK. The second is to recover a mini Mario doll from DK’s traps. The difficulty of every level is either obscenely easy or obscenely difficult. There is no middle ground. Which option a level is all depends entirely on how well you can figure out context clues and experiment within a set time limit.

There are two additional levels before a world is considered cleared. One involves leading a platoon of six mini Marios through an obstacle course to reach a box. The other is a boss fight with DK. The former offers an interesting twist on what you’ve been doing. They take the obstacles you’ve been playing with up to that point and have you be conscious of protecting these toys to get them all to the goal. The latter is, at times, confusing in how you damage DK. Other times, you’re quickly hopping over quick obstacles that are being controlled by DK to hit him in the head with barrels, hammers, or Bob-ombs. These boss fight levels, at first, are novel and fun twists on what you’ve been playing up until this point. That novelty wears off quickly as you start to do similar tactics over and over again.

Yet once the game is beaten, there is a whole new level of fun that I wish was present in the main game. Harder levels with a mix of Mario Platforming and protecting mini Marios become completely abundant. There are new DK boss levels, new challenge modes, and time trials. The post-game feels like a complete package that should have been what the first 40+ levels delivered.

What also makes the difficulty more bearable too is the difficulty setting that can be changed at any time. If you want a normal challenge in life and a time limit, you can do that. If you want a more relaxing experience, there’s casual mode. Casual mode doesn’t have a time limit. It also lets you have six chances per life. Any damage you take captures Mario in a bubble and returns him to a checkpoint that doesn’t exist in normal mode. If you run into any level that is pushing you to the max on time, casual mode is great just to give you some breathing room.

For some, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is exactly what those who love the GBA release are looking for. For everyone else, this puzzle platformer is full of rough edges that are a deterrent. Mario never feels great to control and obstacle hitboxes never feel accurate. You know, two key components that can take an enjoyable puzzle game to a frustrating mess quickly. For 90% of the time, it’s the former. That remaining 10% brings down what could be a great puzzle game for the Switch’s growing stellar line-up.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is available on the Nintendo Switch.