Product Description
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Donkey Kong has swiped all the Mini Mario toys from the Mario
Toy Company and it's up to Mario to track him down and get back
the goods. In Mario vs. Donkey Kong you'll leap, climb, and
battle your way through increasingly challenging levels using
switches, conveyor belts, hammers and other tools to save the
day. Shy guys, piranha s, bob-ombs, and other classic
mushroom kingdom bad guys, stand between Mario and his goal.
Master new moves and scale the mind-boggling heights of 6
action-packed worlds.
Review
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Years from now, people's memories of this game will probably
outshine its reality. Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a quick romp that
has you using Mario's impressive action moveset to complete a
series of puzzle rooms. That being said, the speed of the game
seems to highlight its brevity – I was smoking through worlds in
no time, but didn't get all of the collectibles. I guess I could
go back later to be a completist, but I'm not really that kind of
girl.
Instead, I enjoyed my time collecting the toys that Donkey Kong
had stolen from Toad's little factory of joy. Each of the worlds
follows a basic structure: six puzzle levels each composed of two
sections (get the key to the door and grab a wayward toy),
followed by one Mini-Mario level where Mario gets the little
Lemmings-like versions of himself to a toy chest, and the boss
battle. In these sections, DK will flip color switches and drop
debris on you – players have to hit the ape a certain number of
times before they die. It's pretty basic stuff, really.
Where Nintendo's quality truly comes into play, though, is the
level design. Large-scale puzzles with a perfect ramp up of skill
acquisition and difficulty carry players through the whole quest.
There are few outside the Big N who could consistently deliver
this caliber of action/puzzle gameplay, and I took great joy in
using each new skill I received. They are easy to use, make
sense, and the level design generally makes it really apparent
what move players should use in which situations. Genius!
I guess that this game doesn't me over just because I felt
like I was always going to finish a level in two (at the most
three) attempts. Doing the math, that means a few hours of
gameplay for most players – some more if you're intent on
unlocking everything. I wasn't, so its time in my GBA will be
limited.
Despite my hesitance to procl this a miracle of modern
handheld puzzle gaming, I don't want to understate how well
executed this title is. Mario vs. Donkey Kong offers a really
good time for everyone, while it lasts.
Concept:
Update the Mario/Donkey Kong puzzlers with new moves, graphics,
sound, and situations
Graphics:
Nice 3D hero models and the now-standard Super Mario Advance
series' graphics
Sound:
Mario is one chatty little bugger, and the sound effects are
useful for gauging the play field
Playability:
Timing is crucial and some of the puzzles are deliciously
mind-bending
Entertainment:
Short, but sweet
Replay:
Moderate
Rated: 7.5 out of 10
Editor: Lisa Mason
Issue: June 2004
2nd Opinion:
This is one of the rare Mario titles that seems like it was
tailored for a specific audience, rather than the masses. The
feeling is very reminiscent of the arcade classic Mario Bros.,
and the puzzle-oriented gameplay makes me flash back to the glory
days of the original Game Boy. The graphics and sound are great,
but the stages only offer one ideal path through them, so most
won't feel compelled to revisit them often. Of course, Mario
fanatics will love this title for its clever amalgamation of
classic Mario and Donkey Kong elements, and puzzle gamers will
enjoy the non-repetitive levels, but others won't be so
impressed. The Mario titles are famous for pushing gaming
forward, while this title looks squarely backwards.
Rated: 7.5 out of 10
Editor: Jeremy Zoss
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Review
- Multiple dangers and obstacles to avoid - Over 100 levels of conveyor belts, switches, spikes, ladders, and more.
- Fun animation, graphics and gameplay take you back to the classic feel of early games.
- Use the recaptured toys as clues to solve puzzles and move to the next level.
- Mario has great new moves -- Double-jumps, backflips, handstands, even catching barrels with his feet.
- Supports the GC-GBA link cable - link your GBA to your GameCube and use the level editor on your TV screen.