Review of Mario vs. Donkey Kong: a slow-burning yet challenging game
Our Verdict
While it takes its time to build momentum, once it clicks with you Mario vs Donkey Kong is a rewarding and enjoyable remake, and another win for the Mario franchise. The simple gameplay gets deceptively tricky, and is supported by wonderful visuals: just make sure you stick with it.
Admittedly, as I started getting ready to write this Mario vs. Donkey Kong review A few weeks back, I wasn't quite won over by the latest Nintendo release, which is a contemporary reimagining of the 2004 Gameboy Advance title of the same name. I found it to be decent overall, but too samey, too simple, and not worth the money. After playing the game for many more hours, my opinion of it has now shifted drastically, or largely.
It's common to be disappointed with a new game after purchasing it, installing it, and enthusiastically loading it up for the first time. Sometimes within the first few minutes of playing the game, you can tell whether or not it's not clicking with you. I recently spent a respectable sum of money for a new game, played it for five minutes, and then swore I would never touch it again. I quickly returned to a game that I knew I would like—you know, the kind that makes you feel good and is generally among the top Nintendo Switch games.
The problem is that, in my opinion, Mario vs. Donkey Kong started out as a game that belonged in the first category but ultimately ended up in the second. Oh. Let's go back to the beginning since it's been quite the journey.
A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to be granted access to the new Mario game. I was quite excited to take advantage of this chance since I had just finished playing the fantastic, outstanding, and very entertaining Mario Wonder. Mario vs. Donkey Kong offers a really refreshing variation. It was all craziness and speed in the game until I switched to patience and strategy. I should have anticipated the whiplash, looking back.
In the game Mario vs. Donkey Kong, you play as Mario and pursue Donkey Kong throughout many levels and planets in an effort to rescue the Mini Marios that the rowdy ape stole from a factory. But beating a few goombas won't get you through the stages; instead, you'll need to use your intellect rather than your might. To advance to the next level, you must solve riddles by evaluating your environment. When you have a timer going against you, you have to move quickly and accurately while remaining composed and composed.
All of it could seem very difficult. It's not. Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a breeze in the first stages since the game guides you through a variety of situations that make it almost impossible for you to become lost in the rules. The "fights" with the boss are also simple. Rather than difficult ones, the only difficulties seemed to be with little ones. There is virtually little joy in doing well and receiving a perfect score at this part of the game since it lasts much too long. This is when I started to become annoyed with the game. It was a bit of a drag, and I missed the exhilarating excitement of Mario Kart or Wonder.
But I had to keep playing until something eventually clicked in order to give the game a fair assessment. I'm not sure when it occurred, but all of a sudden I was enjoying the features that Mario vs. Donkey Kong had to offer. This was accompanied by a shift in complexity; the game demanded more of me and had me interact with it more. I had to work harder, which required me to study the game more thoroughly in order to solve the puzzles. As a result, I became more aware of the little things, such as the excellent sound design, lovely animations, and catchy music. The game at last got enjoyable as everything started to make more sense.
These are the main advantages of Mario vs. Donkey Kong, to sum up. It is a polished game that clearly had a lot of love put into it, and it has a lot of charm and individuality. All of the designs are fantastic. The puzzles are tough and rewarding once you get the hang of them; they encourage you to think outside the box and use your imagination rather than merely pushing through the stages. You may play for five minutes or five hours and still learn something since the diversity and complexity improve as you go. In fact, it becomes really addicting.
It's important to note that the game still has some bugs. It is difficult to get momentum when most of the levels seem the same, in my opinion, and the early stages are too simple and sluggish. Additionally, it would be good if you had to use some of the gameplay aspects more regularly (for example, backward flipping, which is a lot of fun but is seldom useful). Nevertheless, when Mario vs. Donkey Kong gains momentum, those worries start to dissipate.
Referring back to my previous statement, this is how Mario vs. Donkey Kong came to be a game I could always count on to provide me with a certain amount of assured fun. After a few hours, you know precisely what to expect and will be rewarded with a straightforward but surprisingly captivating experience. It's undoubtedly a success as an addition to the larger Mario brand, but it probably doesn't require a sequel. Alternatively, it is when you finally get it.
See our Mario Wonder review for more Mario shenanigans. Alternatively, peruse our conjectures about the Nintendo Switch 2 and examine our selections for the top Nintendo Switch role-playing games.