Mario vs. Donkey Kong Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)

by Jim Smale · Published February 26, 2024 · Updated February 23, 2024

Mario vs. Donkey Kong Review, The toys are back in town in Mario vs. Donkey Kong on Nintendo Switch! Solve puzzles and test your platforming smarts as you try to recover the stolen Mini-Marios. This remake of the Game Boy Advance game features all-new graphics, levels, and other new ways to play.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong Review Pros:

Decent bright graphics.
1.3GB download size.
3 save slots.
Puzzle gameplay.
There are two game difficulties – casual and classic. (can be changed whenever you want in the menu)
Tutorial signs to hit in level and a guide menu that houses them for reference.
Each world has six levels, a toy Mario level and then a Donkey Kong boss fight.
In levels, you collect presents and rescue the toy Mario’s. The Toy Mario level is like a Lemmings game in that you can’t control them but they follow you, and depending on how many Toy Mario you get through the level depends on how many you have with you in the Donkey Kong fight.
Bonus levels can spawn where you get 30 seconds to capture the flying key.
Extra lives can be found in the level and the bonus levels.
Unlock cutscenes from playing and rewatch them in the gallery.
Solid tight controls.
Mario has a lot of moves from handstands, double jumps, and cartwheels.
You can pick up enemies and items to throw around.
The goal of each level is to get a key and unlock the door.
Two players drop in and out local co-op.
Every world has a theme that changes the mechanics and enemies you encounter.
Levels generally have colored blocks and switches, clicking one has that color appear or disappear.
Has a few nods to other games.
You can replay levels.
Mario flags can be hit and act as a respawn point.
The classic mode is a straight-up one-hit death whereas casual has a life bar so you can take many hits before a game is over.
Pick up power-ups to help like the hammer from the original Donkey Kong game.
The key you get can be dropped but has a 15-second timer before it resets and when holding it you can only move and jump.
Has a lot of charm.
Nice soundtrack.
Good puzzle brain workout.
Bite-sized levels.
Finishing a level is satisfying.
The toy Mario levels are some of the best in the game.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong Review Cons:

It all feels flat like the story and levels don’t feel connected in any way.
Every world does the same layout every time.
Doesn’t offer mechanics like rewind or fast forward.
The pacing of levels is up and down.
Little replay value.
Using ropes takes some time, especially when leaning out from the rope.
The jump isn’t as good as you would expect.
Cannot rebind controls.
No touchscreen.
Doesn’t offer a timer or score-based system.

Related Post: TELETEXT Review (Steam)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong:

Official website.

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

Store Links –

Nintendo

8/10
Graphics - 8/10
7/10
Sound - 7/10
7/10
Accessibility - 7/10
8/10
Length - 8/10
7/10
Fun Factor - 7/10

7.4/10

Summary

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a puzzle game that offers decently bright graphics and solid tight controls. The game has a download size of 1.3GB and provides three save slots. It features two game difficulties – casual and classic, which can be changed at any time on the menu. The game offers tutorial signs at each level and a guide menu for reference.

Each world in the game consists of six levels, a toy Mario level, and a Donkey Kong boss fight. In the levels, you collect presents and rescue the toy Marios. The Toy Mario level is reminiscent of a Lemmings game where you can’t control them but they follow you. The number of Toy Marios you get through the level determines how many you have with you in the Donkey Kong fight. Bonus levels can spawn where you get 30 seconds to capture the flying key. Extra lives can be found in the level and the bonus levels. You can unlock cutscenes from playing and rewatch them in the gallery.

Mario has a lot of moves from handstands, double jumps, and cartwheels. You can pick up enemies and items to throw around. The goal of each level is to get a key and unlock the door. The game supports two players’ drop-in and out local co-op. Every world has a theme that changes the mechanics and enemies you encounter. Levels generally have colored blocks and switches, clicking one has that color appear or disappear. The game has a few nods to other games and you can replay levels. Mario flags can be hit and act as a respawn point.

The classic mode is a straight-up one-hit death whereas casual has a life bar so you can take many hits before a game is over. You can pick up power-ups to help like the hammer from the original Donkey Kong game. The key you get can be dropped but has a 15-second timer before it resets and when holding it you can only move and jump. The game has a lot of charm, a nice soundtrack, and offers a good puzzle brain workout. The bite-sized levels and the satisfying feeling of finishing a level make it a fun experience. The toy Mario levels are some of the best in the game.

However, the game does have its drawbacks. The story and levels don’t feel connected in any way and every world does the same layout every time. It doesn’t offer mechanics like rewind or fast forward and the pacing of levels is up and down. There’s little replay value and using ropes takes some time, especially when leaning out from the rope. The jump isn’t as good as you would expect and you cannot rebind controls. The game doesn’t offer a touchscreen, a timer, or a score-based system. Despite these issues, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a charming game that offers a good puzzle brain workout.