Mario vs. Donkey Kong Review (Switch): As you remember it, for better or worse

When the original Mario vs. Donkey Kong was released on the Game Boy Advance, I enjoyed it but never fell in love with it like other Mario games. The concept is simple: Donkey Kong stole a bunch of Mini-Mario toys, so the plumber needs to get through various platforming puzzles acrobatically. For a 2004 handheld game, it’s good, but not something that necessarily stays in your mind. The 2024 remake on Switch is much of the same. With low-key additions, this look at the past feels a little underwhelming but can provide plenty of enjoyment for the right crowd.

Enough puzzles to make you bananas

In just about any Mario game, you can expect there to be plenty of jumping. That is the case in Mario vs. Donkey Kong, but it’s not quite what you are used to. Mario’s jump is minimal, and he runs slowly, but his handstand jump can bounce him higher, and he climbs upward quickly when he has two ropes to cling to. On the surface, comparing this 2D movement to something like Super Mario Bros. Wonder feels like a definite step back, but it’s the context that matters. You’re not racing to an end goal here. Instead, you want to take your time to solve every puzzle that comes your way, whether that is by climbing, moving items, or waiting for the path to unveil itself. This slows the game down, but that’s typically what you expect with a puzzle game.

While Mario is slower here, the controls are simple. Run, jump, and grab items. Enemies aren’t necessarily there for you to remove from the equation. Instead, you often want to use them for your benefit, like standing on a Shy Guy to get across a spike trap or using a shield enemy to push you under a small passageway. It’s fulfilling to actually use the things trying to kill you as a tool to meet your goals. Unfortunately, the hitboxes on enemies are very spotty. There were many times I felt I timed my jumps right to land on their head, but the game thought I was in a spot where they did damage and made me lose a life. That was easily the most aggravating part of my time with the game.

Don’t overexert yourself chasing that monkey

Challenge-wise, the first seven worlds out of a total of eight are a cakewalk in Mario vs. Donkey Kong. A large majority of my deaths came from trying to rush through things. The eighth world is a bit tougher but not unmanageable for anyone to get through if they take their time. You can easily hit credits on this game by dedicating yourself to the main 64 levels in a weekend. After that, a second campaign and expert levels are unlocked for anyone who wants to take this experience even further and go through well over 100 unique levels. The themes and mechanics used in each world are always changing, and I appreciated how even when the game brought back older mechanics in later levels, they were used in new ways to make things always feel fresh.

I found the best way to enjoy this game is in spurts. Sitting and playing it for anything over about a half hour at once became taxing on my mind. Not that it ever became too much to think about, but I always found myself making dumb mistakes after running through a world’s eight levels – six main, one escort, and one boss fight. While you could definitely rush through the game, I believe that only does a big disservice to yourself and will only lead to more headaches as you get frustrated with preventable deaths. This is definitely a game I recommend taking breaks from.

What once was old is still old but with new paint

For the most part, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is how anyone who played back in the day will remember. Obviously, over 20 years, the graphics are significantly better, and the cutscenes have been remade to be more than simple still images. We also have Charles Martinet back as Mario for what could be his last time playing the character. That’s a very charming combo, considering the voice actor’s recent replacement. That said, nothing from a gameplay perspective really stands out. Most of your time will be spent pressing red, blue, and yellow buttons, climbing ropes, and waiting for platforms to move to the right position for you to move forward. By no means is it boring, but it definitely feels like simple ideas you would see on a Game Boy.

When compared to the original version from 20 years ago, there are very little new additions. Casual mode is a nice inclusion, especially for kids. I played on Classic for my time, but Casual adds checkpoints to each level, gives you five hits before you lose a life, and removes the time limit. I recommend that Casual experience to avoid headaches. A new two player co-op mode was also added, but I unfortunately did not have a chance to try it. Two new worlds have been added to the main campaign. Both bring new puzzle mechanics that feel like they could have been implemented in the original game. That’s a commendable feat to make something new that feels at home in a game so old. They don’t stand out above anything else, but they are cool additions.

Final verdict

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a nice revisit to the Game Boy Advance days for those who grew up with it. Children who like puzzles might enjoy this game, especially with the Casual mode making it more approachable, but I wouldn’t predict anyone ever calling this one of their favorite Mario games. At the end of the day, it still feels like a Game Boy Advance game. In that sense, it is highly tooled towards the handheld nature of the Switch. However, when looking at all of the games people want to make a comeback, I doubt this one was high on anyone’s list. It’s a good game, but I’m not necessarily clamoring for more after my time with it.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong was reviewed on Nintendo Switch with a code provided by Nintendo.

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