Mario vs. Donkey Kong

The famous longtime rivalry between a plumber and a gorilla heats up in Mario vs. Donkey Kong. This action-packed puzzle game, perfect for the portability...
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GBA

8.5

very good

Game Overview

The famous longtime rivalry between a plumber and a gorilla heats up in Mario vs. Donkey Kong. This action-packed puzzle game, perfect for the portability of the Game Boy Advance, features new Mario moves and six big worlds with multiple levels. Donkey Kong and Mario fans will enjoy seeing their favorite characters from the Mario universe such as Piranha Plants and Bob-ombs but will be challenged by levels and new puzzles.

The Bottom Line

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is an action-puzzle game that places you in the shoes of Mario as you attempt to recover toys that were stolen by Donkey Kong. Over forty stages will be present in the game. Mario vs. Donkey Kong branches the theme out into a toy story/factory setting where Mario must rescue toy versions of himself stolen by Donkey Kong by using all sorts of platform hopping and switch flipping skills. At the end of a world's set of challenges, Mario must lead his collected toys like lemmings back to the toychest... a unique challenge new to the series. There are also boss battle challenges as well as extras that get unlocked as players leap through the areas collecting absolutely everything.

Expert Reviews

80/100

score

Both on its own and as a tribute to Mario's legacy, Mario vs. Donkey Kong does a great job.

85/100

score

Even though the game isn't unique, the entire experience is because every one of the challenges are new to the GBA production. And though we miss the old-school presentation, it's still great to play the fantastic game design in a fresh perspective.

Character Profiles

Mario
Also known as: Jumpman, Paper Mario, Super Mario, Mario Mario, Gonzalez, Baby Mario Created by Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario started out chasing apes, but now resides happily in the Mushroom Kingdom. He's got a full-time job rescuing the Princess, who gets swiped by Bowser every time she steps out of the castle. Other appearances include Yoshi's Island (SNES), Mario Golf (various), Mario Party (N64) and Super Smash Brothers (N64).

ESRB Game Ratings

This game is Rated: Everyone
Content is most suitable for children ages 6 and up. This game may contain some cartoons or fantasy characters and potentially mild violence or language.

Content Descriptors:

Mild Cartoon Violence