When you think of your favorite Super Mario Bros. or Donkey Kong games . . . the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series probably doesn’t come to mind. But, if you were a Gameboy Advanced kid, you have likely played the first installment: a light-hearted crossover between two beloved Shigeru Miyamoto franchises, with an atmospheric semblance of old-school Jumpman, staring everyone’s favorite Italian plumber knocking down a necktie-d ape a peg or two.
Twenty years since 2004, the original Mario vs. Donkey Kong gets a highly polished remake with quality-of-life improvements and stellar visuals for the Nintendo Switch. If you have never played the original, or have puzzle-loving children or younger siblings, the 2024 version is worth a shot.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong came out in January of 2024 and is available on the Nintendo Switch.
Oooh, shiny!
Nintendo titles are not always known for their plotlines: Mario vs. Donkey Kong opens with a cutscene of Donkey Kong just chilling and watching television. He sifts through Shy Guy news broadcasts, an “mmm, banana!” channel, and ultimately a commercial about this new and shiny Mario windup toy. This ignites the childlike, oooh shiny appeal in DK’s eyes. So, he attempts to purchase one of the toys but it’s all sold out. In a bit of a fury, DK breaks into the toy factory itself and robs the place clean of all the windups, scaring a handful of toads. While running away, Mario makes an appearance and chases after him.
There are several aspects of the remake that are different from the original. For one, a lot of little things are strangely removed, mostly voice lines. DK’s notably hilarious scream from 2004 is absent, as well as most of Mario’s dialogue. Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2024 used some of the pre-recorded vocal lines, as the game came out following Charles Martinet’s transition to being the “Mario Ambassador.” It is unclear as to why these changes exist.
While the overall story and ending(s) remain the same, there are slight changes in Mario’s and the toads’ demeanor. The protagonists are more friendly and sympathetic towards the selfish Donkey Kong, whereas in the original there are short scenes of the gang poking fun at him. These modern changes give off a more lighthearted tone, but again, the differences are rather pointless.
As light as a dumbbell
Is Mario vs. Donkey Kong remarkable in the gameplay department? No – it edges between a simple platformer and an easy puzzle game, and the mechanics are somewhat stiff. However, there are neat ideas incorporated into the 2024 version, such as the addition of a co-op mode where the second player is a toad. I found this co-op mode to be most appealing since it allowed me to play with my little sister, who had a blast. Players can also toggle between “casual” and “classic” difficulties, with the latter being supposedly harder, but there are not any radical differences. Mario vs. Donkey Kong is almost too simple, yet enjoyably goofy and family-friendly.
The game appears to be light and bouncy like your typical Super Mario, but it is absolutely not. The controls are fine, yet rigid and heavy-feeling. Mario moves too slow in my opinion, and his jumps feel like I am trying to leap off of Jupiter. Occasionally, the control scheme feels imprecise, with questionable hitboxes and undeterminable gaps. On the other hand, there are a fair amount of cool character mechanics. Mario can jump, perform handstands to block falling objects (kind of impractical), equip hammers, do a backflip, throw objects, and more.
Most levels, at least in the main game, are unsurprisingly easy. For a puzzle platformer, it takes very little time to jump through stages. However, there are occasional difficulty spikes that come out of nowhere. Honestly, the first boss fight against Donkey Kong was kind of difficult due to his semi-erratic movements and the onslaught of falling debris.
In it for the long haul
There are over 130 levels to play, so while the stages themselves are short and straightforward, players will still get a solid 8-10 hours of main game playtime. There are 8 worlds with 8 levels per world, ranging from the classic DK Jungle to Merry Mini-Land to the Twilight City.
The Nintendo Switch version also includes extra “plus” levels and “expert” levels, which will certainly double your playtime. The plus stages add 8 new refreshing challenges per world, and then there are 16 expert stages, which players can only unlock by collecting at least 128 gold stars.
Finally, there is also a time attack mode. Players must get through stages under a specified time limit, of course. So . . . yes, the game offers loads of extra content. If you thought the main game was too easy, then the new and improved Mario vs. Donkey Kong made sure to throw in optional challenges!
Cartoon come to life
The remake looks super polished and absolutely amazing. It felt as if I were in Nintendo World just looking at it, with all the fine details and bright colors that pop. Donkey Kong has never looked so good!
In the Gameboy Advanced original, the cutscenes operated more like a slideshow; in 2024, players get to see incredibly crisp and fluid animations. I personally still feel the charm with all the updates. Again, the only downside is while the visuals have improved, most of the audio design has been removed. Still, the game’s soundtrack as per Nintendo is always whimsically charming.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is exactly what you would expect. Worth the full price? Maybe not, but still worth a try if you have never played the original, are incredibly fond of the series, or have little kids or siblings you want to play co-op with. Luckily, there are a lot of extra levels to explore – otherwise, if it were only an 8-hour game, a $50 price point is not worth it.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is gorgeous, silly, and simple with some scattered challenges, and I suppose a remake never hurt anybody regarding a title that came out decades ago . . .
