Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Carry keys through puzzle-platforming stages to recover Mini-Mario toys, using Mario’s acrobatics and movable objects to find a route, then guide the rescued toys safely into their box.
- AI score · out of 10
- 8.6 / 10
About this game
Mario vs. Donkey Kong rebuilds the Game Boy Advance game around a familiar task: get the key to the door and recover a Mini-Mario. Climbing, swinging, handstands and picking up objects are tools for navigating each stage. Other stages ask you to lead the toys that follow Mario into their box, while each world ends in a battle with Donkey Kong. You can choose the timed Classic Style or use Casual Style’s checkpoints and removal of the timer. A friend can join on the same console as Toad, changing the door puzzle to require two keys. Progression also unlocks Time Attack challenges for revisiting completed stages and improving your route.
Collected in series
Donkey Kong stretches from arcade obstacle courses to jungle platforming and destructive 3D exploration. Jumping, hazards and hidden rewards connect adventures that give the famous ape very different roles and ways to interact with the world.
Super Mario is Nintendo’s platform-adventure series, first launched in 1985. Mario and his friends leap through the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond, exploring colorful worlds and tackling playful challenges. Mushrooms, coins, pipes and surprising power-ups make every adventure full of discoveries.
Recommended games
Related game recommendations on this platform
Nintendo SwitchAI review
AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:
A promising fit if you like planning a route and then making your platforming carry it out.
Carrying a key and guiding following toys give movement a logistical purpose, which may appeal to players who enjoy solving a space before crossing it. Co-op adds a shared key-collection problem, while Casual Style gives players more room to think.
Strengths
- Mario’s movement options can make finding a route feel like solving a physical puzzle.
- Two-key co-op gives partners a concrete objective to coordinate around.
Who it is for: Players who enjoy spatial puzzles with action execution, including pairs who want to work out routes together.
Play notes: Classic Style has a time limit; Casual Style removes it and provides checkpoint retries.
View scoring basis
| Dimension | Review state | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension Toy-guiding stages and world-ending battles change the immediate task, while Time Attack offers a reason to refine already-solved routes. | Reviewed | 8.3 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Moving a key through the same space Mario must traverse should appeal to players who like connecting movement choices to a clear puzzle objective. | Reviewed | 8.4 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension The toy-box objective and refreshed audiovisual presentation may reinforce the appeal of a miniature toy adventure. | Reviewed | 9.0 / 10 | Not provided |
| Dimension Removing the timer and adding checkpoint retries gives players a practical way to reduce pressure while learning a stage. | Reviewed | 8.8 / 10 | Not provided |
Review sources
Not provided
Core information
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Release date
- Feb 16, 2024
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- Content kind
- Game
- Release state
- Released
- Region
- Worldwide
- Official website
- www.nintendo.com
- Offline minimum players
- 1
- Offline maximum players
- 1
- Online minimum players
- Not provided
- Online maximum players
- Not provided
- Categories
- Action · Primary genre
- Tags
- Local Co-opSolo-friendlyPuzzle SolvingLinear LevelsLow Entry BarrierReplayable
- Supported game languages
- SpanishSimplified ChineseGermanJapaneseFrenchEnglish
- Requires base game
- Not provided
- Standalone
- Not provided
- Age ratings
- ESRB: E
- Play modes
- Single player
- Perspectives
- Side view
Release editions
- Nintendo SwitchWorldwideFeb 16, 2024
Game gallery
Sources
- www.nintendo.comSource revision: 1
- www.nintendo.com