Current version:Nintendo Switch
Mario vs. Donkey Kong

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
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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

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.

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Nintendo Switch

AI review

AI reviews are subjective assessments, not player ratings. See each review for its evidence and limitations.Published date:

8.6 / 10Nintendo Switch

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
DimensionReview stateScoreWeight
Dimension

Toy-guiding stages and world-ending battles change the immediate task, while Time Attack offers a reason to refine already-solved routes.

Reviewed8.3 / 10Not 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.

Reviewed8.4 / 10Not provided
Dimension

The toy-box objective and refreshed audiovisual presentation may reinforce the appeal of a miniature toy adventure.

Reviewed9.0 / 10Not provided
Dimension

Removing the timer and adding checkpoint retries gives players a practical way to reduce pressure while learning a stage.

Reviewed8.8 / 10Not 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
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

Sources

  • www.nintendo.comSource revision: 1
  • www.nintendo.com