Mario vs. Donkey Kong Reviews
While Mario vs. Donkey Kong has a charming concept and visual direction, the twenty-year-old puzzle platformer shows its age through frustrating level design, bizarre controls, and very little content that improves upon the original. Further, with its $49.99 price point, it's hard to justify purchasing the remake unless you're a die-hard fan of the original GBA title.
Given that it can be comfortably completed within a few days, even with the heightened difficulty of later levels, Mario vs. Donkey Kong can’t help but feel like a featherweight experience. That, though, is consistent with my experience of the original Game Boy Advance version, a sturdy-for-its-time puzzle-platformer whose set of issues prevented it from approaching greatness. Playing the remake, it’s easy to rue that the developers missed the chance to enhance and expand upon the original. This, along with other glaring deficiencies like the lack of substantive new material outside of two new worlds, proves that the transition from handheld to home console has done Mario vs. Donkey Kong little to no favors.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong brings the classic GBA title back with new crisp graphics, but there has not been enough changes to the mechanics or controls to make this feel contemporary on the Switch.
Mario vs Donkey Kong is a charming puzzler that’s great in short bursts, but the repetitive formula, short length, and occasionally frustrating controls leave it paling in comparison to other top-tier Mario outings on Switch.
For some, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is exactly what those who love the GBA release are looking for. For everyone else, this puzzle platformer is full of rough edges that are a deterrent.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong offers a notable step up in visual quality from its 20-year-old source material, but the same can't be said for the gameplay mechanics, which remain largely unchanged. While it will no doubt appeal to purists who loved the GBA original, those discovering it for the first time may find it too easy and not up to the same standards as modern, similarly priced Mario releases.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a fun, if unremarkable way to kill time while you wait for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo's latest remake is good fun but asking $65 for a remake of a short 2D puzzle game is asking a lot in these troubled times. Read on.
While it's been pleasing to see Nintendo revitalise certain parts of their back catalogue, Mario vs. Donkey Kong feels a bit dated, despite the modern graphics. I just wish there had been a slightly grander effort to modernise the feel of the game.
In what the last months of the Nintendo Switch will be, if we have to believe the rumors, Nintendo gives us a nice encore. After Super Mario Bros. Wonder At the end of last year, a slick remake of a Gameboy Advance classic: Mario vs. Donkey Kong. In the twenty years after the release of the original, the Italian plumber and his ancient rival seemed to have grown at each other, but in this remake the battle between the two can be tasted again.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a simple puzzle platformer that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The game is highly accessible and shines thanks to its remade visuals. You won’t find yourself scratching your head at any of the puzzles but the easy-going gameplay is charming and great to play in co-op.
Mario vs Donkey Kong is totally fine on the Switch, with levels and modes for players of all difficulty levels.
Nintendo brought back the 20-year-old game, but forgot to include the appropriate content for the price. Couch Co-Op is fun to play, but you can buy an ox for this money, Nintendo...
Review in Turkish | Read full review
An inoffensive and at times charming puzzler that won't take over your life. Bundling it with part 2 might've been a good idea.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
If you fondly remember Mario vs Donkey Kong from its Game Boy Advance iteration, we’ve no doubt you’ll get a kick out of seeing it with a gorgeous, fresh coat of paint. You still will if you’re a newcomer: it’s a treat for the eyes, but it’s also a fun little puzzle game to pick up for 10, 20 minutes at a time. It’s not going to set your world on fire, but those mini Marios are sure to put a smile on your face for a little while.
I had a lot of fun playing (or, more accurately, replaying) Mario Vs. Donkey Kong. It’s a brightly-coloured, wholesome good time, and the rare all-ages puzzle game that strikes the right balance between making sure that everyone that plays it feels smart, without being condescending about it. As much fun as it is, however, this is one of the most transient games that Nintendo has published in quite some time. You’ll play it, enjoy it, and very quickly forget about it because it is, ultimately, a remake of once of Nintendo’s most niche titles – a title that was niche for a very good reason.
The asking price does feel disproportionate to what is on offer in Mario vs. Donkey Kong, even despite the host of additional levels that bring it past 130 in total, and its wonderful new presentation and cutscenes. Alongside 1994's Donkey Kong, though, this is the superior gameplay format for this series, which adopted more of a Lemmings approach in subsequent games, so interested folk should seek this one out at a more affordable price in the future.
Mario vs Donkey Kong on the Nintendo Switch is a satisfactory update of a great and often overlooked entry on the Game Boy Advance.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong, while a good game, comes too late in the Nintendo Switch's lifecycle to stand out in the vast array of puzzle platformers, although the multiplayer adds an unexpected value.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a solid remake of the original Gameboy Advance game that successfully modernizes it for today’s audience. The overall puzzle experience is interesting and the addition of new features plus its co-op mode helps round out the gameplay more. The platforming can feel wonky at times and you can go through the game rather quickly. If you enjoyed the original or are looking for a fun puzzle game, however, this is a Mario and Donkey Kong rematch that might be worth buying into.