1981, 1994, 2004, 2024: the historic rivalry between Jumpman and the ape is rekindled in our preview of Mario vs Donkey Kong
With all the time they spent as companions, hearing good old Charles Martinet exclaim in 2004 on Game Boy Advance “Mario vs Donkey Kong” was almost as surprising as the demo announced and released yesterday, which is why we rushed like falcons for a beautiful preview. Similarly to the brilliant SNES role-playing game that returned triumphantly two-three months ago, there is a sort of dualism here too. Again: we’re in the “late 3DS” zone, with smaller projects like ports or, in this case, remake. Not that it’s an unfamiliar sensation for the original game, considering that it came out on the GBA just when the Nintendo DS was just around the corner.
In a similar, but at the same time diametrically opposite way, there is the back to the origins that the game represents for the sub-series it belongs to. You see, from the second dual-screen episode onwards the series turned into the equivalent Nintendo of Lemmings, with a pinch of Pipe Mania on 3DS in the case of Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move. As for the simplest (and at the same time successful) premise to propose a pseudo-sequel to Donkey Kong ’94 on the Game Boy, has taken a backseat to the other merit of the original game: that of being the only platformer created from scratch for the Game Boy Advance. Well, this game design idea is perhaps about to get the redemption it deserves.
“Walk, talk, say Mamma Mia” | Mario vs Donkey Kong Preview
As befits the plumber, that little bit of plot tangible in the demo that we previewed, it serves as a mere forerunner for Mario vs Donkey Kong. Bizarre how such a subversive mockery of consumerism, probably second only to The LEGO Movie, comes from Nintendo. Not only that, it’s even its own American branch for in-house development, that is Nintendo Software Technology (Redmond). The monkey gets the monkey up (heh) for i Minimario during some healthy zapping. Supplies run out almost as quickly as amiibo. The gorilla attacks the factory and escapes with the stolen goods. Mario discovers this and sets out in pursuit, rekindling a previously buried feud. Let’s go!
As well as Donkey Kong ’94, here too the foundations of gameplay of the 1981 arcade title hold up the whole thing. As if he suddenly found himself in a cinematic platformer, Mario “enjoys” limited jumps, depending on inertia and finding himself as vulnerable to danger as any normal man would be. At the same time, the level design is mainly based on puzzles: in other words, it’s a puzzle-platformer. For most of the game, the levels are divided into two halves: one in which open a door and the other in which recover the Mini Mario. There’s not much else to say. Not before a real evaluation, at least.
“Here we go again… again!” | Mario vs Donkey Kong Preview
In reality, there are more than two new features in this remake, but this is the number that we had the opportunity to enjoy in the demo. Let’s start from Relax mode: in some ways, the normal game knew how to show its claws. The addition of more health points, along with checkpoints to go to once you take damage and an unlimited timer, could be ideal for anyone who was in awe of the challenge rate of the GBA title. In theory. That said, the fact that the remake is already simpler than its first incarnation due to the removal of the time left from the level’s completionism criteria, now limited to just the three gifts to find, makes this simplification partly useless. We’ll probably talk about it again on day one.
And then there’s the co-op. In this case the two players divide the tasks, at least in the first half of each level: Mario he must take care of the golden key, while Toad must be able to get the smaller silver one. In Dark Souls style, therefore, the game adapts the challenge rate to the greatest number of players: both must do their part to open a door, and it is not enough for the better of the two to do all the work. The recovery phase of Minimario, for its part, it doesn’t adjust the level design in the same way; in a completely opposite way, therefore, the first to grab the toy sphere also automatically ends the level itself. A bizarre choice, this, which we will understand in due time.
“Oh, Maaaaaaario” | Anteprima Mario vs Donkey Kong
The demo consists of three of the six regular levels of the first game world, the Mario SPA Games (called by the English name of Mario Toy Company in the original, cutscene aside). The first, and completely harmless, level also concludes it dedicated to the Mini Marios themselves. This is where the evolution (or, if we can say it straight, involution) of the series into a Lemmings-like began. Let’s move Mario, yes, but making sure that the six Mini Marios in a row of six with remainder of zero follow us without being destroyed by the obstacles. The challenge rate is almost zero given the almost entirely demonstrative nature of World 1-MM, but we can already assure you that in the following worlds the music changes.
The co-op variant of the level adds the silver key for Toad. However, apart from this small digression, the substance of the internship remains overall the same. What we could anticipate, however, is that the promotional material included following the playable levels also features More Levelsor the full-bodied post-game which also “doubles” the original. Single-stage levels, in that case, blend the door opening with the escort mission of Mini Mario, now extended to levels more designed for Mario than for his mechanical replica in plastic and tin. For the rest, however, we have exhausted the coverage of the test version: the curtain fell without too many ceremonies after one half an hour of game.
Kong-siderations that are anything but kong-clusive
The preview of Mario vs Donkey Kong therefore closes its doors. In an almost diabolical way, the promotional film included with the demo opens right up with the first boss, which would normally come right after the Mini Mario level. Later you can admire some screens, watch the movie or replay one of the four levels, but the test run stops here. Furthermore, when the demo is reopened, we start again from scratch. But for what was just “a little taste”, our stomachs did nothing but growl again. Day one, although only two weeks from today, couldn’t seem further away. And the writer, frankly, didn’t even think of feeling so nostalgic for a title played to the point of exhaustion twenty years ago.
Just as the original paved the way into the sunset of the Game Boy Advance, now that confirmation of a Nintendo Direct in February is expected in the hope of an announcement for a possible Nintendo Switch 2 on sweet and sour aftertaste of the remake is the same. There are many other things we would like to say, and which we noticed when observing those not yet playable levels from afar: how the new world inspired by theme parks, for example, takes advantage of the teleportation blocks of 3D World. Or how the soundtrack is, in the absence of more purely professional metaphors, “pampering to the ears”. But that’s talk for another day. Maybe in the review phasein view of the fateful event Friday 16 February.
Now it’s up to you to tell us your opinion: what idea did you make of the title? Let us know below, and as always don’t forget to stay on techgameworld.com for all the most important news for gamers and beyond. For your purely gaming needs, you can instead find the best discounts in digital format on Instant Gaming.