Mario vs. Donkey Kong Nintendo Switch Review - Is It Worth It?

Junior Jungle Japes

Mario vs Donkey Kong is available on Nintendo Switch on the 16th of February, 2024!

Review copy provided by Nintendo

#Mario #DK #NintendoSwitch

[polyhex]

No level editor in this is the biggest fumble of all time

[josh]

My 3 year old is extremely excited for this… he has played the demo so much. Hardcore gamers don’t understand that there is a massive market for lighter games that very young children can play. My son did very well in the demo and because of that it’s giving him confidence to play other games. Kirby games are his favorite

[danieldickson]

Bold of you to assume that I won't find this challenging as an adult lol!

[Nate-]

I think this is pretty easy to over look. A hidden gem. Great for the casual Mario fan, regardless of age. Other Mario games aren’t necessarily known for their difficulty until late game anyway, so that doesn’t set this one apart and shouldn’t be criticized for it. It all depends if you are interested in platforming puzzle games. If you have only just a little interest, you should check this out.

[TheLonelyGoomba]

The challenge used to be getting a highscore star. Something they removed for some reason which in turn damages the replay value and difficulty. Perhaps time attack will offer that challenge.

The plus worlds are not brand new btw.

[SonofMrPeanut]

"Timing is key."
> Grabs key

[wallstaple]

This should be a $20 digital release, maybe $30 physical, max. $50 is laughable

[davidcbeaudoin]

I absolutely adored the original version on the GBA so I'm excited to revisit it with a new coat of paint!

[DonkThikkness]

The biggest flaw of this game is that it’s not worth $50. The Tomb Raider Collection just released, priced at $30. For 3 games. The added content and glow up is not enough.

[davidwright]

I loved this game as a child and i can't wait to relive it as an Adult! I honestly think sometimes it's a much needed distraction to have a chilled game which is simple but also enjoyable! I for one, am very glad this game has been remaked!

[NeutralIon]

A great review of an old favourite, but the criticism about not having to consider Mario's full suite of movement mechanics for the bulk of the game struck me a little. I think the original did those fancier jumps better service by making them a necessary tool for scoring faster times on each level, and a stage's target score to hit (which took into account the amount of time a level was completed in and is a concept seemingly absent from this remake) encouraged experimentation with those moves to find quick routes once the initial novelty of a puzzle had worn off. A pity that gameplay wrinkle may not have translated as well due to the remake's more lax approach, but maybe that's what the Time Attack mode is for.

And yeah, no level editor is a major bummer. This would've been the perfect opportunity to reimplement the one that was dummied out of the GBA version.

[Danominator]

Have to say, the removal of the score system is very weird. I used to kind of like score chasing in these games, especially because the stages were so easy to retry. Still, very glad we're getting this game again

[xanadude]

I'm sort of disappointed that the score system was entirely removed, as in the remake it's entirely too easy to get a gold star in a level. In the original, it's a lot harder as you need to get a certain score that requires speed, precision, and in most cases, execution without dying. Now that you just need to get the presents, it seems far easier to complete this game. The expert levels felt like a true reward in the original. But the worst part about the score systems' absence is the fact that there is a new Casual Mode, so they could've had a middle ground of no score in casual but lives and score in Classic Mode... the mode intended to be classic. From what I've played from the demo, the remake seems fine enough, but even the controls feel slicker in the OG. I'm skeptical on this one.

[Christopher-mdtf]

The price tag on this is absolutely insane

[KevinFought]

I think this is a great way of Nintendo introducing players to the donkey kong series. The more people that play this might get interested in donkey kong country or whatever new donkey kong game nintendo makes next.

[Joeynator]

...No level editor? was thinking of trying one of these games if it's on Switch just for that...

[stevensmith]

The original was the first game i ever played when i tried the demo version at a Kmart as a kid. It'll always hold a special place in my heart

[bland]

If i remember correctly reviews of both of these games say dk94 is harder in a good way.

I think it would have been better if they remade both games in a single package.

[DstinySmsher]

The price is the hard pill to swallow for this one. If it had been $20 I feel like tons of people would’ve gone for it. $50 though? Big yike. I won’t bother.

[Atown]

My copy will be delivered Friday in time for the 3 day weekend!