I wanna talk about puzzle platformers. Because I’m starting to like them more and more as I grow older. This year I played through all Mario vs. Donkey Kong games. Oh boy.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GBA)
I like that it’s like a hybrid between Donkey Kong '94 and all the rest, already including the Minis you gotta guide in some levels, but also just Mario platforming around in others. And I especially like the stupid story told in pre-rendered scenes, which remained a big source of entertainment for me in the following entries. I am easy to please. What else do my notes say? Oh yeah, looks like the PAL version is an update of the US version, because when I watched longplays to figure out some levels I realized they made a couple spots more difficult by getting rid of some (unintended?) shortcuts.
US version:
PAL version:
Also TheCuttingRoomFloor tells me that they planned e-reader support and even a level editor, that would’ve been pretty nice.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (DS)
This is were the series got into its own by becoming more like Lemmings. The DS brings stylus controls and there’s no more Mario to platform with, it’s just manipulation of the environment to clear a path for the mini toys. The pink blocks you can tap to remove or place make an introduction here, they’ll be center stage in the next installment. It’s still more of an action platformer than what comes after, like you can control the Minis directly by making them jump with a tap. Also in a somewhat clever but cruel twist the Minis you save end up being used as ammo for the boss levels, which are just based around timing your shots with a cannon on the bottom, to hit DK on the top screen. If you run out of Minis you are fucked. There’s some rather forgettable unlockable mini games too. This is the first one that officially included a level editor.
Also nice throwback at the end:
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again (DSi)
This never got a physical release unless you count the boxed download code they released in Europe together with Minis on the Move on 3DS. From here on out you can’t tap to make the Minis jump anymore, and this one is all about the pink blocks, which you can place and remove in bigger grids now to form stairs and such. I think apart from some DLC levels in one of the later entries, this is the only one that allows this to that extent, which makes it somewhat unique. Sure, it’s a lot of tapping and it can get a bit messy, but I enjoyed the more free-form approach to block placement.
Gotta make stairs!
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem (DS)
I found this late DS release to be the most refined out of all the Lemmings style entries. I think it’s also the longest one so far with over 80 levels. And it got DLC too? They dialed back the pink blocks again and the boss levels now use the regular level mechanics of guiding the minis instead of using them as cannon balls. Except for the last one. So it’s like the exact reverse of MvsDK2. This one I’d recommend most if you only want to play just one.
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (3DS)
I love this spinoff which is basically a slide puzzle that you have to solve to allow the mini toys to walk around on. Again, this had no physical release except a boxed download code (which I have, because I’m stupid). It’s the only one that I haven’t seen the credits roll in, definitely need to revisit.
(Don’t steal that download code please.)
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (3DS, WiiU)
This is another regular entry, and what I’d like to call the beginning of the end. The mechanics are pretty much codified now and it plays like Mini-Land Mayhem, except there’s toys of other Mario characters in some of the levels, and you gotta guide each to their own exit, which adds challenge but can also be annoying. There’s basically no cut-scenes or bosses. Never got a physical release, except in Japan. (Which I have, because…) Probably my least favorite of them all.
One positive thing to note is I do like the last bonus level, reminds me of Pachinko:
Mini-Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge (3DS, WiiU)
Is this where they sold out completely? Or the best use of amiibos ever? You be the judge. Again, this has basically no story or cutscenes, but at least the different toy characters have different moves now which adds a lot more variety, and of course you need an amiibo for each to unlock them and their sets of levels. Which of course I did, because… oh boy.
Look at this nonsense.
Do I regret playing this series? Maybe the last two. Also I’d like to mention that I didn’t 100% any. Most come with some extra hard bonus levels after the credits or some DLC, and I usually had my fill by then. What I enjoyed most is probably the soundtrack. Listening to medleys and remixes of Donkey Kong Country, Mario 64 and Yoshi’s Island was pretty neat. Oh, and hearing Mario curse when opening and closing my DS.
It’s interesting to see how the whole series goes from subtle diss of consumerism, with Donkey Kong going nuts over mass produced miniature toys, to finally ditching the story when it eventually morphs into what it criticized. Amiibo Challenge making me go nuts and buying a whole bunch of rather useless plastic figures (and one plush) just to access all the worlds was a fitting end imo. Something something about being careful when fighting monsters so you don’t become one yourself.
Did you play these? Do you like action platformers? Pls tell me maybe ok cool.
