And here we go again! 

With a remake that recaptures nostalgia while connecting generations of fans, one of gaming's most beloved and well-established franchises brings back our favorite plumber's puzzle. In Mario vs. Donkey Kong, we will rediscover, in a light and fun way, the rivalry between these two characters, who are the face and heart of Nintendo. 

Produced and published by Nintendo, the game was released on February 16, 2024, for Switch. 



Donkey Kong, you little thief!

Scanning TV channels on a dull day, Donkey Kong discovers something incredible! Nothing less than a super sale on the latest mini toy Marios! Without wasting any time, our gorilla sets off to buy his own but soon discovers that the newest sensation in the Mushroom Kingdom is sold out... However, that wouldn't be enough to put an end to his plans to have all the mini Marios he could afford. So he breaks into the toy factory and steals them all for himself. 

Who else could come to the rescue and show the gorilla who's boss?! Only our favorite mustachioed man! 

In Mario vs. Donkey Kong, we follow the rivalry between these two darlings through a story that is told through playing. The charisma of the characters shows us that they're not there to play, but without taking away from the joyful and colorful experience, a hallmark of the franchise's games. 

With each new encounter, Donkey Kong makes it clear that he doesn't want to give his new toys back. This is how the game presents us with challenges, platforms, and puzzles that increase in difficulty, but guarantee a balance between complexity and fun. 



For me, it's always remarkable to experience how Nintendo manages to rescue games from the franchise and make them current. Or rather... It's inspiring that classic games are perfectly adaptable to today's requirements, after all, classics are classics, aren't they?

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is no different. The pillars of the game blend perfectly well with the new content added, which gives this remake a feeling of novelty and nostalgia at the same time. And that, for some reason, made me want to go back in time.

Yes, I had to experience the original game once again to find out what had changed, and man... it made me feel how well this remake was done. I felt that the content had been polished and perfected in such a way as to renew while remaining faithful. The soundtracks, effects, stages, and puzzles give a lesson on how to make a good game. What's more, the quality of the game design, which keeps the experience cohesive and intuitive, is always amazing. However, I felt that the current version could have better explored the rivalry between the characters, with cutscenes between the worlds, for example. I also noticed that in the current version, Mario is a little slower than in the classic version. I wonder if age is catching up with our beloved plumber! Just kidding! 



Everything indicates that Mario still has a lot of energy to spare. And it's not me who says that, it's him: the gameplay.

Puzzles and acrobatics! 

As in its predecessor, in Mario vs. Donkey Kong, our plumber will have to face increasing puzzles and challenges to rescue his toy versions. To do this, you'll need a variety of skills, such as backflips, double jumps, walking upside down and even swinging from ropes and bars. With each new world, you'll learn new commands to take on Donkey Kong in style. 

With more than 130 puzzles spread across eight different worlds, the game keeps the experience interesting and challenging, as there will always be something new to learn and practice. Despite this, the game doesn't last very long, leaving you with the feeling of wanting more. 

In each world, there are a certain number of stages, where you rescue your toys at the end. Then there are the special stages, in which we need to collect some letters with the help of our mini Marios, and the final stage, where we face our angry gorilla. 



And if Mario is already a showstopper on his own, imagine him with others? In the remake of Mario vs. Donkey Kong, you can play with a friend, who will take on the role of Toad. I confess that because the basic experience isn't that challenging, the presence of a second player makes the game much easier than usual. But I imagine that when playing with children, the game has the potential to connect generations in a very fun and simplified gameplay. 

In addition, the game has two styles of play: classic and casual. In classic mode, players can experience the traditional version of the game, with timers in the levels and the possibility of only receiving one hit from enemies or traps. Casual mode, on the other hand, removes time limits, and checkpoints and increases the number of times Mario can be hit. 

But it's not all flowers (or mushrooms). Remember when I said that the basic experience wasn't that challenging? Well, once you get out of the basics and delve into the big picture, you realize that Mario vs. Donkey Kong has a lot to offer.



In the new extra worlds, some challenging stages demand a lot from your acrobatic skills. What's more, in Expert Levels, we'll have 16 levels that will put you and our plumber through your paces. To access the Expert Level, you need to complete every stage of the game perfectly.

But if you're still finding it easy, how about speeding things up a bit? In Time Attack mode, in addition to the challenges you've already faced, to win you'll have to race against the clock. So, good luck! 

Whether you're looking for light, fun gameplay or a real challenge, one thing's for sure: you'll be delighted!

Colors that don't fade

If there's one thing the Mario franchise knows how to do, it's create charming, colorful worlds. From the beginning of the franchise to the present day, we can see the care Nintendo takes to make its games a pleasant ride in a beautiful amusement park. Remake or classic, new or not, the artistic design always makes us feel "at home". 



In Mario vs. Donkey Kong, we see a very appropriate revitalization of a game that was already beautiful in its day, and which now has modern graphics, an engaging soundtrack, and that nostalgia that fills all the elements to make us feel the past while longing for the future. 

The game has managed to make the characters even more charismatic, giving the protagonists more expressions and turning the basic enemies into real toys. Even the voices of the mini Marios are funny. Don't keep them waiting too long, or they'll scream in desperation, like a puppy screaming for its mommy. 

Overall, the game has managed to pull off a great feat and bring the player an experience that may not be the most innovative or complex but is certainly well-developed and, without a doubt, a lot of fun.

For this review, Mario vs. Donkey Kong was played on the Switch.

Huge thanks to Nintendo for providing the key that made this content possible.