Mario vs. Donkey Kong

This charming puzzle-platformer makes a welcome return.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is what sheer simple fun Mario vs. Donkey Kong really is. It's so simple in concept, but never really gets old or tiresome as they keep building up new ideas along the way. It's hard not to keep obsessively going to see what challenge is coming next. There might be moments where it's easy to get stumped, but it's easily fixed simply by looking around and re-examining the options to come to the proper solution. If there's anything that's a downside about the title, it's that we only wish there was even more to play. Hopefully this entry puts it back on the ma...

I enjoyed my HD revisit of Mario vs. Donkey Kong quite a bit, even to the point of earning every badge in the game. While there's not a lot here that will appeal to those who weren't attracted by the original game, it's still a solid remake that adds fun new stages and HD polish.

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.

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong brings the puzzle-platformer spin-off back to its roots, with clever improvements and a beautifully toyetic facelift.

Mario vs Donkey Kong on the Nintendo Switch is a satisfactory update of a great and often overlooked entry on the Game Boy Advance.

Still, late-game frustrations aside, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is mostly a high-quality experience. I can’t recommend it as a must-play—as it doesn’t do anything especially ambitious or revolutionary and doesn’t feel like great value for money—but it does what it does extremely well. Fans of the original who really want to play it again won’t be disappointed, and anyone who loves pure, refined puzzle design will also find a lot to appreciate and enjoy here.

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.

An often overlooked GBA title is given a new lick of paint and a few new bells and whistles in the Switch remake of Mario Vs. Donkey Kong. But, it’s held back by the design decisions of old.

“Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a fun, if unremarkable way to kill time while you wait for the Nintendo Switch 2.”

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 was directly inspired by Donkey Kong ’94 and features many of its mechanics, including the lock-and-key system and the Super Mario Bros. 2-style treatment of enemies. It’s a very solid puzzler, but it’s just not as inspired in its design as the older game. Until Nintendo decides to give its actual puzzle-platforming masterpiece an equally considered remake, though — or at least deigns to add it to the Game Boy collection on Switch Online — Mario vs. Donkey Kong will have to do.