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Mario Vs. Donkey Kong Review
Written by Modojo Staff on Monday, January 31, 2005
Tons of great puzzles to solve. Boss battles, too!
Graphics are pixelated and about average.
It's been many years since Donkey Kong has been at odds with Mario, and I have to say, it feels good to have the old rivalry back. The game takes a very lighthearted approach to the storyline, which made the title much more enjoyable for me. The best single word to describe it would have to be... charming. The game opens with DK desperately wanting to get his hands on the newest Mario doll, only to find out they're completely out of stock. Naturally, the big ape just decides to raid the factory and make off with the dolls himself, and the chase is on. It almost appears the rivalry between the two is friendly -- Mario shouts "Come-a back you silly monkey!" while pursuing DK through the worlds.
The game initially presents gamers with six worlds, each containing six normal stages, one 'mini-Mario' stage, and one boss stage. Each normal stage has two halves. The first half requires gamers to retrieve a key and return it to a locked door. For the second half of the level, gamers simply have to reach the Mario doll found at the end of the stage. This isn't as easy as it initially seems, however.
The key sections are generally more puzzle-heavy. Mario carries the key above his head, but let's say a gap is too small to fit both Mario and the key through. Therein lies the puzzle solving. Blue, Red, and Yellow switches, when activated, can make blocks of the corresponding color appear or disappear throughout the level. Conveyor belts and moving platforms can have their directions reversed, also through the activation of a switch. The puzzles in the first four worlds more or less solve themselves, but rest assured you will die many deaths before figuring out some of the later brain busters. It never gets impossibly hard though, as long as gamers stick with it. The 2nd half of each level puts more of a focus on platforming. Avoid the roaming baddies, spikes, and fireballs to jump your way to victory.
