Overall 9.2 Graphics 8.9 Sound 8.1 Addictive 8.4 Story 6.7 Depth 8.3 Difficulty 5
8.6
Review: Mario vs. Donkey Kong MisakiMei
Mario, the plumber... We all know him, we all love him, we all enjoy playing the games containing him. In 1981, Mario made his first appearance in the infamous arcade game Donkey Kong, and since then, Super Mario became the probably most successful Nintendo franchise ever. This game for the Gameboy Advance is the beginning of the series entitled "Mario vs. Donkey Kong". And there are always a lot of questions before playing the game, like in every single game else which one hasn't played yet. And this review should give one the answers for the questions one have before he or she starts playing the game.
First of all, we have the graphics. One has to admit, that the graphics in this game are fabulous. In contrast to other games for the Gameboy Advance, the graphics in this game are resembling 3 dimensional graphics. And also, the background and characters are very detailed and have a very lovely design which one just simply can not hate. I can only give 10 points out of 10 for the great work, the makers of the game really focused a lot on the design of the game.
And there is also the sound. The sounds fit very well to every action, the music fits to every level (and the music is also very diverse, there are a lot of different background tracks for each level!) and we also have Charles Martinet, the voice actor of Mario and almost every other character of the Mario universe, who is doing a great job at giving Mario and the others his voice. Therefore I also have to give 10 points out of 10 for the sound, for the diversity, catchiness, it fits very well... let us say that everyone did a great job.
Then there is the addictiveness. And I really don't know why, but Mario games will always have this magic that they are so addictive. I don't know how often I finished this game, but I played it over and over again. It is always a lot of fun playing these levels, and if you fail somehow, you can just laugh out loud, because playing Mario games is a lot of fun. Mario will always be the king of addictiveness, and therefore I will give 10 points out of 10.
Well, the story... The story will always be Mario's biggest weakness, because the stories of Mario games never have been very complex or deep. But well, therefore, the Mario franchise is one of the first game franchises which are able to tell a story. I mean, the first video games ever have been games like Ping Pong... can you imagine that a game like Ping Pong tells a story? I can't... Never mind, the story of this game is as simple as the story of other Mario games: one day, Donkey Kong watches the Mini Mario commercial (brand new toys in the Mario universe), falls in love with it, and decides to steal all the Mini Marios. And our hero, Mario, will try his best to get the Mini Marios back. For the simple story without any deep messages, I can only give 5 points out of 10, sorry. But still, who cares if the story is simple or not? Mario games are still addictive as hell.
Finally, we have the depth. Well, the game is a basic Jump 'n Run where you have to... uhm... well... jump and run. But therefore, it is also pretty diverse sometimes: you can throw buckets on your enemies (or your enemies on your enemies), you can use the super hammer, you can climb ropes and so on and so on... and there are also different ways to finish the levels, like bringing a key to the keyhole, leading the Mini Marios to a box etc. And also the boss battles against Donkey Kong are always different. And don't forget the mini games when you collect all the presents during level. For a basic Jump 'n Run, it has a lot to offer, so I will give 8 points out of 10 therefore.
And the difficulty of the game is nothing to worry about, because the game tells you how to do everything. The levels are getting more difficult and difficult, but well, that is usual for every video game.
The scores:
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Addictiveness: 10/10
Story: 5/10
Depth: 8/10
Overall: 43/50
8,6/10
Well, what else can I say about the game? Mario still knows how to entertain players with addictive games. It's probably a must play for heavy Mario addicts, and Jump 'n Run lovers will also love this game. But everyone else can also check out this game, you won't be disappointed. Like I said before: I used to play this game a lot, so I bet you could maybe also get addicted to it.
Otherwise, thank you very much for reading this review, I hope you enjoyed reading it and hope you will also read my upcoming reviews :) If there is anything that I could do better, then please tell me, ok? :D Greetings from Germany,
MisakiMei
Graphics 10 Sound 10 Addictive 10 Story 5 Depth 8 Difficulty 3
Review Rating: 4.3/5
Submitted: 01-04-15
Review Replies: 4
8.9
Mario vs Donkey Kong Review Zircron Swift
Mario is know as a great platforming gem in gaming. First appearing in the arcade game "Donkey Kong", Mario, known as "Jump Man", has become almost like a house-hold name, featuring over 200 games and spanning over several gaming systems. Most were classics, but a select few (Mario is Missing, for example), weren't so great. With so many games, there had to be one that involved and focused mainly on Puzzles, and not just the kind that involve you to fit together a jigsaw. I found one that looked promising enough that wasn't fan made or created in flash: Mario vs Donkey Kong. With a combination of great platforming and puzzles, this is sure to be a great game.
The first thing that concerns me is the opening scene. You see Donkey Kong flicking through the channels with his remote....if you can call it that. There's just one button on it. What if you want to turn up the volume? also, those are a lot of bananas in the background. He's doing pretty well for himself. Then Donkey Kong comes across a advert for a new Mario toy, with the repeating cliche slogan of "Buy one, buy them all!" Now, I'm pretty sure there is only one type at the moment. So why would you advertise someone to "buy them all"? Why would you want more than one? But I digress. Donkey Kong falls in love with this idea (quite literally, with hearts in his eyes and everything), and wants to buy one, or maybe possibly "buy them all" is he was that moronic. So let me get this straight. Donkey Kong, the ape who was defeated by Mario, wants a toy of Mario, the man that defeated him......WHY? Also, the graphics in this scene almost match those to Pac-Man World for the GBA, but I'm pretty sure this came first. These sort of graphics almost make me feel, although the graphics are good, that the developers were being lazy, like in Mortal Kombat. I digress again, sorry. So Donkey Kong somehow gets to the city and wants to buy one, but they are sold out. He them comes across the Mario Toy Corporation, and as the screen scrolls up, the legendary music from Donkey Kong plays. As I hear this, I am motivated to play this game, despite what the intro has thrown at me.
So as you start the game, you see Donkey Kong break in to the corporation and steals several toys at once. Again, probably taking the "buy them all" part of the advertisement all too seriously and wants as many of the same wind-up toys as possible. Then Mario comes in to save the day (words I never thought I would usher), but Donkey Kong makes a quick get away. Mario talks a lot more in this game, and it's really pleasing to hear him say more than "lets-a go" and "it's a me, Mario". The voice actor did a really good job with his voice in this game. And so the aim of this game is to rescue (if that's possible) all the Mario toys and defeat Donkey Kong. A plot that seems to fit really well in a Mario game, oddly enough.
And this is where the game really begins. When something new is introduced to the game, there is a tutorial before you start that level, showing clearly what you need to do, what buttons to press, and where you must stand. These are surprisingly well done. They even fit as much as they can in it and at the same time make it so fluid. For example, pressing down and A will make you walk on your hands, deflecting the falling objects with your feet (that kinda makes sense), but then, at the end, there is a 2-block high wall, which the game shows you that jumping from your hands will make you jump higher (so Mario can jump higher with his hands than with his feet?). This sort of presentation is just amazing, and encourages you to keep watching until the very end, just in case.
The controls are great. Once you get used to Mario just jumping as high as 1-block, then you'll find the controls no problem. At the beginning of very world, you see Donkey Kong try and fit into a tiny gap, which often results in presents, Mario toys and keys to burst out of his bag. Each level is split into two rounds, the one where you need a key to get passed, and one where you need to rescue the Mario toy from its blue, spherical prison. There are three presents in each level. Grabbing them gives you bonus points, but if you can grab all three of them, then you will be awarded with a bonus stage for a chance to get extra 1-ups. Each level will have hazards ranging from ground enemies to....oil drums? Is that a flying bird dropping eggs? Could that possibly be a hammer? Does it play the music from *grabs hammer and plays hammer music from Donkey Kong* Oh nostalgia!
This game is almost like a remake of Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr, but with the element of puzzles added. You die when you drop down from too great a height (if you land from medium height, then you just land on you back, unable to move for a while), you have vines that you can use to climb up and jump across, and you can use fruit to knock out enemies with the sheer power of gravity. *anime admiring eyes* This game is so awesome ^^ You can kill enemies with the hammer, and gain an increasing score if you kill more than one within that time you hold the hammer. You can also get rid of the hammer whenever you like, which is swell. If you don't have the hammer, use a trash can or a barrel to knock them out. If you don't have that, then just jump on them and hitch a ride. If you get a certain high-score (which varies from level to level), you'll get a star. The presents and fast time is critical to getting a star. As far as I'm concerned, these stars unlock new lever later on.
So once you rescue all of the Mario toys in the area, you can then play an Mini-Mario stage. Just collect the three letters "T", "O" and "Y", and lead the Mario toys to the chest. They follow you around, but they can't climb ladders. You can use this to make them go to wherever you need them to go. After that level, you get to fight Donkey Kong. You are allowed as many hits to take before you die equal to the number of Mario toys you saved. If you take a few hits, then that will affect your total score at the end. But what annoys me is that when you beat him, and try the boss again, you start with as many hits as you left with (ie, if you beat Donkey Kong with 5 hits left, you will face him again with 5 hits), so I have to complete the Mini-Mario stage again to get a chance of getting a star on that level.
Another thing that really annoys me that when you die on the second part of a level, you start with a fixed amount of time, and not the time equal of when you started that part of the level with. This means that if I die, I have to restart the level so I can get a chance of getting a star. But wait, I can't simply just hit the restart button, as that does exactly what dying does, returns me to the beginning of the second part of the level with a fixed time. I don't want to go here, take me to the start of the entire level? Would it have killed them to add a "restart to beginning" and have a warning for those who don't want to play the first part again? So when I die, I have to exit the level, and re-enter it to fully restart the level.
One last thing that annoys me is the sound effects. When you want to have a good look around the level, you press the L and R button at the same time to have a free-scan mode. But when you reach the edge of the screen, there is a really irritating and distracting fart noise. Was this really necessary to have every time to hit the edge of the screen when in free-scan mode? It's very distracting from focusing on how to pass through the level, and am almost forcing myself to turn down the volume when I use this feature. And the sound effects for when you open the door, get a 1-up and other stuff like that doesn't sound right.
Overall, I give this game an 8.9/10 Despite the intro, flaws and certain sound effects, this is a really enjoyable game. The graphics are pleasing in the accrual levels, the levels get progressively harder ad you move on, and the overall charm the game play gives is enchanting, which I don't normally see in a Mario game. This is worth a play to all puzzle enthusiasts, and Mario fans won't be disappointed.
Graphics 8 Sound 6 Addictive 9 Story 4 Depth 10 Difficulty 8
Review Rating: 4.2/5
Submitted: 01-13-12
Review Replies: 11
9.3
Mario vs Donkey Kong PokemonMaster121
I love this Mario game a lot and you should to because your Mario and your fighting Donkey Kong or DK (not really) and trying to get all the MINI-MARIO TOYS!
The graphics are a little laggy and a little weird but I'm fine with that because it still look pretty good. Mario is very cool, the shyguys, and DK looks so advanced 3-D for this game.
The sound is amazing because all the songs in the game kinda make me reminded about the 2 and if there is more Mario vs Donkey Kong games for ds.
The addictiveness is a 9 because the story is so cool and all the levels are supposed to be a challenge for everyone and me that are playing and that makes you would want to play over and over until you beat the game or get a highscore.
The story is not so big but makes sense because you have to do what happens at the little cut scene before you have to play. And a other cut scene will come up before you play the first level of the game.
Now the depth of the game Mario Vs Donkey Kong is an 8 because you have to go through a huge amount of levels like 8-9 levels to face Donkey Kong or DK in one place but to reach DK from start (World 1) to the finish (World 8) will probably take you 4 hours unless you go Non-stop and know what to do in each level.
Now for the last difficulty is 5 because the levels get easy like World 1 level 1-3 is easy but when you go a little further it gets more harder for you to pass the level by going step by step.... I think.
Now to wrap things up in this review is that Mario vs Donkey Kong is a very fun game to play and if you like puzzle/challenges this game is right for you!
Graphics 7 Sound 8 Addictive 9 Story 6 Depth 8 Difficulty 5
Review Rating: 4.2/5
Submitted: 09-16-12
Review Replies: 1
8.8
Mario Vs. Donkey Kong Review Marcmoney
Overall - 8.8Mario Vs. Donkey Kong on the Game Boy Advance is a very interesting game to play. If you have ever played an online game called Super Mario 63, then you would know that it is a little similar to this. The game is fun. I really enjoyed the game play of it. It is, how you say, the prequel of those Mario Vs. Donkey Kong games where you use the mini Mario to play the game. This game is kind of like a strategy-like game. The game is a lot of fun and I guarantee you that this game is worth trying.Graphics - 8The graphics are good. I can tell that Mario does not look as realistic as he was in the games with mini Marios, but it is a Game Boy Advance game and it is suppose to be like that. The effects are very good too. With the picking up items and attacking the enemies really makes the game fun.Sound - 8The sound is very good. It is like a mixture of a Mario song and a thinking song, and it goes well with every level in the game. The sound effects are amazing, especially when you hear the sound of Mario getting the hammer, it brings back that Donkey Kong on the NES sound. Really good music.Addictiveness - 8Like I said, the game is fun. It has that feeling where you can't stop playing the game, if you are a big fan of Mario games.Story - 9The story is kind of weird, but it fits in with the game play. It starts out with Donkey Kong seeing the mini Marios being sold and that he really wants them. So he goes to the store as fast as he can and then realizes that they are all out. He gets frustrated and sees the mini Mario factory (whatever the place is called) and goes in there and takes all of them. He runs off and it is up to Mario to go and retrieve them back. Kind of weird how Donkey Kong would want to get that instead of bananas, but that is the story of the game.Depth - 8The game has plenty of things to offer. For instance, there are 8 levels in each (6) area. I am not sure if there is anything special if you beat every one of them, but they give you (8 x 6) 48 levels and they are very fun to play. Another thing is that you can do moves that you would not expect like doing a side jump (run, then move the opposite direction and then hit the jump button) and doing things that does not make sense like doing a handstand to avoid being hit by falling bricks. This game has so many interesting things that Mario would do.Difficulty - 3The game is not that hard if you are one of those people that are good at puzzle/strategy. Although, some can be tricky and you may need to look them up. Other than that, most of the levels and enemies are very easy.Wrap Things Up...Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is a very interesting and good game to play. I highly recommend trying this game out if you have not already. This is a game that will prevent you from boredom. :)
Graphics 8 Sound 8 Addictive 8 Story 9 Depth 8 Difficulty 3
Review Rating: 4.2/5
Submitted: 12-21-11
Review Replies: 0
8.9
Mario vs dk the 2 are at it again! SuperCrash64
Oh boy the ape and the plumber are back in another fight..man when will these 2 call it a day I can't say so, but really they kept on going and going even to this day.
(Background game history plot and storyline) Donkey Kong and Mario are caught once again battling 1 another, To tell the truth that doesn't really surprise me there. Mario originally started battling Donkey Kong in the original arcade game called Donkey Kong. Mario was originally known as Jump man back then, that plot was basically Donkey Kong taking A princess called Pauline (who would later I believe to be known as Princess peach). The storyline in this game starts out with a intro showing Donkey Kong watching tv.( A commercial break happended there) So Donkey Kong kept switching channels and eventually saw a mini Mario commercial ( where at the end of it said at stores now) So Donkey Kong ran to all the stores that had the mini Mario's. and when he finally got there he saw all Mini Mario's were sold out. (the mini Mario's were mainly bought by toad characters). So in frustration and anger. Donkey Kong stole all the Mini Mario's that were rightfully bought by customers and he would keep them for himself every single 1 of them. So it is up to Mario to get all the Mini Mario's back and defeat Donkey Kong.
Graphics Graphically I must say Mario vs Donkey Kong looks great for a game boy advance cart.everything is sharp smooth and very crispy looking as far as I can see it. (Sprites: Now The colors and detail and coding of the gba's graphics really pay off here. the reason is the Mario characters look great here. I've played even Mario games like Mario party 7. and yet the feel of the characters "aka" sprites feel and look almost exactly like that. the sprites are very crispy sharp and well detailed. The Mario characters feel pretty natural. the mini Mario's are basically toy type Mario's and they look just like they should. I have to say Nintendo did a great job on sprites here).(Stages: each stages design and the way there setted up feels rather similar to the original Donkey Kong game. They look rather good here as they have a good amount of detail. Note: each time you beat Donkey Kong a funny image appears. Anyways Nintendo did a good job on the stages as far as I' would say) Graphics rating 10.
Sound as far as the variety of sound effects. The mini Mario's rather sound pretty funny to me. But for the main characters They have their natural barrel rolling down sounds and other stuff etc along with your basic jumping sounds and coins. That every Mario game player will be familiar with. (Soundtrack the intro music Is quite nice it's totally a alerted or remixed version of the Mario bros 1 level theme. As for the other parts of the soundtrack "aka" the levels they sound nice and well composed. My favorite theme in the game would have to be the theme of the Mini Mario's because of how catchy it sounds. anyways great composed soundtrack in this game). Sound rating 9
Addictiveness with a bunch of Mini Mushroom loving toy's "aka" mini Mario's . and quite some barrels to avoid and throw at the boss. Mario vs Donkey Kong is quite a fun game. Addictiveness rating 7.
Depth: Mario vs Donkey Kong is quite a long and enjoyable game. because the game is really like a maze with many levels to go through and it offers quite a lot of features. some of those features involve a expert mode which is a difficulty option to repeat the game and make it harder. only thing that bites is the create a level feature was not in here but in the 2nd game but that won't effect my rating. Depth rating 8.
Difficulty. If you are good at platforming games like this 1 it shouldn't be all that hard. well to me it's not really all that hard. your main objective to get through the levels is to get all mini Mario's and 1 of the mini Mario's will be holding a key to get you proceed to the next part to the level. and continue to others then it continues. But for me that part is easy enough and throwing barrels at donkey Kong who is the boss. is not hard or is he hard. Controls work quite fine here. Difficulty rating 5 usual rating for difficulty.
Overall This game feels like a real good game that is very fun to play. And it's like a revision of the original Donkey Kong with improvements and more challenge to it. Overall rating 8.9
Graphics 10 Sound 9 Addictive 7 Story 8 Depth 8 Difficulty 5
Review Rating: 3.8/5
Submitted: 05-09-13
Updated: 05-09-13
Review Replies: 2
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