The developers clearly never played Super Smash Bros. because Donkey Kong is very OP.
Gameplay:
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: The Donkey Kong Adventure is a DLC for the base game, but in many respects, it is more of a mini-sequel. While it does not differ from the base game in too many notable respects, it still has a few things that set it apart, most notably in the gameplay department. The basics are all the same, mostly: the game is a strategy game in the same vein as XCOM, where the player controls their team by moving them along a grid-based map. While the enemy side will have a number of opponents that must be defeated, the player only has three characters. In the DLC, the total roster is only three characters, so there is no option to switch around who is in the party. The three members are Rabbid Peach (who remains more-or-less identical to how she was in the base game), the titular Donkey Kong, and Rabbid Cranky Kong. The latter two are both new, and each has a good number of interesting abilities. While Rabbid Cranky Kong mostly takes his various tools from different characters in the base game, Donkey Kong sports two entirely new weapons, and a number of other powerful abilities. Not only can he pick up and throw allies and enemies alike, but he also has access to incredibly powerful DK tiles, which allow him to travel across large portions of the map instantly. They are sort of like the pipes that allow for easy crossing of the map, except that only he can use them, and he can also climb up ledges as well. Although he does feel rather overpowered, and the DLC is nowhere near as difficult as the base game, I do think that the developers were able to account for that decently well. DK’s high mobility and health encourage the player to send him deeper into enemy lines than the other two, often without assistance. It adds another layer of risk-and-reward to a game already brimming with it, and on the whole I think the DLC is about as fun as the base game was. The upgrade system and weapons shop are pretty much the same as they were before, just faster to progress through, and aside from that, there is not much else to be said. The core gameplay of Mario + Rabbids is loads of fun, and the Donkey Kong Adventure manages to retain that.
Outside of combat, there is also some overworld exploration. It’s nothing crazy, but I did think it was fairly fun in both the base game and DLC, and the puzzles, while mostly simple, are also fun to play through.
Story:
This probably doesn’t come as a surprise, but this game doesn’t exactly have a masterpiece of a story. The rabbids were surprisingly mildly amusing in the base game (as opposed to being insufferable, which is what I’d anticipated), and as I have said about a lot of things in this review, it’s more of the same. I remember the base game being a little bit more charming, but it has been over a year since I last played it, so I could be misremembering on that front. Otherwise, there is not a lot to be said here; this DLC (and the main game as well) is 100% to be played for the gameplay.
Presentation:
The graphics and art style of this game are generally pretty good. The resolution, while not noticeably good, was certainly never terrible either (though I played the whole game in docked mode, so handheld may be another story). The art style leans more towards Super Mario 3D World, and I would say that it looks nice in general. Sometimes I wish it was a little less plastic-y, but I would be lying if I said I did not like it most of the time. I also want to call out the final battle in specific for looking rather stunning.
The music is also rather good. I would not say it is among the greatest game soundtracks ever made, but it always fits well, and there are some standout tunes. My biggest complaint with the music was in the final battle, where for some reason it only plays during the enemy turn. I think they were trying to go for something a bit more cinematic there, but it did not work well for me.
Conclusion:
If you liked Mario + Rabbids, I imagine you will enjoy the Donkey Kong Adventure, and vice versa. I liked it well enough myself; the gameplay was always engaging, and the presentation was quite solid as well. Really, I do not have any major complaints. If anything, the DLC’s biggest weakness (which applies to the main game as well) is that it isn’t quite amazing at anything. It is absolutely worth checking out if you enjoy strategy/tactics games, but it will not be a revelation.
Score: 80/100
Gameplay:
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: The Donkey Kong Adventure is a DLC for the base game, but in many respects, it is more of a mini-sequel. While it does not differ from the base game in too many notable respects, it still has a few things that set it apart, most notably in the gameplay department. The basics are all the same, mostly: the game is a strategy game in the same vein as XCOM, where the player controls their team by moving them along a grid-based map. While the enemy side will have a number of opponents that must be defeated, the player only has three characters. In the DLC, the total roster is only three characters, so there is no option to switch around who is in the party. The three members are Rabbid Peach (who remains more-or-less identical to how she was in the base game), the titular Donkey Kong, and Rabbid Cranky Kong. The latter two are both new, and each has a good number of interesting abilities. While Rabbid Cranky Kong mostly takes his various tools from different characters in the base game, Donkey Kong sports two entirely new weapons, and a number of other powerful abilities. Not only can he pick up and throw allies and enemies alike, but he also has access to incredibly powerful DK tiles, which allow him to travel across large portions of the map instantly. They are sort of like the pipes that allow for easy crossing of the map, except that only he can use them, and he can also climb up ledges as well. Although he does feel rather overpowered, and the DLC is nowhere near as difficult as the base game, I do think that the developers were able to account for that decently well. DK’s high mobility and health encourage the player to send him deeper into enemy lines than the other two, often without assistance. It adds another layer of risk-and-reward to a game already brimming with it, and on the whole I think the DLC is about as fun as the base game was. The upgrade system and weapons shop are pretty much the same as they were before, just faster to progress through, and aside from that, there is not much else to be said. The core gameplay of Mario + Rabbids is loads of fun, and the Donkey Kong Adventure manages to retain that.
Outside of combat, there is also some overworld exploration. It’s nothing crazy, but I did think it was fairly fun in both the base game and DLC, and the puzzles, while mostly simple, are also fun to play through.
Story:
This probably doesn’t come as a surprise, but this game doesn’t exactly have a masterpiece of a story. The rabbids were surprisingly mildly amusing in the base game (as opposed to being insufferable, which is what I’d anticipated), and as I have said about a lot of things in this review, it’s more of the same. I remember the base game being a little bit more charming, but it has been over a year since I last played it, so I could be misremembering on that front. Otherwise, there is not a lot to be said here; this DLC (and the main game as well) is 100% to be played for the gameplay.
Presentation:
The graphics and art style of this game are generally pretty good. The resolution, while not noticeably good, was certainly never terrible either (though I played the whole game in docked mode, so handheld may be another story). The art style leans more towards Super Mario 3D World, and I would say that it looks nice in general. Sometimes I wish it was a little less plastic-y, but I would be lying if I said I did not like it most of the time. I also want to call out the final battle in specific for looking rather stunning.
The music is also rather good. I would not say it is among the greatest game soundtracks ever made, but it always fits well, and there are some standout tunes. My biggest complaint with the music was in the final battle, where for some reason it only plays during the enemy turn. I think they were trying to go for something a bit more cinematic there, but it did not work well for me.
Conclusion:
If you liked Mario + Rabbids, I imagine you will enjoy the Donkey Kong Adventure, and vice versa. I liked it well enough myself; the gameplay was always engaging, and the presentation was quite solid as well. Really, I do not have any major complaints. If anything, the DLC’s biggest weakness (which applies to the main game as well) is that it isn’t quite amazing at anything. It is absolutely worth checking out if you enjoy strategy/tactics games, but it will not be a revelation.
Score: 80/100