Well, I got what I expected. Not that that's a bad thing, of course.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a remake of the GBA game of the same name. While I'll admit that it's been a long time since I played the original version of this game, I will say that I enjoyed that game a lot. When this remake was announced, it immediately got marked on my calendar. While I didn't buy it day 1, I still got to it eventually, and honestly, I think it does a lot right.
The cutscenes look great and the voice acting (Charles Martinet, surprisingly. Maybe this was recorded before he left?) is fun. I do wish they used the original's script since I liked how chatty Mario was in it. He had some good Popeye energy with the direction in that title that sadly isn't present here.
The graphics look really cute during stages. All the enemies having all sorts of details to show that they're toys was a treat to see. The Mini Marios are pretty expressive, as well. Outside the stages, though, you're met with the same sterilized menus that have become common in Mario titles. I don't know how else to describe it besides too clean, if that makes any sense. It kinda puts me off, and I feel like the menus should have a bit more flair to them that just isn't here. It really gives off this mobile game energy, which makes sense since this is a remake of a portable title, but I just wish there was a bit more life to the menus, ya know?
The game plays pretty well, and pulling off side jumps and handstand jumps is snappy and satisfying. Experienced players will be flipping around all the stages, finding ways to get present boxes in creative ways while speedily clearing stages. I think on average I spent around 20 minutes in each world, including getting the present boxes in each stage. You'll clear this game in no time if you're experienced with games like the original or the Game Boy Donkey Kong title.
In the original, you would need to get a high score on stages in order to earn stars, which would unlock expert stages to test your playing ability. This would involve not only getting all the presents, but also defeating enemies, not dying, and getting through stages quickly to maximize score. Needless to say, it was stressful. Thankfully in this remake, they eased the requirements for stars. Now you only need to get all of the presents in any stage, which is a welcome change.
Despite there being over 100 stages in this game, it's very short. Each stage only takes a few minutes max to clear, with many being beatable in under a minute. A player newer to games like this may have a long journey on their hands, but it only took me a good few hours to beat every stage in the game. This is still a fun game and I don't regret my time playing it, but I think you would be better off waiting for one of Nintendo's fabled sales before snagging this one.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a remake of the GBA game of the same name. While I'll admit that it's been a long time since I played the original version of this game, I will say that I enjoyed that game a lot. When this remake was announced, it immediately got marked on my calendar. While I didn't buy it day 1, I still got to it eventually, and honestly, I think it does a lot right.
The cutscenes look great and the voice acting (Charles Martinet, surprisingly. Maybe this was recorded before he left?) is fun. I do wish they used the original's script since I liked how chatty Mario was in it. He had some good Popeye energy with the direction in that title that sadly isn't present here.
The graphics look really cute during stages. All the enemies having all sorts of details to show that they're toys was a treat to see. The Mini Marios are pretty expressive, as well. Outside the stages, though, you're met with the same sterilized menus that have become common in Mario titles. I don't know how else to describe it besides too clean, if that makes any sense. It kinda puts me off, and I feel like the menus should have a bit more flair to them that just isn't here. It really gives off this mobile game energy, which makes sense since this is a remake of a portable title, but I just wish there was a bit more life to the menus, ya know?
The game plays pretty well, and pulling off side jumps and handstand jumps is snappy and satisfying. Experienced players will be flipping around all the stages, finding ways to get present boxes in creative ways while speedily clearing stages. I think on average I spent around 20 minutes in each world, including getting the present boxes in each stage. You'll clear this game in no time if you're experienced with games like the original or the Game Boy Donkey Kong title.
In the original, you would need to get a high score on stages in order to earn stars, which would unlock expert stages to test your playing ability. This would involve not only getting all the presents, but also defeating enemies, not dying, and getting through stages quickly to maximize score. Needless to say, it was stressful. Thankfully in this remake, they eased the requirements for stars. Now you only need to get all of the presents in any stage, which is a welcome change.
Despite there being over 100 stages in this game, it's very short. Each stage only takes a few minutes max to clear, with many being beatable in under a minute. A player newer to games like this may have a long journey on their hands, but it only took me a good few hours to beat every stage in the game. This is still a fun game and I don't regret my time playing it, but I think you would be better off waiting for one of Nintendo's fabled sales before snagging this one.
2 Comments
@Geno123 ah, that makes sense. I'll have to listen to the audio clips side-by-side at some point. It's been a while since I've heard the compressed versions.
Geno123
19 days ago