Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Developer	Nintendo Software Technology
Publisher	Nintendo
System	Game Boy Advance, 3DS Virtual Console, Wii U Virtual Console
Release Date	Game Boy Advance US May 24, 2004 JP June 10, 2004 EU November 19, 2004 3DS Virtual Console December 15-16, 2011 (Ambassador) Wii U Virtual Console JP July 23, 2014 PAL September 17, 2015 US February 9, 2017
Genre	Adventure / Puzzle
Gallery	GH Gallery
Rating	ESRB: E

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a Game Boy Advance action/puzzle game pitting Mario against Donkey Kong in a revival of their rivalry that started in the original Donkey Kong arcade game. However, it is based more on Donkey Kong GB with its puzzle-like gameplay.

Story

A line of Mini-Mario toys has been made by the Mario Toy Company due to Mario's popularity. Donkey Kong sees a commercial for the toys and becomes obsessed with collecting them all. After finding the toys sold out everywhere, he breaks into the Mario Toy Company and steals all the Mini-Mario toys. Mario initiates a pursuit in order to retrieve the toys.

Gameplay

Each different 'world' contains eight levels. In the first six levels of a world Mario collect has to collect the key to the doorway and the Mini-Marios, and he can also collect three different packages for bonus points. In the seventh level, the player has to lead the collected Mini-Marios to the end of the level, with the number of surviving Mini-Marios determining the amount of Mario's lives in the boss battle. Then, the player faces Donkey Kong one-on-one in the eighth level. These take on the form of a variety of different-themed boss levels.

The game features a host of unlockable levels. These include a new set of worlds, where the player has lead a Mini-Mario bearing a key to the door hole, as well as a host of incredibly hard levels to test the player's skill.

Legacy

This game spawned a new subseries of Donkey Kong-based video games for the Nintendo DS and later platforms. However, the sequels shifted to a different Lemmings-like gameplay style in which the player controlled the Mini-Marios and had to guide them through levels.

Sequels

It was followed by Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis for the DS, which changed the gameplay style.

Ports and Remakes

• In 2011, it was included in the set of Game Boy Advance games that were released for free download on the 3DS to those participating in the Ambassador Program. It did not receive a normal eShop release on the 3DS, but in it eventually was released for the Wii U Virtual Console - for Japan in 2014, Europe and Australia in 2015 and America in 2017.