Mario vs. Donkey Kong

This article is about the first game in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. For its Nintendo Switch remake, see Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch). For the series itself, see Mario vs. Donkey Kong (series).

Mario vs. Donkey Kong
American box art For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer	Nintendo Software Technology Corporation
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console (3DS, Wii U)
Release date	Game Boy Advance: Template:ReleaseVirtual Console (3DS) (Ambassador Program Release): Template:ReleaseVirtual Console (Wii U): Template:Release
Language(s)	English (United States) French (France) German Spanish (Spain) Italian Japanese
Genre	Puzzle/Action
Rating(s)	ESRB: - Everyone PEGI: - Three years and older CERO: - All ages ACB: - General USK: - All ages
Mode(s)	Single Player
Format	Wii U: Digital download Game Boy Advance: Game Pak e-Reader card Nintendo 3DS: Digital download
Input	Wii U: Wii U GamePad Wii Remote (horizontal) Classic Controller Wii U Pro Controller Game Boy Advance: Gamepad Nintendo 3DS: Gamepad
Serial code(s)	Template:Serials

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a game for the Game Boy Advance. It is more or less a spiritual successor to Donkey Kong for the Game Boy, as it features the return of many original elements such as the construction site setting, Mario's athleticism, his rivalrly with Donkey Kong, usage of the hammer, and borrows elements from Super Mario Bros. 2, especially with picking up enemies and items. Despite bringing elements from the previous platformers, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is more of a puzzle platformer; Mario must find the best route to complete the level by hitting switches and interacting with other objects, often in a specific order. This game spawned multiple sequels and became the first installment of the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series; this is the only game in the series, however, to feature Mario himself as a playable character, since the later games have the player control Mini-Marios.

The game was re-released as a free downloadable title for the Nintendo 3DS on December 16, 2011. However, it was only available to people who purchased a Nintendo 3DS prior to the August 12, 2011 price drop, meaning that they had to be a part of the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program. It was re-released again on the Wii U's Virtual Console in Japan on July 23, 2014, in Europe on September 17, 2015, in Australia on September 18, 2015 and in the Americas on February 9, 2017.

A remake of the same name was released for the Nintendo Switch on February 16, 2024.

Story

The following text is taken from page 6 of the North American instruction booklet for the game:

It looks like Donkey Kong is up to his old tricks again!

Over in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario has become so famous that he's started his own toy company. His new Mini-Mario action figures are all the rage, and this cute li'l wind-up toy is just flying off the shelves.

In fact, these toys are so popular that stores can't even keep them in stock. Donkey Kong just loves these new toys, but when he showed up at the store, they were all gone!

Donkey Kong's not famous for his patience, and he wasn't about to wait for the next shipment, so he just went straight to the factory and started grabbing all the new Mini-Marios for himself. Mario arrived just in time to see Donkey Kong run off with all his inventory!

Now it's up to you to help Mario recover his stolen trinkets and give Donkey Kong a good talking-to for not pre-ordering!

Mario confronting Donkey Kong for stealing the Mini-Marios

Mario has become so famous and popular in the Mushroom Kingdom that he has decided to establish the Mario Toy Company, which has developed a new toy called the Mini-Mario. In the opening cutscene, as Donkey Kong surfs through the channels of his television set, he sees a commercial for the Mini-Marios. Donkey Kong instantly adores the toys and heads to the Toy Store to buy some, but finds that they are all sold out. Donkey Kong turns around and sees the Mario Toy Company, deciding to loot it of its Mini-Marios.

In the cutscene played when starting a file, the factory where the Mini-Marios are produced is shown to be managed by three Toads. Upon seeing Donkey Kong barge into the factory, the Toads become frightened; they are unable to stop Donkey Kong from stealing the toys, as he collects Mini-Marios encased in crystal balls and places them into a large bag with his emblem, leaving the building afterward. Mario then notices Donkey Kong and starts chasing him.

Donkey Kong kidnapping the Toads employed by the Mario Toy Company

After Mario chases Donkey Kong across six worlds, Donkey Kong checks his bag only to realize that it is empty, as all the Mini-Marios he stole have dropped. Mario, the Mini-Marios, and the three Toads laugh at Donkey Kong for this; enraged, Donkey Kong grabs the three Toads and climbs to the top of a tall building under construction. Mario rescues the three Toads and defeats Donkey Kong, causing him to fall off the building while the end credits roll; however, after this, a truck containing additional Mini-Marios pulls up to the building, which Donkey Kong falls directly onto. The Mini-Marios fall onto the ground and their crystal balls break, leaving them clamoring as they surround Donkey Kong. Mario asks Donkey Kong if he is okay before Donkey Kong immediately steals the Mini-Marios surrounding him, prompting Mario to give chase once again.

After Mario chases Donkey Kong through six more worlds, Donkey Kong checks his bag a second time. Presuming that Donkey Kong's bag is empty, Mario laughs at him until six Mini-Marios drop from the bag, which Donkey Kong grabs as he flees. Finally, Donkey Kong faces Mario in a giant robot holding the Mini-Marios, which Mario promptly frees while fighting Donkey Kong, eventually wrecking the machine and electrocuting Donkey Kong in the process. After this, Mario is about to scold Donkey Kong for what he did, but finds that Donkey Kong is crying in pity and shame. Mario cheers him up by giving him a free Mini-Mario. Donkey Kong gets what he has wanted all along, while Mario and the remaining Mini-Marios celebrate as the true end credits roll.

Gameplay

Each of the game's six worlds is divided into eight levels, totaling 48 levels altogether. For the first six levels within each world, Mario must find a key and open up a door to the second half of the level, which is a checkpoint. There, Mario will find the Mini-Mario toy that Donkey Kong dropped. If Mario is defeated in the second half of the level, his points reset back to the points he earned in the first half of the level. At the beginning of each level, there is a short sequence of automatic gameplay showing what Mario needs to do or what he may face before playing the level. This sequence also explains what moves Mario needs to use to complete the level, displaying combinations of buttons to press.

Unlike games in the Super Mario series of platformers, Mario always loses a life upon taking damage, and cannot improve his defensive capabilities. Different methods of losing a life cause different animations to play that show Mario being injured, accompanied by three unique musical jingles; these include the standard animation of collapsing onto the ground, being set on fire, electrocuted, squished, and falling from a large height and landing on his head. If the fall is not big enough, Mario may land on his back instead, stunning him and leaving him vulnerable for a short time.

Each level also features a time limit, which acts identically to that of the Super Mario series. If the time limit reaches 30 seconds, Mario exclaims "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" and a warning theme starts to play, which is an arrangement of the theme in the same scenario from Donkey Kong for the Game Boy. If the time limit runs out, Mario will say "Mamma mia, time's up!" and Mario loses a life. When Mario grabs the key and opens a locked door, the remaining time in the first area will be added to the time limit in the second area. In the Japanese and European versions of the game, this is made explicitly clear by the numbers of the time limit being sucked into the door as Mario leaves, whereupon they are shown being added to the second area's time limit with a addition symbol.

Mario can perform additional moves besides jumping, such as handstands and backflips. To defeat enemies, Mario must pick up objects and throw them at enemies, reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. 2. Throughout the level, there are some collectibles that Mario can collect. Three are pivotal in earning a high score, which are different colored presents. Earning a high enough score, beating the default score, earns a star for that level. The stars later are used to unlock Expert levels.

Once Mario completes a level and collects enough presents, he can play a short bonus game to earn extra lives. One present may have a 1-Up Mushroom, one may have a 2 UP, another may have a 3 UP, or a 5 UP, and one present may have a Donkey Kong head that gives zero lives; this is shown at the beginning of the bonus game. One bonus game is stopping a scrolling arrow on top of the desired present while the other has Mario swapping presents so Donkey Kong's fist squashes an undesired present.

The seventh level in each world is a Mini-Mario level. Mario leads the six Mini-Mario toys he collected back to their toy box; however, he must make sure they avoid obstacles along the way. This leads into a battle with Donkey Kong, with each Mini-Mario saved becoming a health point. For example, if Mario saves all six of the Mini-Mario toys, he will be able to be hit six times by Donkey Kong before losing a life. If Mario runs out of time or loses all of his health points, the player will lose a life and must restart the battle with Donkey Kong. If the player does not complete the Mini-Mario level before entering the boss battle, Mario will start the fight with four health points, and getting a Game Over will require Mario to replay the Mini-Mario level.

After Mario has beaten the six worlds and defeated Donkey Kong, six "Plus" Worlds are unlocked, numbered 1+, 2+, and so on. There are six standard levels and one boss level in each Plus World, and there are no Mini-Mario levels. Mario must get to a Mini-Mario holding a key and lead it to the exit doorway. If either Mario or Mini-Mario is defeated, the player loses a life and must restart the level. There is only one part per level in the Plus Worlds, and they are designed to be more difficult than the main worlds. There are still Donkey Kong boss levels in the Plus Worlds. In those levels, the player always starts with six health points and has 120 seconds to defeat Donkey Kong except in Donkey Kong Plus, where they have 300 seconds.

For the "Expert" levels, a certain number of stars collected by beating high scores are required to unlock levels. There are twelve Expert levels. Additionally, if the player leaves or restarts the level in any mode before they clear the level for the first time, they lose a life. If the level is already complete, the player will not lose a life when choosing to exit the level. However, the player will still lose a life if they retry the level, even if it is completed. In the "Card-e+" levels, Mario starts off with infinite lives. There is no bonus game for collecting all the presents in either the Expert or Card-e+ levels.

Mario performing a Handstand Jump, followed by a Double Jump

Controls

• - Jump
• - Picks up item
• - Moves Mario
• / - Selects between worlds
• - Pauses and continues game.

Mario's moves

• Jump ()
• Handstand (Down + )
• Handstand Jump ( while handstanding)
• Handstand Double Jump ( after touching the ground from a Handstand Jump)
• Backflip (while facing right) (Left + )

Worlds

Main worlds
	World 1 Mario Toy Company The first world, where Donkey Kong stole the Mini-Mario toys. This world features Garbage Cans, Shy Guys, and a few other gimmicks. Levels 1-1 • 1-2 • 1-3 • 1-4 • 1-5 • 1-6 • 1-mm • 1-DK
	World 2 Donkey Kong Jungle Donkey Kong's next stop, featuring ropes, Monchees, Snapjaws, and more. Levels 2-1 • 2-2 • 2-3 • 2-4 • 2-5 • 2-6 • 2-mm • 2-DK
	World 3 Fire Mountain An area with high volcanic activity, featuring Podoboos, fire birds, and Shy Guys equipped with flamethrowers. Levels 3-1 • 3-2 • 3-3 • 3-4 • 3-5 • 3-6 • 3-mm • 3-DK
	World 4 Spooky House A haunted mansion, featuring Boos, Polterguys, Thwomps, and others. Levels 4-1 • 4-2 • 4-3 • 4-4 • 4-5 • 4-6 • 4-mm • 4-DK
	World 5 Mystic Forest A forest world featuring mechanical elements such as Bob-ombs, Conveyor Belts, and other gimmicks. Levels 5-1 • 5-2 • 5-3 • 5-4 • 5-5 • 5-6 • 5-mm • 5-DK
	World 6 Twilight City An ultramodern city featuring robotic Monchees and lasers. Levels 6-1 • 6-2 • 6-3 • 6-4 • 6-5 • 6-6 • 6-mm • 6-DK
	World DK Donkey Kong The final boss stage in the main part of the game, set apart from other worlds.
Plus worlds
	World 1+ Mario Toy Factory Levels 1-1+ • 1-2+ • 1-3+ • 1-4+ • 1-5+ • 1-6+ • 1-DK+
	World 2+ Donkey Kong Jungle Plus Levels 2-1+ • 2-2+ • 2-3+ • 2-4+ • 2-5+ • 2-6+ • 2-DK+
	World 3+ Fire Mountain Plus Levels 3-1+ • 3-2+ • 3-3+ • 3-4+ • 3-5+ • 3-6+ • 3-DK+
	World 4+ Spooky House Plus Levels 4-1+ • 4-2+ • 4-3+ • 4-4+ • 4-5+ • 4-6+ • 4-DK+
	World 5+ Mystic Forest Plus Levels 5-1+ • 5-2+ • 5-3+ • 5-4+ • 5-5+ • 5-6+ • 5-DK+
	World 6+ Twilight City Plus Levels 6-1+ • 6-2+ • 6-3+ • 6-4+ • 6-5+ • 6-6+ • 6-DK+
	World DK+ Donkey Kong Plus The final boss stage of the game, where Mario confronts a mech-piloting Donkey Kong.

Expert

The Expert levels are a group of twelve levels that test the player's skills. In order to beat them, the player must find a key and go through the door. These levels (save for boss levels and the regular worlds' final boss) are the only levels that don't involve Mini-Marios. They are first unlocked by beating the true final boss then by stars obtained. There are no set high scores for these levels and collecting all three Presents in a level does not let the player play one of the bonus games. The music that plays during the Expert levels is at a faster tempo, and gradually increases in tempo as the time limit decrements.

• Level x-1
• Level x-2
• Level x-3
• Level x-4
• Level x-5
• Level x-6
• Level x-7
• Level x-8
• Level x-9
• Level x-10
• Level x-11
• Level x-12

Card-e+

The title of this section is official, but it comes from a non-English source. If an acceptable English source is found, then the section should be changed to its appropriate title.

The first Card-e+ card

The set of Card-e+ cards distributed by CoroCoro Comic

Card-e+ (カードe+) is a game mode exclusive to the Japanese version of the game, allowing e-Reader cards to be loaded containing new levels. The mode is hidden by default, but it can be enabled by connecting a second Game Boy Advance with a link cable and following the prompts that appear upon doing so. The cards are very rare due to their limited distribution. The first card was given to attendees of the 20th Next Generation World Hobby Fair in June 2004. The next five cards were given out as a set in a sweepstakes by CoroCoro Comic, which hosts the Super Mario-kun manga, in August 2004. Only 1,000 of these sets were ever released.

Remnants in the game's code reveal that this mode exists in the North American release, where it is named e World; however, no corresponding e-Reader cards for the region were released, meaning that the mode can only be accessed by hacking the game. The preloaded North American levels all appear to be prototypes of the levels available in the Japanese release, as the game was developed and released in North America before its release in Japan. Most of the differences are minor, with a few levels having major differences between regions. The six e-Reader card levels are identical to the preloaded levels hidden in the Japanese release. The last two digits of the card's ID number denotes its place among the 14 preloaded levels.

Preloaded Japanese level	Corresponding US prototype	Notes
1. Tobiori chūi! 「とびおりちゅうい！」 "Jump Down with Caution!"	12. Climb and Fall	Released at the World Hobby Fair on card ID 18-M001
2. Revenge 「リベンジ」	1. Revenge
3. Naga~i michinori 「なが～いみちのり」 "The Looong Way"	2. The Long Way	Released through CoroCoro Comic sweepstakes on card ID 18-M003
4. Athletic 「アスレチック」	3. One Shot Blue	Released in the same sweepstakes on card ID 18-M004
5. Tamago Panic! 「たまごパニック！」 "Egg Panic!"	4. Egg Attack
6. Kamitsuki Wani no su 「かみつきワニのす」 "Snapjaws' Den"	5. Later Gator
7. Fumikoete susume! 「ふみこえてすすめ！」 "You Should Cross Over!"	6. Hot Feet	Very different layout
8. Dossun no toride 「ドッスンのとりで」 "Thwomp's Fortress"	8. The Thwamplet	Finished version has more spaces between Thwomps; sweepstakes card ID 18-M008
9. Rōsoku ni chūi! 「ローソクにちゅうい！」 "Beware of the Candle!"	9. A Tricky Candle	Prototype is missing presents
10. Dangerous Flowers 「デンジャラスフラワー」	11. Danger Flowers	Finished version replaced most ladders with trampolines; sweepstakes card ID 18-M010
11. Laser Panic! 「レーザーパニック！」	None	Sweepstakes card ID 18-M011
12. Hitasura kawase! 「ひたすらかわせ！」 "Let's Do It!"	None
13. Osarete susume! 「おされてすすめ！」 "You Should Shove!"	None
14. Teresa wo kawase! 「テレサをかわせ！」 "Let's Move the Boo!"	7. Boo in a Box
None	10. Key to the Key
None	13. DUMMY2	Testing level, it is an empty stage with just the presents, the key, and the door

Items and objects

Item	About
Key	Keys are found in the first half of every regular level of the game. They must be taken to locked doors in order to open the second half. In the Plus levels, each Mini-Mario is holding the key needed to unlock the level's door.
Mini-Mario	Mini-Marios are the objective of the second half of the normal levels, where they must be rescued from crystal balls. They follow Mario in Mini-Mario levels. In the Plus levels, there is one Mini-Mario per stage, which must be rescued and brought to the door to beat the level.
1-Up Mushroom	1-Up Mushrooms give Mario an extra life.
Switch	Switches are found in three variations: red, yellow, and blue. As the main effect, the switch that is active makes platforms, blocks, and ladders of the same color available to use.
Spring	Springs help Mario to jump higher. They can also be used by Mini-Marios.
Conveyor Belt	Conveyor Belts appear in mass in some levels. They are used to transport keys and to help Mario through narrow areas. Their direction can be changed with a Direction Switch.
Donut Block	Donut Blocks are platforms that fall down if Mario or Mini-Mario stays too long on them.
Elevator	Elevators are found moving on lines. Their directions can be changed with a switch.
Garbage Can Barrel	These items can be carried and thrown by Mario. He can use them to defeat certain enemies, or as auxiliary platforms to reach other platforms or to pass long gaps with spikes.
Hammer	Hammers are found floating on platforms. Mario can use them to defeat enemies, such as the Oil. The can be thrown upwards and grabbed again while in the air.
Present	Presents are found in red, yellow, and blue varieties. When all three are collected in a level, they are used in a bonus game where the player can win extra lives.
Letter	The letters T-O-Y are found in Mini-Mario levels. They must be collected by Mini-Marios to open the toy box.
Toy box	Toy boxes are the goal of the Mini-Mario levels. If the letters T-O-Y are collected, it opens and allows Mario to drop off his Mini-Marios.
Sand block	Blocks that crumble into dust when stood on.
Help Box	Help Boxes appear in several levels. When touched, it reminds the player how to perform one of Mario's moves.

Enemies and obstacles

Enemy / obstacle	About	First appearance	Last appearance
Bat	Bats are enemies that, once released, fly horizontally through the stage. If they touch Mario, they latch on to him, stunning him and causing him to fall from the rope he is climbing.	Level 5-4	Hitasura kawase!
Bird	Small birds that fly horizontally once they leave their nests. They also drop polka-dotted eggs at Mario.	Level 2-3	Egg Attack
Bob-omb	Bob-ombs are dropped out of dispensers. They light their fuses when Mario is near and explode moments later. They can be used to destroy blocks to progress.	Level 5-3	Level x-12
Boo	Boos appear in Spooky House. They chase Mario when he is not looking at them, and remain still while being watched.	Level 4-4	Boo in a Box
Brickman	Brickmen are placed on platforms. They throw three lines of bricks under them, forcing Mario to handstand to avoid being hit.	Level 1-6	Level 6-2+
Bucket Man	Bucket Men hide inside Garbage Cans to confuse the player. They reveal themselves if Mario hops on them, they will start walking. Mario cannot grab and throw them as ordinary Garbage Cans, but rather use them as moving platforms during their motion to get past spike pits. These creatures can be defeated by throwing another object at them.	Level 1-4	The Long Way
Candle	Candles appear in Spooky House, where they float up and down.	Level 4-2	A Tricky Candle
Cannon and Cannonball	Cannons tilt up and down, shooting cannonballs.	Level 5-4	Hitasura kawase!
Falling spike	Falling spikes fall from ceilings when Mario gets near them. When they get stuck on the ground, they act as temporary platforms for the player.	Level 4-3	Level 4-DK+
Fire bird	Flaming birds that appear in Fire Mountain. They also drop burning eggs at Mario.	Level 3-2	Level x-9
Fire Shy Guy	Fire Shy Guys are found in Fire Mountain. Besides walking from side to side, they also shoot fire that can harm Mario.	Level 3-3	Hot Feet
Fireball	Fireballs walk from side to side on an area. They burn Mario once they touch him.	Level 1-2	The Long Way
Lava Geyser	Lava Geysers rise out of pits of lava and cause platforms to float on top of them, allowing Mario to reach higher ground.	Level 3-1	Level 3-4
Monchee	Monchees are mechanical monkeys with long tails that hang below the platforms they are on. Mario can use these tails as ropes without getting harmed. However, he still loses an extra life if he touches a Monchee's body.	Level 2-3	One Shot Blue
Ninji	Simple enemies that jump up and down, which can help Mario to reach higher areas. They are invincible.	Level 3-1	Hot Feet
Oil	Oil is found in cans with "OIL" written on their sides and fire coming out of them. They move up and down and burn Mario if he touches them.	Level 1-2	Level 1-3+
Podoboo	Podoboos are found jumping out from lava. They can burn Mario in one touch, and cannot be defeated.	Level 3-3	Level x-3
Polterguy	Polterguys move from side to side. There are three variations of this species: blue, red, and yellow. If a switch of their respective color is pressed, they turn into safe, stationary blocks.	Level 4-3	Level x-10
RamRam	RamRams are found in jungle levels. Despite being enemies, they are used as platforms a few times. They can be defeated by fruit or by collapsing with another enemy or with an object.	Level 2-2	One Shot Blue
Robo Kikki	Robots that act similar to Monchees, but move faster.	Level 6-3	Laser Panic!
Shy Guy	Simple enemies that move side to side continuously.	Level 1-1	Level x-7
Sir Shovalot	Sir Shovalots, stubby knight-like enemies, are firstly seen walking calmly on the ground. But once they spot Mario, they quickly move towards him and use their front armor to shove him. This can be harmful if Mario finds himself between the armor and a wall, but it also helps him go through narrow places. Sir Shovalots cannot be defeated in any manner.	Level 4-2	Boo in a Box
Snapjaw	Snapjaws are seen climbing ropes in forest levels. They can be only defeated by falling fruit.	Level 2-5	Later Gator
Spear Guy	Spear Guys are first found sleeping. Once Mario gets near them, they wake up and start running after him. They go back to sleep if they touch a platform's edge.	Level 5-2	Level 5-5+
Tane Pakkun	Tane Pakkun are found stationary on platforms, usually near ropes. They spit seeds to harm Mario.	Level 2-1	Hitasura kawase!
Thwimp	Thwimps jump from side to side, trying to crush Mario. They are invulnerable.	Level 4-1	Level x-4
Thwomp	Thwomps watch the ground and try to crush Mario if he walks under them. Switch-controlled blocks can be used to prevent them from reaching the player. If Mario touches them in any way, including standing on top of them, he will lose a life.	Level 4-1	The Thwamplet
Thwomp Platform	Thwomp Platforms fall from the ceiling, just like normal Thwomps. However, they keep rising and falling in a set pattern even if Mario is not near. They can be used as platforms.	Level 3-2	Level x-9
Wire Trap	Balls of electrical energy that move across wires.	Level 1-4	Level 6-6
Wrench Shy Guy	Wrench Shy Guys appear in Twilight City. When they spot Mario, they gasp and attack by throwing wrenches horizontally.	Level 6-1	Level 6-4+
Donkey Kong	Donkey Kong is the only boss of the game, fought in every world. In each of his fights, he attacks Mario in a different manner.	Level 1-DK	Donkey Kong Plus

Development

Main article: List of Mario vs. Donkey Kong pre-release and unused content

Donkey Kong Plus, an updated version of the Game Boy Donkey Kong, was initially planned. The only known difference between the original and Plus, aside from the graphics, was the addition of a level designer to be used through the Nintendo GameCube for players to create their own levels with. However, the game vanished the following year in favor of Mario vs. Donkey Kong, with the level editor gone and the graphics replaced with pre-rendered graphics. The game's sequel, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, reintroduced this feature and made use of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Staff

Main article: List of Mario vs. Donkey Kong staff

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is one of the few Super Mario games to be developed by an American team, Nintendo Software Technology Corporation (NST). In NST's team, Shigeki Yamashiro is the producer while Yukimi Shimura is the director. Wing S. Cho designed the game and Yoonjoon Lee is the engineering director.

Reception

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is generally well-received by critics, aggregating an average of 81/100 on Metacritic and 79.07% on GameRankings. Craig Harris of IGN gave the game an 8.5/10, "Great". Harris praised the game for having "faithfully retained the Donkey Kong arcade game's look and feel". His reaction is mild about the Donkey Kong boss levels, calling them "the ones with the least amount of creativity". He criticized the presentation, calling the sprites "awkward but admittedly well-animated 3D rendered" while the voice-overs from Mario and Donkey Kong are unnecessary, although not distracting. Despite these, he praises the game's faithfulness of the Game Boy Advance Donkey Kong games, with its fantastic level design and lasting appeal.

Marcel van Duyn of Nintendolife has echoed some of IGN's statements, deeming the game to be "a worthy successor", giving the game an 8/10. As in the IGN review, Duyn criticized the game's pre-rendered sprites, saying that it "although it actually looks pretty good, it's a bit strange to see this style in a Nintendo title again after all this time." Duyn is disappointed that "the series has only had Lemmings-esque installments since", believing "the original formula is perfectly worthy of another day in the limelight."

In a more critical review, Stephen Carvell of VideoGamer praises the game's visuals, but criticizes the game's level design, calling the reliance on the color-coded switches "tedious" and the later levels for using the same puzzles. He also criticized the Mini-Mario levels for having "appalling level design that smacks of a lack of ideas." He gave the game a 6/10.

Reviews
Release	Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
Game Boy Advance	Craig Harris, IGN	8.5/10	"All of the well-established gameplay elements of the original have returned in new and fun platformer challenges with a decidedly different theme and flavor, taking advantage of the more powerful GBA platform. Strangely, Nintendo has seemingly ignored the game's roots instead of simply embracing them, playing off this game as a separate and "new" franchise instead of positioning it as what it really is: a continuation of one of the best, most recommended Game Boy titles in the system's library. Because the new design takes such a drastically different approach in its art style and presentation it feels just a little awkward to those who enjoyed the original Game Boy Donkey Kong and its faithful retroness. Beyond that element, though, there's a lot to enjoy in Mario vs. Donkey Kong, and its new production is still a can't-miss action title for the Game Boy Advance."
Game Boy Advance	Tom Bramwell, Eurogamer	8/10	"It won't come as anything new or inspiring to anybody who's tackled a DK title before, but it engages the brain in ways that we enjoy being probed, and for all its age the formula is still as sound as ever. Meanwhile, it's a new thrill for a younger generation of handheld owners, and has the potential to be a fantastic stocking filler for anybody who likes to haul out the console on a train or bus to school. It's not the most imaginative, it won't last forever, and we're not particularly sold on the pre-rendered visual approach (give us something from Yoshi's Island any day), but it's hard to argue with any game where every level feels like slotting in the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle."
Game Boy Advance	Jeff Gerstmann, GameSpot	8/10	"Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a standout game that fans of portable puzzles will have a good time with. It also plays the nostalgia card very well, making references all over the place. The music will occasionally go all the way back to the original Donkey Kong, including the classic "I've got a hammer" music. The game also includes vines and droppable fruit like in Donkey Kong Jr., acrobatic moves that are reminiscent of Super Mario 64, and the ability to stand on, pick up, and toss enemies just like in Super Mario Bros. 2. Both on its own and as a tribute to Mario's legacy, Mario vs. Donkey Kong does a great job."
Aggregators
Compiler		Platform / Score
Metacritic		81
GameRankings		79.07%

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario vs. Donkey Kong.

• 

  Mario holding a key

• 

  Mario climbing ropes

• 

  Mario breaking a Mini-Mario's crystal ball

• 

  Donkey Kong holding a barrel

• 

  Donkey Kong holding a Mini-Mario sack

Glitches

Game softlock

In the second room of Level 3-3, Mario must go near the spring on the far right side of the screen. When the bottommost red Polterguy is close to the invisible wall on the right side of the screen, but is not touching the wall, Mario must press the red switch to turn the Polterguy into a stationary block. If the space in between the Polterguy and the wall is roughly equivalent to the width of Mario's sprite, Mario must perform a high jump on the spring while moving to the right. If performed correctly, Mario will not collide with the invisible wall, causing him to fly off screen, where he falls briefly until taking damage. At this point, Mario would normally lose a life and the room would be restarted; however, instead, all elements of the level continue to move indefinitely without the timer decrementing, putting the game in an unwinnable state, where the only action the player can take is to reset the system.

Mario floats in midair while crushed

In Level x-3, if Mario gets crushed by a Thwomp Platform while standing on a lift platform, Mario will be flattened and lose a life, but as the animation of him floating to the ground is played, he will still follow the movements of the platform. This can cause Mario to continuously float in the air, and can also cause him to float upwards.

Stopped voice clips

At any time when the player is opening a locked door, they can press and at the same time to activate the map scrolling mode. When this mode is exited, the music jingle at the end of a level and the door's sound effects will still play, but Mario's sound effects will not. In the PLUS levels, the Mini-Mario's sound effects will also not play.

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Mario vs. Donkey Kong media.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong - Title screen theme

File infoMedia:MVDK-Title Screen Theme.oga 0:30

Mario vs. Donkey Kong - Mario: Ah, that Charles Martinet! Nice Italian boy.

File infoMedia:MvsDK Mario CharlesMartinet.oga 0:03

Mario vs. Donkey Kong - Mario: Oh yeah, don't forget to thank Mr. Miyamoto.

File infoMedia:MvsDK Mario Miyamoto.oga 0:02

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

Quotes

Main article: List of Mario vs. Donkey Kong quotes

Mario

• "Come back here, you big-a monkey!"
• "Ah, that Charles Martinet. Nice Italian boy!"
• "Oh yeah, don't forget to thank Mr. Miyamoto!"
• "Let's-a go, little guys!"

References to other games

• Donkey Kong (Arcade/NES game): The boot up song when starting a new game is briefly heard in the intro to the game, and the beginning of every boss fight.
• Donkey Kong (Game Boy): The game uses all gameplay elements from this game, although it has a very different story. Even the final battle is a recreation of that in Donkey Kong.
• Super Mario 64: Several of Mario's voice clips are recycled.
• Donkey Kong 64: Several of Donkey Kong's voice clips are recycled.
• Mario Tennis: Several of Toad's voice clips are recycled.
• Super Smash Bros. Melee: Several of Mario and Donkey Kong's voice clips are recycled.
• Super Mario Sunshine: Several of Toads' voice clips are recycled.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	マリオvs.ブイエスドンキーコング[?] Mario buiesu Donkī Kongu	Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Trivia

• While Donkey Kong's voice uses recycled clips of Grant Kirkhope's voice from Donkey Kong 64 in all versions of the game, the Japanese commercial for the game features Donkey Kong being voiced by Donkey Kong's current voice actor Takashi Nagasako. However, in the Nintendo Switch remake, all of Donkey Kong's voice clips are from Nagasako.
• The title screen in the Japanese version was redone to feature the Mini-Marios rather than feature Mario and Donkey Kong as is the case in the American and European versions. The Japanese style of the title screen has been used in all future games in the series, even in international releases.

External links

• Official Mario vs. Donkey Kong Japanese website
  • Wii U Virtual Console website