Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong
North American box art For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer	Nintendo Software Technology Corporation
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Nintendo Switch
Release date	Template:Release
Language(s)	English (United Kingdom) English (United States) French (France) French (Canada) German Spanish (Spain) Spanish (Latin America) Italian Dutch Japanese Simplified Chinese Traditional Chinese Korean
Genre	Puzzle/Action
Rating(s)	ESRB: - Everyone PEGI: - Three years and older CERO: - All ages ACB: - General USK: - All ages ClassInd: - General audience SMECCV: - All ages GRAC: - All ages GSRR: - Six years and older FPB: - Thirteen years and older Gmedia: - Three years and older MRO: - Three years and older
Mode(s)	Single-player, local multiplayer
Format	Nintendo Switch: Game Card Digital download
Input	Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

“The rivalry reignites.”

—Advertisement tagline for Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a Nintendo Switch remake of the 2004 Game Boy Advance game of the same name released worldwide on February 16, 2024. First announced during the September 2023 Nintendo Direct, it is the first Mario vs. Donkey Kong game for the Nintendo Switch and the first one in general since Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, released almost nine years prior. As a remake of the first game, it is also the first time the gameplay style of the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong has been revisited since the original's release. Unlike the original version's pre-rendered visuals and the rest of the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series opting for a plastic, cartoony look with outlines, the remake adopts a standard modern art style, taking many cues from Super Mario 3D World and its appearance as a theme in Super Mario Maker 2 in particular. Additionally, the game debuts a redesigned logo for the Donkey Kong series. Despite Charles Martinet having stepped down from his role as the voice actor for Mario, several of his voice clips are reused in this game.

A free demo of the game was released on the Nintendo eShop on January 31, 2024. This is the first Super Mario title to omit the ESRB rating on the box art version officially distributed in the Southeast Asian markets, although the first Nintendo-published title overall to omit the rating in those markets is Another Code: Recollection.

Changes from the original game

New content

Game modes

• Casual Mode has been added, with the following changes from Classic Mode:
  • No time limit, where the time limit is labelled with an infinity sign.
  • The player starts with five bubbles per level. If the player has any bubbles left, the character will return to a checkpoint in a bubble in situations that would cause them to lose a life.
  • Keys last for 15 seconds instead of 12 when not held by a character.
  • Certain levels contain less enemies.
• A Time Attack mode has been added for all levels. It is accessed by pressing when selecting a level. In Time Attack, the player must reach the end of the level as fast as they can to beat the target time.
  • Levels completed in Time Attack mode will be marked with a gold medal featuring a clock insignia on it. Completing all levels in Time Attack mode is not required for 100% completion.
  • Time Attack is unlocked for all regular levels and Expert levels once Vs. Donkey Kong is cleared. For plus levels, this requires clearing Vs. Donkey Kong Plus.

Multiplayer

• Multiplayer has been added, with Toad as the second playable character. He is able to pass through one-block tall gaps by performing a handstand and can climb ropes fast without needing to perform a two-handed climb.
  • Multiplayer is not available during Time Attack mode.
• In addition to regular keys that appear in the main levels, a silver flying key must also be caught during Multiplayer sessions to use on locked doors.

Levels

• Two new worlds, Merry Mini-Land and Slippery Summit, have been introduced as this version of the game's fourth and sixth worlds respectively, with each incorporating new obstacles like Flower Fans, carryable Springs, Warp Boxes and icy terrain.
  • As such, the order of worlds has been rearranged slightly to accommodate the new worlds, bringing the total number of worlds to eight instead of six:
    • Mario Toy Company
    • Donkey Kong Jungle
    • Fire Mountain (the level select menu's color is changed from orange to red to distinguish itself from Mystic Forest)
    • Merry Mini-Land
    • Spooky House
    • Slippery Summit
    • Mystic Forest (the level select menu's color is changed from cyan to orange to distinguish itself from Slippery Summit)
    • Twilight City
  • There are also new Plus variants for the new worlds, that being Merry Mini-Land Plus and Slippery Summit Plus. As with other Plus worlds, they also have new themings (the former takes place at night and the latter takes place during a blizzard).
• Four new Expert levels have been added, bringing the total of Expert levels to 16, with the levels being based on Merry Mini-Land and Slippery Summit, as well as their Plus variants.
  • The gold star requirements have slightly changed for the Expert levels, with them now having costs in multiples of eight (Level EX-1 requires 8 stars, and Level EX-16 requires 128 stars, for example)
• The bonus present minigames have been replaced with various new bonus levels (though the music is retained and rearranged). In these levels, the player must catch a floating key that opens a treasure box before the time runs out, earning five 1-Ups in the process.
  • There are sixteen new bonus levels that correspond to each world (excluding Expert sets EX1 and EX2), with some level layouts derived from existing levels (both old and new).
  • Bonus levels can appear after approximately every eighth regular level beaten, with the bonus level corresponding to the last world said level was beaten on. On newly unlocked worlds, it is designed in such a way that up to 4-6 regular levels in the same world must be beaten to open the bonus level for that respective world.

Miscellaneous

• A gallery has been added, where the player can view the cutscenes, music and sound effects of the game.

Gameplay changes

• The scoring system has been removed.
• The requirements for collecting Gold Stars has been changed to be performance based, as the scoring system was removed. Gold Stars can now be obtained in all levels, excluding final battle and its Plus variant.
  • Clearing a level with all presents, getting all six Mini-Marios in the toy box, and beating a boss level without taking damage are essential to getting stars, which can be used to unlock new Expert levels.
• Falls are no longer lethal, and only formerly lethal falls now stun Mario and Toad. Additionally, falls that would non-lethally stun Mario in the original no longer do so.
• The right stick can be used to control the camera in large-scaled levels, meaning that the player no longer has to enter Free Scroll Mode to view the level in its entirety.
• Retrying a level or exiting a level that has not been cleared yet no longer costs the player a life.
• Clearing the first level in a world unlocks every remaining level in it except for the Mini-Mario levels and Donkey Kong boss fights.
• Hammers and Fruits reappear after using them.
• Mario and Toad can now jump on birds.
• Pressing up on the controller no longer makes Mario or Toad look up.
• Unlike the Japanese version of the original game, all the e-Reader levels are cut from all versions.
  • Additionally, no unused level maker is present in the game's data unlike the original game in all regions.

Level design changes

• The locations of the red and yellow platforms in Level 1-DK have been swapped.
• The conveyor belts and Donkey Kong are placed differently in Level 6-DK and Level 6-DK+.
• Additional blue platforms were added to Level 1-DK+.
• There are extra platforms added to Level 3-DK+. Additionally, the disintegrating platforms over the lava pits regenerate once Donkey Kong loses his last hit point.

Text changes and localization

• The game has been translated to Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Dutch, Korean, Canadian French and Latin American Spanish. The original was not available in these five languages since, at the time, Nintendo of Europe did not do Dutch localizations, Nintendo of America did not do Canadian French or Latin American Spanish localizations, and Nintendo of Hong Kong and Nintendo of Korea did not yet exist.
• The worlds now are translated in the French, Italian, German and Spanish versions while in the original they were left in English in those versions.

Graphical changes

• The game now uses full 3D models rather than pre-rendered sprites.
• The Toads in the intro cutscene now wear hard hats.
• The cutscenes are now fully animated, instead of swapping between different static frames.
• Donkey Kong no longer makes heart pupils when seeing the Mini-Mario; instead, it reflects off of his eyes.
  • Additionally, the title screen now has Mario and Donkey Kong with more movements than just their eyes blinking like in the original.
• Tane Pakkun are redesigned into mechanical Fire Piranha Plants.
• The Ninjis are now black with red buttons, similar to the regular Ninjis' current design.
• Brickmen are given a pair of movable bricks over their eyes to act as expressive eyebrows.
• Fire Shy Guys are redesigned to look like blue Snifits.
• Thwomps and Thwimps are redesigned to be mechanical, with a face that slides to change expressions.
• Spear Guys emits Zs when it is sleeping.
• Boos have a toylike design, with a face that slides to change expressions.
• Bob-ombs are redesigned to be slightly more mechanical and toylike. They are also no longer pink.
• Mario's normal and fire death animations now resemble the ones commonly used in modern mainline Super Mario games, rather than showing him recoil and collapse on the floor, and he is no longer charred when he dies from touching fire.
  • In the full game, Mario's fire death animation features a burning sound and a smoke effect, while in the demo, it does not.
• Mario's Game Over animation has been altered.
• There is a blue, ice variant of Fireball that appears in Slippery Summit, though aside from aesthetics, it does not behave any differently than the game's red Fireballs.
• Mario is no longer seen using the elevator after Donkey Kong kidnaps the Toads and after he is defeated in the final level before the "Plus" levels.
• The Toads no longer make Donkey Kong fall off the building by stepping on his hand, and both them and Mario look in concern when he falls.
• Instead of sobbing, Donkey Kong is shown sulking after his defeat in the final cutscene, and Mario does not scold him before giving him the Mini-Mario. However, he does sob after being defeated in-game.
• Donkey Kong has an angrier expression when he has one hit point left in his boss battles.

Audio changes

• The music has been rearranged like other remakes.
  • Fire Mountain and Twilight City had their music completely replaced. The music for most bosses and both sets of credits were also replaced.
• The same music plays throughout an entire stage, and is not interrupted by a jingle when the player enters a door.
• One of the channels heard (specifically the audio of an announcer counting in Spanish) on Donkey Kong's television in the intro is changed to a clip of the remake's arrangement of Donkey Kong Plus' music.
  • Nate Bihldorff's voice clips of Shy Guy are heard instead of the fast-talking gibberish when Donkey Kong switches channels to a news broadcast.
  • The last "Buy them all!" from the TV announcer is slowed down slightly.
• Several archival voice clips of Charles Martinet as Mario and the Mini-Marios are repurposed here, though some of these clips are not present in the original game.
  • Contrarily, Donkey Kong now uses voice clips by his current voice actor, Takashi Nagasako, as opposed to Grant Kirkhope's performance in the original game, which features audio repurposed from Donkey Kong 64. He also no longer speaks full sentences as he did in the original game.
  • Samantha Kelly, in addition to voicing Toad (who does not appear in the original game) through archival voice clips, also voices most of the other Toads throughout the remake in the same way, instead of Jen Taylor's performance from the original game (a few of Taylor's clips are retained in the opening cutscenes, however).
• The following audio cues no longer occur:
  • Mario, the Mini-Marios, and the Toads laughing at Donkey Kong before the first final boss battle and Donkey Kong Plus.
  • Mario asking, "Hey, Donkey Kong! Are you okay?" in the cutscene before the "Plus" levels.
  • The Mini-Mario calling Donkey Kong "monkey man" in the final cutscene.
  • Mario saying, "Okey dokey! Let's-a go!" when unlocking a door.
  • Mario saying, "Mamma mia!" when all the Mini-Marios get destroyed.
  • Mario saying, "We did it! Good job, little guy." when the Mini-Mario unlocks a door.

Characters

Main characters

Character	Description
Mario	The titular main protagonist of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. He uses a wide range of moves and abilities as he sets out to rescue the Mini-Marios from Donkey Kong.
Toad	A playable character who has the same abilities as Mario and can be used as the second player character in co-op mode.
Donkey Kong	The titular main antagonist of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. After robbing the Mario Toy Company and kidnapping all of the Mini-Mario toys, he faces off against Mario to stop him from retrieving them.
Mini-Marios	Wind-up toys resembling Mario who were kidnapped by Donkey Kong.

Items and collectibles

Item	Description
1-Up Mushroom	Green mushrooms that grant the player(s) an extra life.
Flying key	These keys fly around the level and must be collected to open chests containing extra lives in bonus levels. Unlike the standard keys, they simply follow the player around upon contact. Silver flying keys appear in the main and Mini-Mario levels in multiplayer and are required to open the locked doors or chests in addition to the standard keys.
Hammer	Items that can be grabbed by Mario and used to defeat enemies.
File:KeyMVDK.png 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.
File:MvsDK NS Letter T.pngFile:MvsDK NS Letter O.pngFile:MvsDK NS Letter Y.png Letter Blocks	Letters that spell out the word "TOY" appearing exclusively in Mini-Mario levels that must be collected to complete the level. They can only be collected by the Mini-Marios.
Present	Wrapped boxes found in red, yellow, and blue varieties. Once all three are collected in a regular or Plus level, the player will earn a Gold Star for that level.

Enemies and obstacles

Enemies

Enemy	Description
Bats	Bat enemies that fly horizontally, across the stage, and can cause the player(s) to fall from the rope that they were climbing.
Birds	Avian enemies that fly around and can drop eggs on the player(s), which can be avoided by performing a handstand.
Bob-ombs	Enemies that light their fuses and explode a few seconds after when Mario is near. They can be carried by Mario and used to defeat other enemies.
Boos	Wind-up Boos that chase the player(s) when they are not looking and remain still while they are being watched.
Brickmen	A creature hidden in a pile of bricks. They throw three lines of bricks under them, forcing Mario to handstand to avoid being hit.
Bucket Men	Sentient Garbage Can enemies. Mario must be careful when picking up Garbage Cans, as they may really be Bucket Men in disguise. They cannot be picked up, but can be defeated with a hammer.
Fire birds	Flaming avian enemies that fly across the stage and can drop burning eggs on the player(s).
Fire Shy Guys	Snifit-like Shy Guys that attack the player(s) with fire from their mask.
Fireballs	Enemies that move from side to side on a platform. Upon contact, red ones burn the player and blue ones freeze the player.
Lava Bubbles	Enemies that are found jumping repeatedly out of lava, and burn the player(s) upon touching them.
Monchees	Mechanical monkeys with long tails that hang below the platforms they are on. Mario can hang from their tails without getting harmed. However, he still loses an extra life if he touches a Monchee's body.
Ninjis	Mechanical enemies wearing black ninja outfits with two red buttons. They jump repeatedly in place, and can be used as platforms to traverse spikes.
Polterguys	Wind-up Shy Guy ghost enemies that transform into blocks when the player(s) press a Color Switch.
File:PurpleRinoMVDK.png RamRams	Purple rhinoceroses resembling Rambi, an animal friend from Donkey Kong Country. They attack by charging at and ramming the player(s). RamRams can be picked up and thrown on to spikes, allowing them to be used as platforms.
Robo Kikki	Robotic enemies with long tails that function identically to Monchee.
Shy Guys	Wind-up Shy Guys that walk throughout the levels, and can be jumped on.
Sir Shovalots	Knight-like enemies that push the player(s) using their shield.
Snapjaws	Crocodile-like enemies that climb ropes. They can only be defeated by falling fruit.
Spear Guys	Enemies that 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.
Tane Pakkun	Mechanical Piranha Plants that spit fireballs, which damages the player(s) upon contact.
Thwimps	Enemies that attempt to crush the player(s) when they get close.
Thwomps	Enemies that fall down when the player(s) approach them. Touching one causes an extra life to be lost.
Wrench Shy Guys	Black Shy Guys that throw spanners at the player.

Obstacles

Obstacle	Description
Bird Nest	Objects that birds can spawn from.
File:CandleMvsDK.png Candle	Obstacles that moves up and down and burn the player(s) on contact. They can be defeated with a Hammer.
Cannon	Obstacles that tilt up and down, firing cannonballs.
Cannonball	Obstacles that are fired from cannons.
Falling spike	Spikes that fall from ceilings as Mario gets near them. Falling spikes that get stuck on the ground act as temporary platforms for the player.
Flower Fan	Floating, fan-like flowers that produce a continuous gust, which can carry Mario and various objects in one direction. Flower Fans of a specific color are activated simultaneously by pressing a corresponding Color Switch.
Icicle	Icy stalactites that function identically to falling spikes.
Lava Geyser	Spouts of lava that rise and cause Lifts to float on top of them, allowing the player(s) to reach higher ground.
File:OilMvsDK.png Oil	Obstacles that move up and down and burn the player(s) on contact. They can be defeated with a Hammer.
Spike	Harmful traps that cause the player(s) to lose a life if touched.
Spiked Barrel	Barrels with spiked rims that are thrown as projectiles by Donkey Kong in certain boss battles.
Thwomp Platform	Grey and yellow stone blocks that rise when the player(s) stand on them.
Wire Trap	Indestructible balls of electricity that travel along wires and electrocute Mario upon contact.

Objects

Blocks

Block	Description
Bob-omb Block	Blocks that can only be destroyed by Bob-ombs.
Donut Block	Orange blocks that fall if the player stands on them for too long.
Dotted-Line Block	Blocks that become solid once a Color Switch of the same color is activated by the player(s).
Help Block	Gray and black variants of ? Blocks that give the player(s) hints and information about the game when hit.
Ice Block	Light blue frozen blocks that come in solid and semisolid variants, and often connect to form icy terrain with slippery traction affecting thrown objects and the player(s).
Sand block	Blocks that crumble into dust when stood on.
Warp Box	Clear boxes that teleport the player to another box with the corresponding color and are activated by Color Switches.

Platforms

Platform	Description
Lift	Platforms that are found traveling along tracks, or being lifted by Lava Geysers.
File:SemisolidPlatformMVDK.png Semisolid Platform	Platforms of varying styles that have solid surfaces, but can be jumped through from below.

Other

Object	Description
Barrel	Can be carried and thrown by the player(s). They can be used to defeat certain enemies, or as auxiliary platforms to reach other platforms or to pass wide gaps with spikes.
Color Switch	Switches are found in three versions: 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.
Garbage Can	Can be carried and thrown by the player(s). They can be used to defeat certain enemies, or as auxiliary platforms to reach other platforms or to pass wide gaps with spikes.
File:LadderMVDK.png Ladder	Climbable objects of various lengths and visual styles. Some can be tuned on and off by Color Switches.
Rope	Climbable objects that hang from trees or metal rings. Snapjaws can be found moving along some vertical ropes. Horizontal rope variants can also be found, which the player can grab and swing upwards from.
Spring	Can be jumped off of to reach high platforms.
Toy box	Objects that serve as the goal in Mini-Mario levels and can be opened by collecting all three Letter Blocks in the level.
Track	Objects that constantly move platforms along a set path.
Trampoline	Functions the same as springs but can also be picked up and thrown.

Reception

Reviews
Release	Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
Nintendo Switch	Charles Harte, GameInformer	8/10	"Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a simple game, but as is the case with Mario's best titles, there's an elegance to that simplicity. Nintendo has done a stellar job adding features to make it more palatable to a modern audience, but it only comes together because of how well the classic levels hold up. Mario and Donkey Kong have been rivals for over 40 years, and this game admirably carries that legacy forward."
Nintendo Switch	Steve Watts, GameSpot	7/10	"Mario vs. Donkey Kong feels very retro in certain respects. It's designed to be played in short bursts, which can feel anachronistic on a modern handheld hybrid that's perfectly suited for long play sessions. But it's also a throwback in the best ways, recapturing the clever aha moments of puzzle-platforming that made its predecessors so memorable, all while packing distinct visual improvements and quality-of-life tweaks that bring out its charm like never before."
Nintendo Switch	Eric Van Allen, Destructoid	7.5/10	"I could see myself blasting through levels of Mario vs. Donkey Kong while waiting for a flight at the airport, or on the train to work, and that’s the best-case scenario for this package, brimming with bite-sized platforming challenges. It may not contain all the spectacle of others, but there’s enough precise jumping and quick calculations here to satisfy the more hardcore, goal-oriented, score-chasing Mario players around."
Aggregators
Compiler		Platform / Score
Metacritic		77

Sales

As of March 31, 2024, the game had sold 1.12 million units worldwide.

Promotion

The Donkey Kong tin badge

• By pre-ordering the game through Otakara, customers received a tin badge depicting Donkey Kong.
• A bundle containing the game, a 40-piece puzzle, and a set of three stickers is sold on the European My Nintendo Store.

Media

Donkey Kong Plus

File infoMedia:MvsDK Switch Donkey Kong Plus.wav 0:30

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

References to other media

• Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix: Mario's official artwork uses the same pose as this game, albeit updated.
• Mario Kart Wii: At least one of Mario's voice clips is reused from this game, as are some of Donkey Kong's voice clips.
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!: The background of Merry Mini-Land is seemingly based on Coaster Hills, an attraction from this game.
• Super Mario 3D Land: Mario's humming in one of the cutscenes is reused from this game.
• Super Mario 3D World: Some of Mario's voice clips are reused from this game. The heads-up display is also somewhat adapted from this game including its font, although the character portraits are rendered 3D models instead of 2D artwork.
• Mario Kart 8: Some of Donkey Kong's voice clips are reused from this game.
• Super Mario Maker: Builder Toads can be seen working in the Mario Toy Company building's factory.
• Mario Party: Star Rush: Mario's render for this game is reused for his life icon while Toad's life icon is a recolored variant of other colored Toads' renders.
• Mario Party Superstars: Toad's artwork from this game is repurposed.

Staff

Main article: List of Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch) staff

Mario vs. Donkey Kong was developed by the Nintendo Software Technology Corporation, who developed every previous game in the series including the original game. Vivek Melwani, who was previously involved with Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, took on director duties for the remake. Lawrence Schwedler, after leaving NST to work at the DigiPen Institute of Technology around 2012, returns as the music director for the remake, along with bringing DigiPen's music department to help compose the music.

Gallery

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

• 

  Mario and Toad

• 

  Mario inside a bubble

• 

  Mario using a Hammer

• 

  A Mini-Mario inside an orb

• 

  Mario holding a Key

• 

  Donkey Kong

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
Chinese (simplified)	马力欧vs.咚奇刚[?] Mǎlì'ōu vs. Dōngqí Gāng	Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Chinese (traditional)	瑪利歐vs.咚奇剛[?] Mǎlì'ōu vs. Dōngqí Gāng	Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Korean	마리오 vs. 동키콩[?] Mario vs. Dongki Kong	Mario vs. Donkey Kong

External links

• Official North American game page
• Official Canadian (French) game page
• Official Latin American game page
• Official Brazilian game page
• Official Japanese game page
• Official Japanese My Nintendo Store page
• Official United Kingdom game page
• Official Belgium (Dutch) game page
• Official Belgium (French) game page
• Official German game page
• Official España game page
• Official French game page
• Official Italian game page
• Official Dutch game page
• Official Austrian game page
• Official Portuguese game page
• Official Swiss (German) game page
• Official Swiss (French) game page
• Official Swiss (Italian) game page
• Official South African game page
• Official Australian game page