Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis - Nintendo DS Review

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 begins with Mario opening up a theme park based on his Mini Mario toys. He invites Pauline—the damsel in

distress from the Donkey Kong arcade game—as his guest of honor. As Donkey Kong watches on, he is instantly smitten by Mario’s gal pal, and this cues the ape’s comical kidnapping of the helpless Pauline. Whether it’s Princess Peach or not, this is the same Mario storyline fans have come to expect with a slightly different coat of paint on it.

Gameplay in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 is easy to get a grasp on, that’s a good thing because the game is always going, so you’ll have

to be able to keep up with all the action onscreen while trying to clear each stage successfully. Despite this being a Mario game, you don’t actually take control of Mario himself. Instead, you take control of the Mini Mario toys and guide them to each stage’s goal.

You’ll rely solely on the DS’s touch screen in order to control the Mini Marios. A swipe of the touch screen in any direction will send your Mini Marios marching in that direction, and it is up to you to keep them safe from any impending dangers such as Shy Guys, Piranha Plants, fire, spikes, and any other hazardous obstacles. While there are only a few Mini Marios to work with at the beginning of the game, it isn’t very long before you must guide large numbers of Mini Marios to the goal, and this is where the game gets more challenging.

There are a number of elements that add depth to the game. For example, you can stop the Mini Marios in their tracks if you so choose to with a simple tap on the touch screen. If you clear the stage without ever having them stop, however, you’ll earn a nonstop bonus that will increase your score even more. Additionally, although you can clear stages by salvaging but one of the toys, reaching the goal with every Mini Mario intact will accrue more points and help get you a higher score. Collecting coins and Mini Mario Cards also racks up the points, and it is fun to try and collect every item on each stage.

As if the main game wasn’t good enough, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 includes a level editor where you can easily create stages and

share them with your friends. Creating levels is easy to get a grasp on but deep enough to the point where you’ll be able to create stages that rival the layouts of those already included in the game’s story mode. Using Nintendo’s Wi-Fi Connection, you can share your stages and download others’ created works. This makes for a seemingly endless gaming experience, and you may find some true masterpieces out there.