There are many classic rivalries in the video game world, but the first is arguably the rivalry between Mario and Donkey Kong. Yes, Mario was known as “Jumpman” at the time, but we all know it was Mario. These two have been battling it out for decades in one form or another, and during the Game Boy Advanced days, Nintendo brought that to life in a new format via the Mario Vs Donkey Kong series. The titles had platforming and puzzle mechanics mixed together, and it worked rather well. After all, it did have several entries. Fast forward to 2024, and the remake of the original title is only a few weeks away from dropping on the Nintendo Switch.
Today, Nintendo dropped the opening video for the game to help “set the scene” for the battles and puzzles to come. In it, we see the mighty Donkey Kong seeing a commercial for the Mini-Mario wind-up toys that are “all the rage.” Even Donkey Kong can’t resist that! But when he finds out that they’re sold out, he goes to the “conveniently placed” Mario Toy Factory and just steals all the toys for himself! Well, that’s not very nice!
Naturally, Mario sees him run off with the toys, and the chase is on!
While the trailer doesn’t highlight any gameplay, Mario Vs Donkey Kong will feature Mario going from level to level to retrieve the toys Donkey Kong has stolen. He’ll need to platform over danger, grab keys, and get the toys to safety to move on to the next level and challenge. One key thing to note about the Switch remake is the title isn’t simply overhauling the graphics. Instead, the team has added multiple new modes to the title and even created multiple new worlds for you to try your hand at!
That means there’s more content within this game than ever before. You can even play it with a friend! So, if you’ve never had a chance to enjoy the series before, this remake might be your best chance to have fun with it.
The irony of the game is that this is just the first of four confirmed games coming out this year that feature either Mario or his friends. Luigi and Princess Peach will get their titles in March and likely April/May. Then, Mario will return to his “paper form” for a remaster/remake of his second paper-style RPG. So, the “year of Mario” is about to begin.
