Highlights

  • Mario vs. Donkey Kong adds modern comforts like extra worlds, co-op, and Casual mode for accessibility.
  • Post-game escort missions in the remake could have used modern tweaks for player satisfaction.
  • Mini-Marios in the escort missions behave erratically and inconsistently, creating frustration for players.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong takes many steps to modernize the 2004 game it's based on. However, one part of the original post-game that has been maintained in Mario vs. Donkey Kong's remake should have been given more tweaks.

Many modern comforts have been given to Mario vs. Donkey Kong through its remake. This not only includes new content in the form of extra worlds and a time attack mode but the option to play in co-op as well as in Casual mode. Casual mode gives the player extra hit points, infinite time, and checkpoints, bringing a nice accessibility feature into the fold. Co-op allows a second player to join in as Toad, who can walk through 1-block tall gaps and cause a silver key to appear in a level.

Mario Vs Donkey Kong Toy Factory
Related
Future Mario Games Should Take Note Of Mario vs. Donkey Kong's Ghost Houses

Mario vs. Donkey Kong's ghost houses are more consistently fun than those found in other Mario games, which are often frustrating.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2024 Should've Changed Up Its Post-Game Escort Missions

One facet of the original game that didn't receive Nintendo's remastering touch is the post-game's core conceit. After the initial eight worlds of levels are beaten, the player gains access to 48 more puzzle levels (six more for each world). These '+' worlds are a nice big chunk of content that houses fittingly brief stages, with each level only taking up a single screen rather than the typical two. In addition, the gameplay is switched up to resemble the Mini-guiding stages that come before the base worlds' boss fights. '+' levels see Mario guiding a Mini-Mario with a key to the exit—an escort mission-type that could have really used some modern changes.

The Problem With Escort Missions

Games like Resident Evil 4 cemented escort missions as the bane of players everywhere, and it's not too hard to see why. Escort missions remove some level of player agency, adding an AI companion that the player can't completely control. In a solo mission, if a game is well-designed, the player will be able to feel responsible for their failures. An AI companion, especially one that doesn't perceive a threat as the player does and will happily run head-first into an enemy's maw, will sometimes die of its own accord, even with the tightest of coding. This is a surefire way to enrage and annoy the player.

Mini-Marios Are Too Sensitive

The '+' levels in Mario vs. Donkey Kong aren't all bad, with many being fun and challenging. There is the nuance of these missions being a solid idea; they remix prior stages in a way that totally changes the game. Undeniably, the Mini-Mario escort missions keep the game fresh.

What could've used some of Mario vs. Donkey Kong's modernization is the AI of the Mini-Mario. These clockwork plumbers might be plenty cute, but they're far too sensitive to Mario's movements. Should the player so much as flinch, a Mini-Mario may send itself careening into a pit of spikes. It's hard enough to keep track of two characters through all of a puzzle's moving parts without a Mini-Mario's erratic behavior. The remake should've given him some self-preservation instincts. Not enough to thwart the potency of the game's puzzles, but enough to make the player not want to yell obscenities through the scream at an adorable toy robot.

Mini-Marios Behave Inconsistently in Mario vs. Donkey Kong

On the subject of being erratic, Mini-Marios are often unpredictable. Sometimes they'll jump over a small gap, whilst others they'll fall right down. They might go down a step in one level but launch themselves in an arc in another, despite the player moving the same way. This inconsistency, combined with sensitive movement, makes the Mini-Marios easily one of Nintendo's most frustrating mechanics. In addition, the inconsistency can hamper Mario vs. Donkey Kong's unique puzzles. Its puzzles often benefit from lateral thinking, but this only works if the player's toolset is iron-clad in its consistency.