MY VIEW: GAMES
'Mario vs. Donkey Kong' revisits classic grudge match
By Julius Pecson
Special to The Advertiser
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The Verdict: 
THE RATINGS 5 — Outstanding: Add it to your collection now. A must-have. 4 — Great: Buy it or rent it — definitely play it. 3 — Good: Worth playing despite some flaws. 2 — Fair: Unless you're a fan of the license or series, don't bother. 1 — Poor: You'd have more fun playing Pong. |
Console: Game Boy Advance.
Developer/Publisher: Nintendo.
Genre: Action/puzzle.
Number of Players: One.
Rating: After many years, Mario and Donkey Kong revisit their classic grudge match in this portable puzzle platformer. This time, the big old monkey sees that the new Mini-Mario action figures are all the rage and decides to break into the Mini-Mario toy-manufacturing factory to steal some for himself. Mario arrives just in time, and it's up to the mustachioed plumber to recover his stolen inventory from his longtime nemesis.
Gameplay: The levels are decidedly puzzle-based, requiring as much brains as they do quick reactions to figure out the best path. Players go through six worlds composed of six two-level areas, one Mini-Mario level and one Donkey Kong boss level. Mario adds to his trad-itional repertoire of moves with acrobatic handstands and wire spins as he navigates through these small, self-contained stages. You'll utter phrases ranging from "Man, this is too easy!" to "Argh! What the heck am I supposed to do?" Conquer the regular game, then unlock six "Plus worlds" — new levels providing more challenges.
The Good/Bad: The core gameplay works very well in "Mario vs. Donkey Kong." I enjoyed the mix of action and puzzle elements, but after a while the game gets a little repetitive. Play in short bursts rather than long marathons. The more enjoyable stages show up in the second half of the game. However, these can be extremely frustrating, in part because most puzzles have only one solution. It would have been nice to have multiple ways to reach the objectives so players could use their creativity.
Tips: At the beginning of each level, press L and R at the same time to view the map. This way, you can survey the stage and come up with the best path/strategy to accomplish your objective without wasting time. Don't worry about running out of lives and having to "restart" at the same level. All your progress is saved, and continues are infinite. Check out the official Web site at www.mariovsdk.com for some screen savers, wallpapers, games, and e-cards. Best of all, the site contains a number of helpful videos on how to beat select levels.
My take: "Mario vs. Donkey Kong" is a fine example of what portable gaming ought to be. It's easy to pick up and play for all ages, with short stages for gamers on the go, and enough replay value for people wanting more. Though lacking in variety, for what it does, it does well. It's a great way to kill time while working on your tan.
Editor's note: This is the first in a series of bi-weekly reviews of video games. Starting next week, TGIF will add reader reviews of CDs. Julius Pecson, a student at the University of Hawai'i and a longtime gamer, will review games on various consoles for The Honolulu Advertiser, including Xbox, GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance.
Have a game or CD you want to review? Contact Island Life deputy editor Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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UPCOMING RELEASES
GAME BOY ADVANCE
- June 28 — "Spider-Man 2," "Mega Man Battle Network 4: Blue Moon," "Mega Man Battle Network 4: Red Sun"
- June 29 — "CT Special Forces 2," "Yu-Gi-Oh! Reshef of Destruction"
XBOX
- June 28 —"Spider-Man 2"
- June 29 — "ShellShock: Nam '67"
- June 30 — "Dinosaur Hunting"
GAMECUBE
- June 28 — "Spider-Man 2"
PLAYSTATION 2
- June 28 — "Spider-Man 2"
- June 29 — "Galactic Wrestling: Featuring Ultimate Muscle," "ShellShock: Nam '67," "Way of the Samurai 2"
The list of upcoming releases was provided by Toys n' Joys, with locations in Kaimuki (735-4546) and in the Westridge Shopping Center (487-8697). See www.toysnjoys.com for more information.
