Mario vs. Donkey Kong

The famous rivalry between the plumber and the giant gorilla, which began all the way back in 1981 in the arcades, received a modern and unexpectedly clever form on the Game Boy Advance. Mario vs. Donkey Kong casts you as Mario, who chases Donkey Kong after the thief robs the Mini-Mario toy factory. The result is a fresh mix of puzzle game and platformer that plays with the legacy of an arcade classic.

The gameplay is built on a two-phase level structure. In the first part you collect a key and use it to open the door to an elevator, while having to figure out how to get past moving platforms, switches, conveyor belts and colored toggles. In the second part you then lead the miniature Mini-Mario toy figures safely to the finish. Mario also commands a surprisingly rich repertoire of movement, including flips, handstands and throwing his own body, which makes the game both a brain-teaser and a test of dexterity at once.

The game was developed by Nintendo and came out in 2004. It conceptually follows the older Game Boy title Donkey Kong from 1994, which even back then transformed a simple arcade template into an extensive puzzle adventure. Mario vs. Donkey Kong carried this idea further with the GBA's fully colored graphics, fluid animation and thoughtful design of progressively harder levels.

The cultural significance of the title lies in the fact that it kick-started an entire standalone sub-series. It was followed by a number of sequels, primarily on the Nintendo DS, where the focus shifted to controlling a swarm of Mini-Mario figures with the touch pen, and in 2024 Nintendo returned to the original game with a well-made remake for the Switch. This proves how strong and viable an idea the original GBA version brought.

Thanks to its combination of accessibility and gradually increasing difficulty, the game ranks among the best-rated puzzle titles of its time on a handheld console. It offers dozens of levels, bonus phases and so-called expert worlds for players who want to push their skill to perfection.

Why play: It's an intelligent blend of platformer and brain-teaser that honors the arcade roots of the series while offering pleasantly challenging fun for dozens of hours.