Gaming News Nintendo brings over 40 years of history to light with this Mario game for Nintendo Switch. Is modernization worth it? Our video test
Just three months after a tiring but wonderful journey to the Kingdom of Flowers, Mario is back on Nintendo Switch. This time he is chasing the thief Donkey Kong. An activity he knows well: Mario vs. Donkey Kong, out February 16, is a remake of the 2004 Game Boy Advance game. 20 years later, isn’t it too late? We asked ourselves this question for the game test, and you can find the answer in our video test.
Le Donkey Kong from 1981
In 1981, Nintendo triggered the first earthquake in the world of video games. The Japanese company seduces players with the arcade game Donkey Kong. The principle ? Play as a man with a hat and a mustache who must save the beautiful Pauline: she has been kidnapped by the primate that gave the game its name. To get his loved one back, Jumpman He then has to jump and climb ladders to avoid the barrels thrown by the monkey. Jumps to heights will contribute to his worldwide fame and make him one of the most famous video game characters in history.
Mario then increases his physical activities. A versatility desired since its design by its creator Shigeru Miyamoto. He repeatedly explains that he doesn’t know what to call the star of his game and initially chooses Mr. Video Games.
But why is Mario actually called Mario?
The story goes that this is the name of the owner of the premises where Nintendo stored the arcade machines for their previous game. The latter was not successful, but the landlord ignored the American subsidiary’s late payments. Therefore, to honor his kindness, Mario was called “Mario”.
Le Donkey Kong from 1994
Therefore, he was predestined for many hobbies, not necessarily sporting ones. Mario VS Donkey Kong was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2004 and gave a high priority to reflection while also updating the rivalry between Mario and DK. Somewhat suspected, as Nintendo wanted to release a Donkey Kong Plus, the sequel to the Game Boy game from 1994. The latter is actually the ancestor of Mario vs. Donkey Kong, as it uses the same mix of platforms and mindset. The game was shown in 2002 and then canceled for reasons unknown today. This prototype therefore reappeared a few years later under the name Mario vs. Donkey Kong and was a hit: seven games filled the series’ catalog, with a final episode in 2015. It then fell into obscurity before being released on February 16 The next year returned in the form of a remake released exclusively on Nintendo Switch, simply titled Mario vs Donkey Kong.
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: a remake that serves its purpose?
By bringing Mario vs. Donkey Kong back to the forefront, Nintendo is bringing more than 40 years of rivalry to light. If, in the end, the confrontations are not so numerous, we can ask ourselves the question: isn’t the formula a little outdated? Big N does it manage to modernize? We ask ourselves this question in the foreword to our video test shown above.
Like this article, we remember the similarities between the arcade game and the original part released on GBA in 2004. We’ll then describe how to play and how Nintendo is updating the series with modern features. Thirdly, we will of course talk about the most important innovations of this Switch remake in order to finally take stock. So are Jumpman and Donkey Kong getting old? No, quite the opposite, says the JV editorial team. In fact, it’s a great way to indirectly shine the spotlight on where it all began. It’s up to players to decide whether they want to insert a coin to restart the machine.
