This review was originally published in June 2011. We update and re -post to indicate the arrival of the game in Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy Library.
In 1994, Nintendo had a great idea; Why not make the true sequel to the original game of Arcade Donkey Kong? The result is Donkey Kong for The Game Boy, also known as Donkey Kong '94who gave birth to the Mario Vs. Donkey Kong.
When you start the game for the first time, you may feel like you have run, as it starts with exactly the same four stages you can find in the original Arcade, including the stage of the cement factory removed in the NE game. As you start thinking that it was a loss of money and you beat the 'final' stage, it is a sudden turnaround: Donkey Kong has not yet been defeated, but grabs Pauline and runs away from the construction site.
Mario now has to chase DK through nine worlds, with a total of 97 new levels, before he can save Pauline for Real. In most phases, Donkey Kong will pass through the door that then locks, leaving Mario to search the stage and find the key before he can continue the chase.
There are no locked doors and key in each fourth stage; Instead, Mario must face the original nemesis. Most of the time it simply involves reaching him, avoiding everything he throws on you, like opening levels. In the last phase of each world, you will actually fight against Donkey Kong, picking up the barrels or other objects he throws and throws them immediately in the face.
Depending on the world you are in, regular stages have various puzzles that need to be resolved. The first world, Big City, has many lines of clothing and electricity cables; Mario can hang from these and slowly start to spin around them, allowing him to jump at high speed and reach many higher places. Other worlds are very different, with completely different enemies, platforms, background, music and puzzles. The locations include a ship, a jungle, a plane and an iceberg.
Speaking of jumps, Mario quite extended a series of moves from the original arcade game. In addition to the standard jump, he can also perform return rugs and a triple jump achieved by first making a handcipe, jumped back to his feet and then jumping extra high. (Both of these abilities will later return to the Super Mario 64, although the aspect of manual standing has been removed from the triple jump.)
Another positive change from the original is that the fall from the smallest heights no longer kills you; Instead, Mario will land on his feet if the drop is light. If it falls from a high place, however, it will slowly start to turn upside down in the air. If he lands on his head, he is gonous, but he will be stunned for a moment if he falls to his side.
Since Mario can pick up items like keys, you would tend to think he can pick up other things: you would be right. Until the enemy is covered with spikes, Mario can jump on them, similar to the Super Mario Bros 2, and pick them up, unless, of course, too heavy. He can then throw them in a place where they cannot represent any threat or pull them to take out more enemies. There are also interaction switches, which will expand or remove bridges as well as open and closed doors.
Another useful element of the game is a 'temporary platform'. At various levels you can find a small white square with an object in the picture; Choosing one of them allows you to set that object on any free level space. These temporary objects also include scales, spring and blocks. They stay on the screen for about eight seconds. However, if you manage to put the other before the previous subject disappears, they both will remain and reset the timer.
The original arcade game had several items to pick up: hammer, umbrella, hat and handbag. The hammers are still involved, but they have some new features; Instead of being forced to wait until they disappear, at any time you can throw hammers in the air with 'B' buttons. If you are fast, it means that you can actually throw it on a higher platform and catch it there to continue ramparts. In addition to the defeat of the enemy, the hammers also destroy certain blocks to create new passages.
An umbrella, a handbag and a hat can be found at any normal stage, although their only purpose is to provide access to a bonus game for extra life if you managed to pick up three. This is mostly a waste of time, however, because after each fourth phase, the total time you have left in each convert to additional lives, it usually suits you five or six. As a result, even without a bonus game, you are practically guaranteed that you will have a maximum of 99 lives halfway through the adventure.
The game is absolutely stunning when it comes to visual representations and sound. The graphics are incredibly detailed for the title of Game Boy. Mario, Donkey Kong (and JR., which appears later), Pauline, and various enemies have simple designs, but emit a certain charm that you cannot help and do not like.
And let music be incredibly good; The two last combat songs in the game last more than a minute before the loop, and they simply happen two of the best pieces in the game. Each of the nine worlds has its own topic, except for various regular stage and boss of battle tunes. In total, there are over 40 different songs, quite unheard of for the title of Game Boy.
Improvements based in SNES were originally possible through Super Game Boy, although they are not supported in VC and NSO editions. They included a terrible border around an arcade cabinet -like screen, color graphics, changing Pauline digitized Yelps to real screams “Help!”, And even an upgrade of music for a loan on SNES quality.
As for the value and longevity, if the 101 stages of the main game are not enough to satisfy you, then you can repeat any phase you have already won, though you can only start every fourth phase in every world, and there is a list of 'best times' with … ERM, your best final times for each stage.
