{"id":24239,"date":"2024-02-09T00:01:57","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T00:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/?p=24239"},"modified":"2024-01-23T13:59:18","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T13:59:18","slug":"the-many-games-of-mini-mario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/2024\/02\/09\/the-many-games-of-mini-mario\/","title":{"rendered":"The Many Games of Mini Mario"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This month, Nintendo is releasing Mario vs. Donkey Kong.\u00a0 It\u2019s a re-release\/remake of a game on the Game Boy Advance that came out about 20 years ago!\u00a0 It\u2019s also the first appearance of the Mini Mario characters, an army of little wind up Mario toys.\u00a0 These little guys would go on to star in their own series of spin-offs.\u00a0 But those games kind of all run together because many of them look and play similarly. \u00a0So I thought in honor of the new game\u2019s release, I\u2019d go over each one and see what makes them special, if only for a little bit.\u00a0 This Mario vs. Donkey Kong series also has quite a few games in its belt, more than what you might think.\u00a0 And the history of these games stretched back farther than what you might expect, too!\u00a0 So let\u2019s check \u2018em out!<\/p>\n

Donkey Kong (Arcade)<\/strong><\/p>\n

OK so I had to start out with the original arcade game, since all of these other titles are built upon it in some way.\u00a0 Without this game, you wouldn\u2019t have the others.\u00a0 Of course, you could pretty much say that about any Nintendo series not being around without the success of this history-making classic.\u00a0 I won\u2019t go into this game too much, we already know how important it is, but just keep in mind that the gameplay style of this one is important for the others.<\/p>\n

Donkey Kong (Game Boy)<\/strong><\/p>\n

All right, so no Mini Marios yet, but we have to talk about this one, too.\u00a0 Many folks called it \u201cDonkey Kong 94\u201d or Donkey Kong GB,\u201d but the title still just says \u201cDonkey Kong\u201d on the box and title screen.\u00a0 This game is probably one of the best arcade updates, even to this day.\u00a0 And I\u2019d say it\u2019s probably the second best Game Boy game ever.\u00a0 The only one that\u2019s above it is Link\u2019s Awakening, my favorite Zelda game.\u00a0 So what makes this game so special?\u00a0 Well I\u2019ll go over that right now.<\/p>\n

First of all, when you start out, you play the first four levels of the original arcade game.\u00a0 Some may even think that\u2019s all there is.\u00a0 The levels are redesigned to fit the small screen, but they still work.\u00a0 But after you beat the last of the four levels, it starts up again with 100 new levels.\u00a0 Many of these are more puzzle oriented, where you have to figure out get to get a key to a door.\u00a0 But it still plays like Donkey Kong.\u00a0 Every four levels you even get to do a more action oriented stage where you just try to get to the top where DK is.\u00a0 Just to mix things up and keep it from getting too tedious.<\/p>\n

The other neat thing about this game is the controls.\u00a0 It still feels like Donkey Kong where you walk a bit slower and don\u2019t jump as high.\u00a0 But they\u2019ve added a lot of new moves to keep Mario nimble.\u00a0 You might think that Mario 64 was the first game to feature that iconic triple jump and backflip, but no, it was here first!\u00a0 You can also do a headstand to kick away objects from above, and more!\u00a0 This is also the first appearance of DK with his necktie, not Donkey Kong Country.\u00a0 And they\u2019ve added stuff from other DK games, too.\u00a0 Like the vines you can climb from DK Jr.\u00a0 Jr. even shows up in some levels to help his papa out, and one of the last levels is a recreation of the final level from Jr. except that instead of uncaging Donkey Kong, you\u2019re caging up Jr. so he doesn\u2019t cause more trouble for Mario!\u00a0 They also have arcade style intermissions that explain level features and gameplay quirks.<\/p>\n

So yeah, this is just an amazing game that you really should play if you haven\u2019t already.\u00a0 Try to see if you can play it on the Super Game Boy SNES attachment, as it adds some neat new things to that.<\/p>\n

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (GBA)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now this is the first game to have Mini Marios.\u00a0 It\u2019s also the one that\u2019s going to be remade on the Switch.\u00a0 The Switch version has improved graphics, two player co-op, new levels, and other things.\u00a0 It\u2019s seen as kind of the spiritual sequel to the Game Boy Donkey Kong, as they both play similarly.<\/p>\n

So the story goes that there\u2019s a new Mini Mario wind up toy that is advertised on TV, and DK wants one.\u00a0 But they\u2019re sold out, so he gets mad and steals all the ones from the factory, and now Mario must chase him down to get them back.\u00a0 Most of the levels play like the ones from the GB DK game, where you have to get a key to an exit.\u00a0 But in a few levels, you must control Mario to manipulate switches to guide the Mini Marios to an exit as well.\u00a0 You can then use the ones you\u2019ve saved to toss at DK in a boss battle.\u00a0 The more you have, the easier the battle is.<\/p>\n

This game is really good and I can understand why someone might like it more than the GB DK game, but for me, I still like the other one more.\u00a0 I can\u2019t put my finger on all the reasons why, but one is that in this one, Mario has less momentum and starts out running at full speed, which kind of messed me up sometimes since I played the GB version to death.\u00a0 I\u2019m still on the fence if I\u2019m going to get the remake right away.\u00a0 It costs less than most Switch games, but not that much less, so it\u2019s still a bit high to pay for a 20 year old remake.\u00a0 So I may wait and get it for my birthday or Christmas.\u00a0 But I could always change my mind and get it earlier if I feel like it.<\/p>\n

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

All right, this is where the series goes into full blown spin-off territory.\u00a0 It\u2019s also the first appearance of modern day Pauline!\u00a0 In this one, the Mini Mario toys have gotten so popular that they have their own indoor theme park now, and have included other characters like Mini Peach, Mini Toad, and Mini DK.\u00a0 At the ribbon cutting ceremony, Pauline picks a Mini Mario over a Mini DK, which makes DK jealous.\u00a0 So he kidnaps Pauline and takes her up to the top floor of the tower.\u00a0 But instead of saving her himself, Mario gets the Minis to do it.\u00a0 No wonder why Pauline\u2019s not his girlfriend anymore!<\/p>\n

So when the DS first came out, many of the games had to use touch screen controls, and this one is no exception.\u00a0 You don\u2019t directly control the Minis, but you can swipe them left or right to make them move, tap on them to stop, swipe up to climb ladders, etc.\u00a0 You may think you can just make them all stop except for one to make things easier, but there is a time limit and you get bonuses for getting them all to the door at around the same time, so it pays to multitask.<\/p>\n

This is where a lot of people stopped liking this series as much, since it\u2019s such a departure and all of them from here on out kind of look the same.\u00a0 But I still liked them.\u00a0 I\u2019m a big fan of Lemmings and that style of gameplay, so I still enjoyed these.\u00a0 I would say this is the first Lemmings style Mario game, but it\u2019s actually not.\u00a0 See side note below.<\/p>\n

Side note: Mario & Wario (SNES)<\/strong><\/p>\n

All right, so this one is actually the first Lemmings style Mario game, but it has nothing to do with this series.\u00a0 I just wanted to talk about it because I\u2019ve always wished it would come out over here.\u00a0 It only came out in Europe and Japan.\u00a0 In the game, Wario has put buckets over Mario and friends\u2019 heads so they can\u2019t see where they\u2019re going, and you control a fairy named Wanda as she creates blocks and things so the gang can wander safely to Luigi, who removes the bucket.\u00a0 This game used the SNES Mouse, so that may be why it didn\u2019t come out over here.\u00a0 But I had the mouse since I got Mario Paint, so I really wished it came out over here since I really like Lemmings style games.\u00a0 It would be cool if Nintendo would re-release this one and tweak it so it doesn\u2019t use mouse controls.\u00a0 The other interesting thing about this game is that it was made by GameFreak, who would later go on to make a little series you might\u2019ve heard of called Pok\u00e9mon.<\/p>\n

Minis March Again! (DSiWare)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is actually the only game with Mini Marios that I haven\u2019t played.\u00a0 It was just a download title on the DSi, and it was basically just a level expansion pack as it was just more of the same from the last game.\u00a0 I can\u2019t remember why I never got this one, since I still liked the series a lot.\u00a0 But maybe it was priced too high or maybe I had other games to play at the time, so I never went back to download it.\u00a0 But that\u2019s OK since it\u2019s just more of the same from a game I\u2019ve already played.<\/p>\n

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini Land Mayhem! (DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

So this one looks just like the others, but there is a major gameplay difference.\u00a0 You don\u2019t control the Mini Marios at all, they just march on their own.\u00a0 But now you use the touch screen to move around blocks and girders to create paths for the Minis.\u00a0 You have a limited amount you can use, so you have to have some strategy.\u00a0 This time, the Mini Land theme park is selling limited edition Mini Pauline toys.\u00a0 DK cuts in line to get one, Mario doesn\u2019t let him have one because they\u2019re sold out, and DK goes on a rampage and kidnaps Pauline again and runs off.\u00a0 So Mario hops a train with some Mini Marios and goes after him again.\u00a0 One thing I like about some of these games is they use some pretty obscure Mario tunes that you don\u2019t hear as much, like the main level theme from Mario 2.<\/p>\n

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

From here on out, the games are just download only.\u00a0 And Minis on the Move actually plays a little different, too.\u00a0 Not a lot different, but a little bit.\u00a0 Since this is on the 3DS, now you view the action from a side and top down isometric view, and you create paths for the Mini toys kind of like how you would in a Pipe Dream puzzle game.\u00a0 You may have noticed that the \u201cvs.\u201d is gone from the title.\u00a0 That\u2019s because there really isn\u2019t a story in this one.\u00a0 You just get the toys from point A to point B and that\u2019s it.\u00a0 Out of all the games on this list, this one is pretty forgettable for me.\u00a0 I know I downloaded it and played it, but I don\u2019t even remember if I beat it or not.\u00a0 You\u2019d think I\u2019d remember it more, since I also like Pipe Dream style puzzlers.<\/p>\n

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (Wii U)<\/strong><\/p>\n

This one looks and plays like the others, but the big draw here is you can design your own levels.\u00a0 You can then upload them and play others\u2019 levels as well.\u00a0 If you like them, you can give them stars, which is where the \u201cTipping Stars\u201d in the title comes from.\u00a0 I wonder if Nintendo was using this as a testing ground for Super Mario Maker.\u00a0 I bet it was!<\/p>\n

Mini Mario and Friends: Amiibo Challenge (Wii U, 3DS)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The final new game in the series was free to download.\u00a0 But in order to unlock all the levels, you had to scan different amiibos of Mario characters.\u00a0 When you did, you\u2019d get some new levels and could play as a mini toy version of that character.\u00a0 Each one usually had some kind of special skill or gimmick in the stages.\u00a0 A lot of people probably complained about how most of this game was locked, but I consider it as kind of a reward for people who diligently collected the amiibo figures, like me.\u00a0 I actually reviewed this game in full when it came out, so if you want more details on it, click on the link here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

And those are all the games!\u00a0 One last interesting thing that I THINK I read somewhere is that most of these games from the GBA one out were made by an American division of one of Nintendo\u2019s development teams, so that\u2019s neat.\u00a0 Anyway, in the comments section, let me know what you think of these games! Later!\u00a0 –Cary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This month, Nintendo is releasing Mario vs. Donkey Kong.\u00a0 It\u2019s a re-release\/remake of a game on the Game Boy Advance that came out about 20 years ago!\u00a0 It\u2019s also the first appearance of the Mini Mario characters, an army of little wind up Mario toys.\u00a0 These little guys would go on to star in their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":24231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24239"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24241,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24239\/revisions\/24241"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.gamerdad.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}