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StarTopic Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2024) |ST| Mario Kong Country

Stopdoor

Stopdoor

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www.nintendo.com

Mario vs. Donkey Kong™ for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site for Canada

Buy Mario vs. Donkey Kong™ and shop other great Nintendo products online at the official My Nintendo Store Canada.
www.nintendo.com www.nintendo.com

doesn't look like anyone was lined up to make a thread for this and it always makes me feel organizationally weird to post impressions in a Review Quarantine Zone Thread, so here ya go
 
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Having recently played the GBA original, why would I buy this? Not trying to be rude, just genuinely asking
 
I got a 30 dollar copy ordered from QVC so I'll report back to the thread once it arrives. Look forward to impressions from others until then.
 
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$50 still feels pretty steep but I'm on world 5 and the game is honestly really good. I've only ever played the DS games and while I liked those this one is a lot more fun.
 
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weird specific question, but does anyone know if it's possible to turn on casual mode in 2-player?

I poked around in the demo and couldn't find a way to do that, and I was planning on playing through this with someone who's not much of a gamer but would probably still enjoy doing a co-op run if there wasn't a "you ran out of time" aspect to it
 
Pillydillsy said:
Having recently played the GBA original, why would I buy this? Not trying to be rude, just genuinely asking
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Honestly so far being through six worlds including the two new ones, there's probably no good reason. The two new worlds fit so well they feel like they were from the original game, but they also feel so natural that I wouldn't really call them a selling point, just a bit more filler.
 
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BlackthornOrion said:
weird specific question, but does anyone know if it's possible to turn on casual mode in 2-player?

I poked around in the demo and couldn't find a way to do that, and I was planning on playing through this with someone who's not much of a gamer but would probably still enjoy doing a co-op run if there wasn't a "you ran out of time" aspect to it
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Just tested it and it works.
 
Honestly while the music is high-quality, I'm kind of weirded out by the orchestral vibe for a game like this



like this is uh... I feel like I'm listening to another game's soundtrack lol. Not really a fan, energetic electronic sound seems more fitting for this type of game.
 
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Were the expert layouts in the GBA game? I have pretty fond memories of that version and will probably pick this up tomorrow regardless, but level remixes is fairly compelling imo.

Edit: Went and did some googling, they seem to be in the GBA game as well. Definitely never played them though.
 
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Stopdoor said:
Honestly while the music is high-quality, I'm kind of weirded out by the orchestral vibe for a game like this



like this is uh... I feel like I'm listening to another game's soundtrack lol. Not really a fan, energetic electronic sound seems more fitting for this type of game.
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its by a famous hollywood composer,it kind of sounds like his usual work
 
Stopdoor said:
strange... I wish more composers did something like the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon remake, where they kept some GBA samples and really jazzed it up
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Was that actually well received by PMD fans? I'm nowhere near as invested in the soundtracks as some people are, but I grew up with this one, and my reaction upon hearing it was "this is almost exactly the same as the original but worse; why did they even bother?" Same for the Diamond and Pearl remakes.

On the other hand, this actually sounds a lot better than the old soundtrack did, but that's partly because the original Mario vs Donkey Kong sounded about as ugly as it looked. I am strongly against Mario of all things being given to Hollywood composers.
 
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Yooo this game is clean as hell. Really loving the music and overall polish.

I never played the original but actually recently finished DK 94 a few days ago. It's amazing going from that to this lol. Glad I picked this one up!

(Doesn't hurt I got this for $0 as part of Best Buy's B2G1 when that was a thing)
 
Stilt Village said:
Was that actually well received by PMD fans? I'm nowhere near as invested in the soundtracks as some people are, but I grew up with this one, and my reaction upon hearing it was "this is almost exactly the same as the original but worse; why did they even bother?" Same for the Diamond and Pearl remakes.

On the other hand, this actually sounds a lot better than the old soundtrack did, but that's partly because the original Mario vs Donkey Kong sounded about as ugly as it looked. I am strongly against Mario of all things being given to Hollywood composers.
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I'm not really sure how other fans interpreted it, and while I agree some of the new versions were a bit off, some were very solid and I just really appreciate the respect for the original sound. Like this



to me is one of the best examples of fusing that old sound with some modern quality. I think it's way better than the assumption some people have that the ultimate end form of music is orchestra or whatever.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong obviously doesn't compare to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon's original compositional quality, but it had some vibes





Like these are absolutely appropriate for a puzzle-y game of short levels

Some of these remake songs just ditch the original hooks completely, and I don't think it's better.



It's nice to listen to but entirely ill-fitting. Way worse an approach than Pokemon Mystery Dungeon's remake, that's for sure.

I guess a counter argument comparison would be the new Super Mario RPG's soundtrack which is undeniably authentic to the original sound while still absolutely overhauling it, and I do like it much better than this, but I still have a controversial (?) opinion that the original crunchy sound wasn't an issue and didn't really require being replaced. But then I think I'm even of the opinion even the graphical overhaul and these remakes as an entire whole are unnecessary too, so, that's just me lol.
 
We actually don't need to do too much digging when it comes to the music of this remake - DigiPen's music department, lead by program director and original composer Lawrence Schwedler, worked on the music, and the institute wrote an entire article about the process.

In early 2022, Lawrence Schwedler, program director for DigiPen’s audio degree programs, received a call from Nintendo that’s had him going “Wahoo!” ever since. Nintendo Software Technology (NST) told Schwedler they were remaking their 2004 Game Boy Advance (GBA) classic, Mario Vs. Donkey Kong, for the Nintendo Switch. Not only that, they were wondering if Schwedler would be interested in adapting and reproducing the original game’s soundtrack, which he had created nearly two decades earlier, for the new updated version.

“I’m still pinching myself. I can’t quite believe it,” Schwedler says. “This was the opportunity of a lifetime.” When players roll credits on the game, they’ll not only find Schwedler’s name featured, but also those of 11 fellow faculty members — nearly the entirety of DigiPen’s Department of Music — enlisted through Schwedler’s sound production company to arrange, compose, engineer, and perform for the game’s updated, hi-fi soundtrack.

“We are all blown away by how good the music turned out,” Schwedler says of the 68 individual tracks the group delivered to NST, recorded in secret at DigiPen’s campus throughout 2023. The achievement is a full-circle moment for both Schwedler and DigiPen as an institution, whose histories in the industry are both deeply intertwined with Nintendo and the extended Mario Vs. Donkey Kong franchise.
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To speak to things in this thread, it does clear up one misconception I see here. David Kitay, the film composer cited by @MetalLord, only worked on rearranging the game's cutscene music:

For the game’s cinematic cutscenes, Schwedler tapped former DigiPen film scoring instructor David Kitay, composer of over fifty feature films like Look Who’s Talking, Clueless, and Scary Movie. Kitay flew in from New York to conduct his recording sessions, which featured mostly live instruments mixed with a few virtual tracks.
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Instead, the person who composed the new tracks and arranged the existing ones was Bruce Stark, who pulled not from work in film but from his work as a concert composer:

“I think there’s some depth to this soundtrack you don’t normally find in video game music because of the fact that Bruce, a concert composer, was arranging it,” Brown says

Indeed, the new soundtrack takes the jazzy undertones of Schwedler’s original lo-fi score and puts them front and center, giving the game a unique, classically informed sound. “I would start with Lawrence’s minimal, soundchippy originals, sit in my backyard, and listen to them over and over, trying to flesh them out into what sounded like a Latin jazz ensemble,” Stark says.
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The article also presents a fuller breakdown of the roles of the people involved from DigiPen.

The following DigiPen Department of Music faculty contributed to Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Lawrence Schwedler (Music Director), Bruce Stark (Composition, Arrangement), Tacket Brown (Audio Producer), Eric Likkel (Saxophone, Clarinet), Nayoung Ham (Flute), John Kim (Violin), Carey Rayburn (Trumpet), Brian Shaw (Trumpet), Stephen O’Bent (Trombone), Pat Nelson (Bassoon, Contrabassoon), Brian Schmidt (Electric Bass), and Greg Dixon (Cinematic Sound Design, Mixing, and Mastering).
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The article is worth a read, as it explains their decision making both with the original score and on how it was adapted for the remake!
 
VolcanicDynamo said:
We actually don't need to do too much digging when it comes to the music of this remake - DigiPen's music department, lead by program director and original composer Lawrence Schwedler, worked on the music, and the institute wrote an entire article about the process.



To speak to things in this thread, it does clear up one misconception I see here. David Kitay, the film composer cited by @MetalLord, only worked on rearranging the game's cutscene music:



Instead, the person who composed the new tracks and arranged the existing ones was Bruce Stark, who pulled not from work in film but from his work as a concert composer:



The article also presents a fuller breakdown of the roles of the people involved from DigiPen.


The article is worth a read, as it explains their decision making both with the original score and on how it was adapted for the remake!
Click to expand...

This is really cool to see this level of insight into the process, and it's awesome the original composer was involved. It makes me feel more bad for being so critical and down on it lol, but it's hard not to eyeroll just a little bit at "I think there’s some depth to this soundtrack you don’t normally find in video game music" 🙃 Like I agree they've delivered some high quality sound, but it's just... not fitting for the size of levels and feel of the game, and in some cases like Twilight City there that appear like they discarded the original hooks entirely, so it's weird to me.
 
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VolcanicDynamo said:
We actually don't need to do too much digging when it comes to the music of this remake - DigiPen's music department, lead by program director and original composer Lawrence Schwedler, worked on the music, and the institute wrote an entire article about the process.



To speak to things in this thread, it does clear up one misconception I see here. David Kitay, the film composer cited by @MetalLord, only worked on rearranging the game's cutscene music:



Instead, the person who composed the new tracks and arranged the existing ones was Bruce Stark, who pulled not from work in film but from his work as a concert composer:



The article also presents a fuller breakdown of the roles of the people involved from DigiPen.


The article is worth a read, as it explains their decision making both with the original score and on how it was adapted for the remake!
Click to expand...
This is a great post. Thanks for research and summary.

As for the game, it’s a warm blanket imo.
 
Perfect game to play a few levels in bed at night. Very polished and fun.

The only weird thing is I would have put the Mini Mario levels between levels 3 and 4 of each world, to break things up a bit. Feels very un-Nintendo do it like they have.
 
VolcanicDynamo said:
We actually don't need to do too much digging when it comes to the music of this remake - DigiPen's music department, lead by program director and original composer Lawrence Schwedler, worked on the music, and the institute wrote an entire article about the process.



To speak to things in this thread, it does clear up one misconception I see here. David Kitay, the film composer cited by @MetalLord, only worked on rearranging the game's cutscene music:



Instead, the person who composed the new tracks and arranged the existing ones was Bruce Stark, who pulled not from work in film but from his work as a concert composer:



The article also presents a fuller breakdown of the roles of the people involved from DigiPen.


The article is worth a read, as it explains their decision making both with the original score and on how it was adapted for the remake!
Click to expand...
okay after the demo I was only considering buying the game for its soundtrack

I will now be stopping by Walmart before work
 
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Just finished the normal, Plus Worlds and the Expert levels 100%, didn’t do any time trials. It was a relatively good time, despite wonky hitboxes that frustrated me. The price should definitely be lower however, like 50$ CAD.
 
Game's a fun, chill time, so far. How low-key it all is is charming in a way.
VolcanicDynamo said:
We actually don't need to do too much digging when it comes to the music of this remake - DigiPen's music department, lead by program director and original composer Lawrence Schwedler, worked on the music, and the institute wrote an entire article about the process.



To speak to things in this thread, it does clear up one misconception I see here. David Kitay, the film composer cited by @MetalLord, only worked on rearranging the game's cutscene music:



Instead, the person who composed the new tracks and arranged the existing ones was Bruce Stark, who pulled not from work in film but from his work as a concert composer:



The article also presents a fuller breakdown of the roles of the people involved from DigiPen.


The article is worth a read, as it explains their decision making both with the original score and on how it was adapted for the remake!
Click to expand...
I adore this. They should be proud, they've done a great job.
 
browneyes84 said:
Perfect game to play a few levels in bed at night. Very polished and fun.

The only weird thing is I would have put the Mini Mario levels between levels 3 and 4 of each world, to break things up a bit. Feels very un-Nintendo do it like they have.
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The intent is you're leading all the Mini Mario toys back to their toy box. Would be weird to do that before finding them all in a given world.

I don't think it's quite the same as some of the level gimmicks seen in Mini Land Mayhem or Tipping Stars, which were often placed mid-way through each world.
 
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Put me on the side of really loving this soundtrack. Just beat the base game, had a pretty good time! Just a super solid 7/10 I'd say.
 
WonderLuigi said:
Just beat it. It's okay, I guess. 🤔
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Game really just feels kind of deflating when you 100% the last no-so-difficult expert level and nothing happens, lol. Not any different than the original, but you know even a nice picture of something would be nice. The Time Attack mode is kind of eye-rolly because it really should've just been tracking your time during your initial runs, it feels like a total excuse to make the game seem any bigger than it is by making you run through every single level again, for probably, nothing.
 
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Just 100%'d the game and very much enjoyed it! The presentation (music, visuals etc) is great and the levels and puzzles were pretty fun. Not worth $50 but it's for sure worth a pick up on sale.
 
Two worlds in, and I'm enjoying it! It also has become immediately clear to me how naturally a level creator with online sharing could have been implemented. I think I'll be good with getting a Perfect rating on every stage in the main campaign before moving on. I don't mind a short experience.

Also, maybe it's because of the size of the models and how far from the screen I am, but everything/everyone looks really clean and good. I suppose having a pretty limited number of 3D assets on the screen at any moment allows for this.
 
Finished the first set of worlds. What a pleasant game and remake. Honestly think it’s up there with Metroid Prime for remakes with no compromises. Look forward to plucking away at the expert levels and extra worlds over the next few weeks.
 
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I'm on World 6, this is shaping up to be a strong 7 or weak 8 from me which is more than I was expecting. Really enjoying some of these later worlds!
 
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This is some of the most frustrating crap ever. Between the tight timers, the awkward hit boxes, almost everything being instakill, there's so many things that can kill you from the slightest mistake and then it's back to starting the level over again.

Level Ex-7 is making it likely the cart is going to have an unfortunate encounter with a hammer.
 
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I started chipping away at Mario Vs Donkey Kong the past few days and I didn’t expect to get so hooked today where I finished it and started exploring the post game levels. I really liked the original MVDK 20 some years ago and always meant to replay it, but never got around to it. I’m glad it worked out then this was the version I got to replay because while there were some levels that made a deep impression on me I had forgotten until now (the second to last normal level and the third challenge level being notable ones that I played today), a good number may as well have been brand new. While I was initially disappointed to learn the two new worlds were in the middle of the game (and thus not too difficult), after playing both of them I think they made the right choice as they each play with fun new mechanics which feels better than just say more challenge levels (even though I love them). The new graphics and music sound good, but it’s the snappy controls that stand out even if they can be a bit punishing with Mario’s jumping momentum.

I was originally planning to focus on Like A Dragon 8 this weekend, but since I hit a good break point in the story anyway, I think I’m going to try to 100% this. Thus far, I’ve gotten gold stars as I’ve gone and I’m heading into the third post game world. I forgot the big gameplay twist for those, so I was excited to see it. With those levels even shorter I’m looking forward to blazing through them and then I’ll wrap up the challenge levels.
 
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Got 100% of the stars and I’m not interested in Time Attack so I’m done. Had an excellent time finally revisiting this game. Really pleased with all of the new levels and I loved the stiff challenge of the expert levels.
 
I'm early on world 3, started playing it earlier this evening. Really enjoying it so far, the music in this is excellent.
 
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Agree the music is great.

I finished it this week. People say it's a 5 hour game because that's what howlongtobeat says, but that's a little misleading. It took me 4 hours to roll credits but that's not even halfway through the game. It was a little over 10 hours to beat the 16 worlds + 16 expert levels, which seemed reasonable to me.

Also I checked the CPI inflation calculator and $50 now was $39.52 in March 2017. So everybody who says this game should be $40 can think of it that way.
 
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