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News Mario vs. Donkey Kong announced for Nintendo Switch, launches February 16th (UPDATE: new overview trailer + demo out now, see threadmarks)

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I'll still likely pick this up since the original was the only entry in the series I really liked, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't have much preferred a remake of DK 94. Maybe one day...
 
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EricTheGamerman said:
I think a big part of the conversation is just how much the Mario vs DK brand itself has been arguably devalued by Nintendo's relentless march of cookie cutter minis sequels. They were never bad, even fun the first time you played them, but they like NSMB practically defined a generation of regular Mario releases with extremely similar gameplay/music/concepts/etc. That's not entirely fair to the original, but I think in the same way Wonder needed to break clear and away from the NSMB of the past, a new Mario vs DK game should have more aggressively broken from its own lineage to help it regain some identity and interest in the community at large.

But this is a remake of a just good GBA game, so it can't really do that. And so it has a lot going against it. It's from a series that people don't assign a ton of value to, it's a remake of the less beloved of the two sort of classic entries in this franchise at that, it's a remake in the first place, it was a GBA game with not like a ton of content to begin with, and it's coming in during a period of Mario and Switch remake saturation.

You add that all together and $50 really is going to be sour for some people I think. Like I'm pretty accepting of price for better and for worse to play games I like, but I can't see how I'm supposed to ever prioritize this game over the numerous other releases coming in the next few months and $50 makes ignoring it all the easier. I think $50 might have been a hard sale on its own for a new Mario vs DK in the vein of the originals for me even, but for this? It feels like a game I'll patiently wait until I can find like a deep discount down to $25 on at best. And that's not to say it won't be quality, but it just did not sell me to begin with and $50 is the nail in the coffin for me.
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good post. personally I really don't care about game prices since they're all relative and are variable over time. what's more disappointing is this being a remake instead of something new

like I still have access through the original through my original cartridge, virtual console, and various emulation devices. why should I care about this remake? it's quite literally the same game with a different (not objectively better) coat of paint. unless you're a mega fan and the bonus content is enough to swing you over, a 1-1 remake ain't doing much.
 
I'm very flexible towards game pricing as I think value is very subjective. I had no problem paying 60 dollars for Advance Wars Reboot Camp and thought that was a great value even.

What bothers me about this release is just that the original game they chose to remake isn't even particularly good or well regarded, it's kind of a meh game. So it's weird that they thought it was a better option to remake it instead of remaking the highly regarded DK94 or making a new game in the franchise, and choosing to charge 50 dollars for it on top of that.

After many years of Switch ports and remakes and discussions about their value, this is the first time I feel like Nintendo is trying to sell this purely out of franchise popularity (to take advantage of the Mario movie) instead of actually being confident the product is worth what they're charging.
 
Leo said:
What bothers me about this release is just that the original game they chose to remake isn't even particularly good or well regarded, it's kind of a meh game. So it's weird that they thought it was a better option to remake it instead of remaking the highly regarded DK94 or making a new game in the franchise, and choosing to charge 50 dollars for it on top of that.
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The sequels are considered meh but the first game (what this is a remake of) is considered great.
 
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It's likely the closest we're gonna get to a remake of Donkey Kong '94.
 
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The fact NST has been been kept to very small, very same-y projects for the better part of two decades must be infuriating for some employees down here I'm sure. Retro Studios has been in dev hell for like a bunch of years and they still got relatively high-profile projects out the door when they restarted delivering.
 
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Ripfeld89 said:
10 bucks off the standard full game price, same bracket as Bayonetta 2, Pikmin 1+2, WarioWare, meanwhile the last BoxBoy game is $10, and Square sells whole remastered classic JRPGs and tactics games for 20-40.
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SE also charged $50 for the Live A Live and Trials of Mana remakes.
 
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I really hope this art style gets cleaned up some before launch, something about it lands uncanny for me, and the stock render life counter just seals the deal.

If we didn't have Wonder to compare to this wouldn't feel so stark, and I know this is hamstrung by being a GBA remake, but lord am I glad Wonder took the direction it did and not "3D World in 2D".
 
Ultimately what'll justify the cost of this remake is what, if anything, they add besides 2 players. The original game was going to have a level editor but was cut during development (still accessible via hacking), finishing that feature and allowing online level sharing would be a big boost to this games longevity.
 
Brock Reiher said:
If you're like me you never played the GBA one because it's so ugly, so this is a great update.

Much more warrented than say, Links Awakening Switch imo.
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I get that GB Links Awakening is already gorgeous but god damn the remake looked wonderful and perfect, it's my dream remake and I already got it
 
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totofogo said:
I really hope this art style gets cleaned up some before launch, something about it lands uncanny for me, and the stock render life counter just seals the deal.

If we didn't have Wonder to compare to this wouldn't feel so stark, and I know this is hamstrung by being a GBA remake, but lord am I glad Wonder took the direction it did and not "3D World in 2D".
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I think it looks gorgeous, but I agree with the life counter. It generally bothers me how out of place it looks.
 
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totofogo said:
I really hope this art style gets cleaned up some before launch, something about it lands uncanny for me, and the stock render life counter just seals the deal.

If we didn't have Wonder to compare to this wouldn't feel so stark, and I know this is hamstrung by being a GBA remake, but lord am I glad Wonder took the direction it did and not "3D World in 2D".
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true to the original
 
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Hocot8 said:
so what lol?
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So it's not a remake of a twenty-year-old GBA game being sold for exorbitantly more than the original. Just another instance of the overlong $60 cap on AAA games making everything else seem like it's creeping up to AAA prices.
 
Very nostalgic for this game but not surprised to see the discussion focused on the price. I think the GBA game looks a little rough nowadays with those GBA pre-rendered visuals, in contrast I think the remake looks very nice.

Compared to Advance Wars, the other recent GBA remake, I think those original games still look really good while the remake was ultimately a little messy visually. But you got two of the best games ever.
 
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People are saying they wish we could have gotten a DK94 remake instead, but I'm honestly really happy that - if it had to be a remake and not just a brand-new game - it's this game getting remade.

I would much rather see rougher/less polished games get the remake treatment instead of games that still hold up, as there's more room for improvement there and an opportunity to let the good elements of those rougher games finally get a chance to shine without those rough edges holding them back. To me, the original Mario vs DK has aged far worse than DK94 due to the presentation, so this fits perfectly into that category of game in my mind. DK94 looks fantastic and has a simple charm that still holds up.

This kind of reminds me of the Link's Awakening remake in a way - as gorgeous as that remake was, the original still holds up extremely well (especially the DX version), so in a lot of ways that remake didn't feel necessary (though the QoL improvements and the additional heart-pieces to find were a nice inclusion). That said, there's no 'rough' 2D Zelda on any of the Gameboy systems in more need of a remake, so it worked out fine enough there, no lost opportunities. Between these two DK games, however, I would definitely feel that way if the roles were reversed.

I really hope this remake does well enough to launch a new line of sequels in this style, with a bit more experimentation and ambition.
 
amiigo said:
How is this game? My understanding is that it's the best out of all the Mario VD DK games, right? Is it better than DK 94?
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No, but it's decent in its own right. If you liked DK 94 it's worth playing, I think.
 
Could this game partly be intended to make Super Mario Bros Wonder look even better by comparison? Even if it wasn't intentional it certainly has that effect.
 
I really hope we get a new Mario vs DK in the style of the first two. Those games were peak, and while this remake is nice, it isn‘t like Mario RPG/ Paper Mario where fans were begging for anything from those franchises
 
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Absolutely stoked the remake is adding new levels. I was buying it regardless, so only makes me more excited for this lol
 
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Yoooo, they’re adding new levels? That’s awesome, I assumed this would be 1-1

Feeling better about TTYD having new stuff now
 
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I do wanna get this remake sometime this year cause DK94 is my jam! And I never played this back in the day and had no clue it was a spiritual successor to DK94.

Will probably play it on Switch 2.
 
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Ever since the announcement, this has been a game I’ve been very comfortable saying “I’ll pick it up if I see it for $40” about… But I’m not gonna lie, with just a taste of that jazzy redone soundtrack I am already shifting to “well maybe if I’m finished with Another Code by then”.
 
Leo said:
I'm very flexible towards game pricing as I think value is very subjective. I had no problem paying 60 dollars for Advance Wars Reboot Camp and thought that was a great value even.

What bothers me about this release is just that the original game they chose to remake isn't even particularly good or well regarded, it's kind of a meh game. So it's weird that they thought it was a better option to remake it instead of remaking the highly regarded DK94 or making a new game in the franchise, and choosing to charge 50 dollars for it on top of that.

After many years of Switch ports and remakes and discussions about their value, this is the first time I feel like Nintendo is trying to sell this purely out of franchise popularity (to take advantage of the Mario movie) instead of actually being confident the product is worth what they're charging.
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Nintendo always relies on the popularity of Mario, only the 2 Ubisoft Mario & Rabbids games ever get proper discounts. There have been several expensive Mario spin offs not worth the price.
 
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Yeah it looks alright but nothing particularly inspiring or original, kind of like the original obviously. Like a good one to borrow from the library and rip through in a weekend but kind of a waste of $65 (Canada)
 
I do wonder how well it'll review. The 2004 GBA original got an 81, and remakes/remasters tend to score lower than the originals
 
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The movement in this game is good fun and the puzzles/platforming can be pretty challenging, but man this game is short if you don't want to 100%. You can beat it in a weekend if you play a few hour sessions. Sometimes the movement might be too good as you can really rip through levels.
 
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The official website is out. Interesting things of note:
  • The new worlds are called Merry Mini-Land and Slippery Summit, for a total of 8 worlds
  • The two new worlds have Plus levels as well
  • All 12 Expert Levels are back plus four new ones
  • Thus the game has 138 levels in all, as no e-Reader levels are included

  • Casual Style removes the timer, gives Mario more hits, and adds checkpoints
  • Unlockable Time Attack after beating the game
  • Co-op mode introduces level design changes (two keys per level, for example)
Looking good, can't wait!

EDIT: According to a Japanese news post, the bonus game has been revamped as well. No more swapping boxes!
 
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Still surprised this game is getting a re-make, but I'm looking forward to it. I remember loving the original on GBA, tho I overall think I prefer the setting and gameplay of DK94. Would love to see this lead to a new Mario Vs Dk game in the traditional style.

Still boggles the mind that after this one they turned the series of puzzle games almost indistinguishable from one another.
 
buildz said:
The official website is out. Interesting things of note:
  • The new worlds are called Merry Mini-Land and Slippery Summit, for a total of 8 worlds
  • The two new worlds have Plus levels as well
  • All 12 Expert Levels are back plus four new ones
  • Thus the game has 138 levels in all, as no e-Reader levels are included

  • Casual Style removes the timer, gives Mario more hits, and adds checkpoints
  • Unlockable Time Attack after beating the game
  • Co-op mode introduces level design changes (two keys per level, for example)
Looking good, can't wait!

EDIT: According to a Japanese news post, the bonus game has been revamped as well. No more swapping boxes!
Click to expand...
Kinda wish there was an in-between difficulty that only removes the timer. I don't think I'd want/need more hits and checkpoints, but I'd like to be able to just take my time solving puzzles
 
buildz said:
The official website is out. Interesting things of note:
  • The new worlds are called Merry Mini-Land and Slippery Summit, for a total of 8 worlds
  • The two new worlds have Plus levels as well
  • All 12 Expert Levels are back plus four new ones
  • Thus the game has 138 levels in all, as no e-Reader levels are included

  • Casual Style removes the timer, gives Mario more hits, and adds checkpoints
  • Unlockable Time Attack after beating the game
  • Co-op mode introduces level design changes (two keys per level, for example)
Looking good, can't wait!

EDIT: According to a Japanese news post, the bonus game has been revamped as well. No more swapping boxes!
Click to expand...
I’ve never played the original so I’m not super familiar with it; would there be any particular reason why they’re excluding the e-Reader levels? Seems like an odd omission.
 
New worlds is good news and definitely ups the value proposition. I was certainly hoping they would do some sort of extra content as is usually the case with Nintendo re-releases.

buildz said:
as no e-Reader levels are included
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Booooooooo! But maybe they'll include them in the inevitable NSO release of the original like was done with Mario Advance 4?

Tye said:
I’ve never played the original so I’m not super familiar with it; would there be any particular reason why they’re excluding the e-Reader levels? Seems like an odd omission.
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They were originally content that was distributed only via a Japanese magazine contest. The game marketing had no mention of e-Reader support. Not sure why they're not included since apparently they were already in the game and the e-Reader cards are just an unlock toggle for them.
 
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BlackthornOrion said:
Kinda wish there was an in-between difficulty that only removes the timer. I don't think I'd want/need more hits and checkpoints, but I'd like to be able to just take my time solving puzzles
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IIRC the game is already quite easy.

138 is a strange number, and the e-Reader levels are 12. Maybe they are just not advertised, and we'll end up with 150 levels.

EDIT: Not really, they were 14
www.mariowiki.com

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a game for the Game Boy Advance. It brings back Mario and Donkey Kong's rivalry from the Super Mario franchise's first game, Donkey Kong. The game is more or less a spiritual successor to Donkey Kong for the Game Boy, as it...
www.mariowiki.com www.mariowiki.com
 
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