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My 6 yr old and 3 yr old enjoy this game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 14 / 15
Date: November 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game feels a bit like a Tetris or other puzzle games. To win you navigate the Mini Marios through increasingly complex mazes. The catch is the Mini Marios are simulated wind up toys who can only walk in straight lines and jump. You have to intentionally bounce them off walls and jump onto platforms to move them around. It turns out to be very fun navigating all the Marios through the board and trying to successfully get all the Marios safely home.

I have 2 young sons (6 & 3 yrs.) both enjoy this game. The six year old can do most of the levels. The 3 year gets the concept and can moves the Marios around but doesn't win nearly as much of course.

The level creator is also very cool. I am addicted to making my own levels and my 6 yr old has made some very simple levels.

The graphics in this game are good.

There are 8 levels with 10 sub-levels each. This plus the level creator should make the game last a while.

I also like that the boys have to assess the board and then make a plan on how to play through a level before they can be successful.

I give 4 stars simply because this game while great is not up to the level of New Super Mario Bros.

Getting better and better and better!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: November 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Some have kinda trashed this game because it isn't exactly like the first game. But I say; if you want to play the same game, play the old game. This game is fantastically fun. Also, because this game is played exclusively with the stylus anybody can play this game!

This is not a fast paced jump & squash type Mario game. This game is a remarkable blend of creativity, strategy and the Mario World. What is unique is that you are playing not as Mario, but as little Mario toys. And what is interesting is how you earn points by not only keeping all your Mario minis alive but also, by keeping them all moving around multiple enemies at the same time. The levels continue to get more interesting and new challenges are placed before your little Mario minis. Each floor contains new ways to move your minis around; i.e. Level 3 ads pipes and water, Level 4 your Mario's can magnetically walk up walls and ceilings. And, so the game play gets harder and more fun with every level. Also, new enemies are added each level so level 3's strategies don't work on level 4.

The replayability is huge as you try to get gold stars on each level. And trust me some levels are almost impossible to get a gold star in (sometimes I have played the same stage 7 or 8 times to get a score I feel good about). You can access any level that you have rescued at least 1 Mario mini in at any time (which is really cool), and there is also 2 mini games for each of the 8 levels. One mini game is kinda like whack-a-mole except with pipes and shyguy, and the other is always a Mario minis vs. DK. They are very enjoyable.

Something that I think is very fun, is the level building toolkit. You can use the tools from any levels that you have beaten to create your own levels. Wow, is it fun to create levels, and test them. They can then be sent to your friends DS-lite's and they can play them. The generator tools are simple, but to create a good map is challenging and could potentially be a positive "trial & error" learning experience for kids.

Overall, the game is fun, super addicting, challenging and a good value for the money. If strategy/puzzle gaming if your type of thing, this game is great, and because of the changes in the way the game is played it never get old.

Nintendo, we want more!!!! Keep unique games coming!

Graphics: A+

Sound: A

Control: A+

Fun & Enjoyment: A++

Overall: A+

Nintendo Icons Deliver One of the Best DS Games of 2006

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: December 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

While the DS is not short on innovative games, I've always felt that the vast majority of them always have had some flaw that prevents them from being games you want to come back to and play again. That is why I'm pleased to say that Mario vs. Donkey Kong: March of the Minis is both fun and innovative. This platformer/puzzle game hybrid sees Mario attempting rescue a woman in distress from the love-sick ape, Donkey Kong. Instead of going himself, Mario uses an army of wind-up toy replicas aka the mini marios.
The minis have to navigate through eight treacherous levels with ten sub-levels each before catching up with Donkey Kong on the roof. In each level, the player has to guide a handful of Mini Marios to a golden door. Each level is full of traps and puzzles that the stylus controlled Minis have to get through to arrive safely. As long as the player can get one Mini through the door the level is cleared, however, clearing the level with all Mini Marios is not enough to get high star rankings. To get a gold star, it is necessary to devise away to clear the level faster, collect more gold coins for points, and to get the Minis to walk through the door all together as a chain.
The one fly in March of Minis ointment is the boss battle that takes place at the end of each level. Here the player must successful lauch the Minis out of a cannon and into Kong while dodging obstacles. The cannon is controlled by an overly sensitive pulley system that makes it really hard to quickly line the cannon with Kong. You'll usually end up going to far to the left or right.
The final confrontation with Kong plays well, however, as it is a homage to the original Donkey Kong game.
In the end, Mario Vs Donkey Kong 2 is a great title to add to anyone's DS library. It nearly strikes a perfect balance between using the system's capabilities to the fullest, being fun to play, and offering something to come back too.

Very fun puzzler with Mario and Donkey Kong

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: February 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The rivalry between Nintendo icons Mario and Donkey Kong is older than most modern gamers. A sequel to the GBA hit, Mario VS Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis for the DS takes a different approach to the gameplay elements found in the original GBA game, but is still a very well done and quite addicting puzzler in it's own merits. This time around, you control a horde of Mario's "Minis"; miniaturized mini-Mario's that you control using the touch screen in an effort to save Pauline (yes, Pauline) from the clutches of Donkey Kong. Traveling throughout the game's 80 stages, Mario VS Donkey Kong 2 offers great fun throughout the game while throwing plenty of challenge in to boot. The game has a great look with fluid graphics and great sound effects, rounding out a pretty good package. If there's any negatives to Mario VS Donkey Kong 2, it's that the main story mode is kind of short, and while the game offers some challenge, there is a steep learning curve as you'll come across some easy stages, followed by some incredibly hard ones. That being said, while Mario VS Donkey Kong 2 isn't the best puzzler to be offered for Nintendo's dual screened system, it still offers up plenty of inventive fun that fans should most definitely check out.

This game is awesome!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: January 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Lately games on the DS have not been using the touch screen much, but this game brings the joy of the touchscreen. The levels barely get harder so it's great for beginners or if you just want to have fun.

Mediocrity, thy name is Mario...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: October 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This goes along with Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time as the two most disappointing Mario games for the DS. It's not terrible, by any means; in fact, it usually is passably fun. However, it's not nearly as fun as the original. I'm not going to fault the story; neither this or the original MvDK had a particulartly engrossing story, and, really, it didn't need one. I'm going to outline firstly the negatives and secondly the positives and allow you, the reader, to decide whether it is worth thirty bucks.

The Bad:

Someone should really remind Nintendo that the DS does have other input besides the stylus. It is an interesting and unique controller, yes, but frankly, I think it is ill-suited to games like this. Ideally, it should be used to select a Mini-Mario, and then it should be OPTIONAL to either control him with the stylus or with the Directional Pad. I find the Minis sometimes being unresponsive to my controls, which leads to them falling off a cliff and me restarting the level.

The Boss fights are just bland and incredibly repetative. Again, the stylus becomes a hindrance, as sometimes rotating the gear that moves your cannon from side to side will sometimes barely move your character, sometimes whip him across the screen, sometimes start to roll back the other direction once you let go, and if you aren't extremely careful, sometimes prematurely launch your Mini-Mario, leading to its demise.

The final Boss fight is just horrid. Rather that the 20-30 "lives" you have in the regular Boss fights, you have a whopping SIX! The same amount as DK has. This means you must be extra careful when scaling the Donkey Kong retro-stled level. My main issue with this fight is when more than one Mini-Mario is onscreen. Controlling multiple Minis in unison is never particularly enjoyable, as they bump into each other (reversing their directions) and often end up causing the death of their fellow toys. I found myself losing Minis extremely easily, which means I had to restart at least, oh, twenty or so times in order to beat the Boss. I don't mind a challenging Boss fight in a game, but frankly, I'm tired of games just using frustrating control schemes as a method of challenge.

**incorporated from my seperate post**
If you are a perfectionist, don't bother with this game; I managed to get a gold star on every single level of Mario Vs. Donkey Kong, but I did not get a single gold star in this game. I tried four or five times on several easy levels, and I can only guess that to get a gold star requires razor-edged timing and possible the help of The Force. If you are trying for all Gold Stars, you will very quickly either want to kill yourself or kill the developers. You'll feel those strangling instincts welling up.

The Good:

The level editor is a great addition. I enjoy being able to design my own levels in any puzzle game, and I really thought that this would have been great if it had been incorporated in the original MvDK. Frankly, the editor provides the only real incentive to keep playing the main game, as you have to beat a floor in order to unlock its tileset (which includes unique triggers and enemies).

Most of the levels do manage to keep a good balance between challenge and fun. Only a few times (prior to the final Boss, anyway) did I find myself so frustrated with a level that I just turned off the system and left it be for a few hours.

Visually, the game is quite nice to look at. It is colorful, cheerful, and presented in a cartoony manner.

Uh... It costs five bucks less than most DS games...

Overall, it feels like an inspired effort. If not for the unpleasantness of the controls, I would give it four stars.

A Successful March

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: September 29, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Mario vs. Donkey Kong was a fairly good game. There were a few things that kept it from being great, but the basic premise and formula worked for it. Now we have Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2, and it's quite a good game. Those who enjoy nostalgia will probably enjoy more than those who don't. In other words, if you really liked the original Donkey Kong, or the original Mario vs. Donkey Kong, you'll definitely like March of the mini's.

The game begins with Mario being at the new Super Mini Mario World theme park. He's alongside a princess. It's not Princess Peach, and it's not Primcess Daisy of Super Mario Land, either. Rather it's Pauline, the princess from the very first Donkey Kong game released in the arcade more than twenty years ago! DK has already got his sights on her. When she turns his affection away, he throws a fit, and then takes her to the very top of the theme park. It's up to those Mini-Mario's to go up and save her, and that's what you'll be doing.

Throughout the game you'll take control of the mini's in one level. In each level youi'll find mini Mario's scattered all over the place. All of them are deactivated from the get go. This is where the unique controls come in. You'll use the stylus a lot in this game. You'll have to tap a Mini-Mario to make it go, and then you'll have to use the stylus to make him change directions, jump and avoid traps all together. If you tap on a Mini-Mario while he's going, he'll stop. There are plenty of Mini-Mario's in one stage. The basic goal is to get them all to the end of a level. Most levels play out like this. In the last level of every world you'll have to face off with Donkey Kong as the boss.

The controls are actually really unique. It takes a moment to get used to, and you'll have to move the camera around in order to take control of the other Mini's and see what they're doing. It takes a little getting used to, but after a while it becomes second nature. The game is certainly no cakewalk this way, but it's fairly addictive.

A neat aspect of the game is that you are graded on how well you do in a level. Getting all the Mini's to the exit at the same time (as opposed to one by one), doing it fast and without losing lives all go into your overall ranking at the end of a level. You'll be scored with either a Bronze, Silver or Gold rating. The replay value from this game comes almost entirely from trying to obtain a Gold rating. It's fun because to get one actually forces you to replay through levels over and over and ultimately master the game itself.

Another really cool aspect of this game is the ability to design your own levels. It's not too difficult and you can even share them online using Nintendo wi-fi. You can also load up other levels and see if you can complete them just the same. It's really simple to use, and won't keep you busy for hours trying to figure out where all the small kinks go.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 looks really good. A little too cute for some gamers, but I wasn't expecting anything more than that. The games look suffices, and so do some of the tunes. Some full of nostalgia. Although, it does get a little annoying to hear the voices of the Mini's. You'll quickly get used to it, but sometimes it's just annoying.

The whole game in and of itself gets a little nostalgia going for it. While story mode itself is really short, it's got a ton of replay going for it simply to get that Gold rating. Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 is sure to keep the gamers who can't put a game down until they've done absolutely everything busy for a while.

The Good

+Nostalgia
+Great level designs
+Unique controls
+Good music
+Create levels and send 'em out

The Bad

-Sometimes the Mini Mario's voices are annoying
-Story mode is short

Great Fun, but very easy for single player (and no local wireless)

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The game has 8 floors with 9 main levels each, a mini-game and a boss level. Plus 3 major boss levels. I found all of the main levels very enjoyable, and the 2 major boss levels fun too. The mini-games are cute, but if you've got the Mario 64 port or Super DS Mario it's basically variations of the whack a mole game.
Given that, 72 levels seems a lot. It isn't. Most of them I got at least one Mario through first time and they take about a minute each. So call it three hours of gameplay, being generous. There is some lasting appeal in that you can go back and get a higher score on levels (this is needed to unlock the major boss levels). But even that much isn't hard to do.
Also, the total use of the stylus can get annoying ... a lot of the game controls would have been much nicer (and not changed the game mechanics) with button usage.

You can't play multiplayer with one game and multiple DS. In fact I don't think there is a vs. mode at all, although you can swap levels with friends (assuming you both have games and one of you makes a level worth swapping :).

In summary, it's worth a rental but don't buy unless you and some friends are planning on making a lot of levels.

Very fun game, a bit too short though.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Despite the fact that I only ever finished 2 levels with a gold star (silver for the rest) this was quite an easy game. I took it on holiday with the intention of it being decent fodder for downtime but I finished it all in 6 days.

Asides from that it's very cute and colorful (as with most Mario games) and has some great gameplay and tunes. It's a lot like the Lemmings games crossed with a little bit of snakes and ladders. The puzzles are clever and fun to solve and it's never boring. I did find the lack of response (only sometimes) from the stylus pen to be a bit annoying, but it wasn't that big of a deal.

Perfect for kids, a decent distraction for adults.

Graphics A
Sound A
Gameplay A
Lasting Appeal B-

March of the Minis

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: January 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game becomes increasingly harder as you play through. I wouldn't suggest it for younger players because it might become frustrating. For those who like strategy its great.

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