Mario vs. Donkey Kong review: A charming, fun, and delightful old-school platformer

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is, hands down, the best platformer game I've played this year so far. While it might not reach the same heights as some of my other favorite 2D Mario games, like Super Mario Wonder and Mario Maker 2, it still is an excellent addition to the ever-growing roster of Mario-themed platformers. And honestly, more Mario never hurts.

Coming from someone who sank more than a couple hundred hours of his life into Mario Maker 2 and adored the 2D Mario games in general, Mario vs. Donkey Kong surprised me in ways I never really expected. Although, on paper, it's a remaster of a Game Boy title, it's much more than just that.

As someone who missed out on the game's original GBA version, I'm glad Nintendo took their time to remaster this classic. Not only did they touch up the visuals to make it look appealing on the Nintendo Switch, but they also made some fantastic new additions, bringing it closer to some of the best Nintendo flagships.

If there's one aspect that Nintendo games almost always get right, it's the presentation. I admit that the Pokemon games, especially the most recent ones, did fumble in that department. However, when it comes to other Nintendo flagships, i.e., Mario, Zelda, Splatoon, and even Kirby, the presentation and art style are always the highlights.

Unsurprisingly, that aspect also holds true for Mario vs. Donkey Kong. For the most part, the game is a 1:1 remake of the Game Boy Advance version, but the art style is altered slightly, bringing the game much closer to the modern Nintendo Wii/ Switch games.

Often, some of my friends mistake the game for Super Mario Wonder, which I won't fault them for since both look quite alike, minus the "Mario turning into an elephant" part, obviously. I should