Game news Nintendo unearths more than 40 years of history with this Mario game on Nintendo Switch. A modernization worth it? Our video test
Barely three months after a grueling but wonderful journey to the Kingdom of Flowers, Mario is once again out and about on Nintendo Switch. This time he is chasing the thief Donkey Kong. An activity he knows well: Mario vs Donkey Kong, which arrives on February 16, is a remake of the Game Boy Advance game released in 2004. 20 years later, isn’t it too late ? This is the question we asked ourselves for the game test, the answer to which can be found in our video test.
Donkey Kong from 1981
In 1981, Nintendo caused its first earthquake in the world of video games. It is with the Donkey Kong arcade game that the Japanese company seduces players. The principle ? Play as a hatted and mustachioed man who must save the beautiful Pauline: she was kidnapped by the primate who gave his name to the game. To get his sweetheart back, Jumpman must then climb ladders while jumping to dodge the barrels thrown by the monkey. Jumps in height which will contribute to his fame throughout the world, making him one of the best-known video game characters in history.
Mario then increases his physical activities. A versatility desired since its design by its creator, Shigeru Miyamoto. He repeatedly explains that he doesn’t know what to call the star of his game and first opts for Mr. Video Games.
But actually, why is Mario called Mario?
History says that this is the name of the owner of the premises in which Nintendo stored the arcade terminals for their previous game. The success of the latter was not there but the lessor ignored the payment delays from American subsidiary. It is therefore to pay tribute to his kindness that Mario would be called Mario.
Donkey Kong from 1994
He was therefore predestined to have many hobbies, and not necessarily sports ones. Mario VS Donkey Kong was released in 2004 on Game Boy Advance and gave pride of place to reflection while bringing the Mario / DK rivalry up to date. Something assumed since Nintendo wanted to release a Donkey Kong Plus, the sequel to the 1994 Game Boy game. The latter is in reality the ancestor of Mario vs Donkey Kong since it uses the same mix of platforms and thinking. The game was shown in 2002 then canceled for reasons that are unknown today. This prototype therefore resurfaced a few years later under the name Mario vs Donkey Kong and was a hit: seven games would fill the catalog of the series, with a final episode in 2015. It then fell into oblivion before returning on February 16 next in the form of a remake to be released exclusively on Nintendo Switch simply titled Mario vs Donkey Kong.
Mario vs Donkey Kong: a remake that does its job?
By bringing Mario vs Donkey Kong back to the forefront, Nintendo is unearthing more than 40 years of rivalry. If the confrontations are ultimately not that numerous, we can then ask ourselves the following question: isn’t the formula a little decrepit? Big N does she succeed in modernizing it? This is the question we ask ourselves in the preamble to our video test, to watch above.
Like this article, we recall the similarities between the arcade game and the original part, released in 2004 on GBA. We then describe how to play and how Nintendo updates the series with modern features. Thirdly, we obviously talk about the major new features of this Switch remake to finally take stock. So, are Jumpman and Donkey Kong getting old? The JV editorial team believes that, no, quite the contrary. It’s even a great way to indirectly shine the spotlight on where it all began. It’s up to the players to know if they want to put in a coin to restart the machine.