Mario and Donkey Kong are two of the oldest, most respected figures in video games. Their first conflict, the classic shared love interest in Pauline (who, interestingly enough, hasn’t shown the longevity of either of her suitors) spurred the classic and instantly recognizable Donkey Kong. Although Donkey Kong was named for the villainous gorilla, it served as a launching pad for Mario, who was then known as Jumpman. Perhaps after Pauline disappeared, the man and monkey were able to form a tenuous and grudging friendship, and each went on to star in heroic roles. They peacefully coexist in mascot inspired titles like Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart, and it seems as if the animosities of the past have faded completely…

Until Mario decides that he wants to open a toy factory that narcissistically manufactures mini-Mario wind-up dolls. Donkey Kong becomes jealous, as Mario seems to hog the limelight and also chose not to make any Donkey Kong dolls, so the Donkey Kong decides to sabotage Mario’s factory. The iconic gorilla regresses to some of his more infamous habits, and he steals many of Mario’s dolls and flees deep into the factory. Mario has to pursue Donkey Kong and retrieve the stolen dolls all while avoiding the dangers of the factory.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is reminiscent of the classic Donkey Kong titles, looking like a modern (and long overdue) sequel. Mario foregoes some of his more complicated abilities, focusing on more classic talents such as jumping and picking up objects for offense. In addition to these abilities, Mario can also utilize a handspring to help him in his quest. Mario must use all his skills to collect the dolls he encounters, and can also use the recaptured toys to help him solve puzzles.

Of course, Mario vs. Donkey Kong will give players a classic gaming feel. There will be a lot of puzzle solving and platforming elements to the gameplay. There are conveyor belts, switches, spikes, ladders, and all sorts of dangerous environments and obstacles that Mario must overcome.

Obviously, the game is graphically far beyond the first Donkey Kong and even its remakes. The character models are well animated and rendered, and the game is brightly colored, as would be expected from a Mario title.