'MARIO VS. DONKEY KONG' Legends square off in new video game

After becoming friends, the two characters are once again adversaries.
By PHIL VILLARREAL
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Jason has taken on Freddy. Alien will soon clash against Predator. So it's only right that the video game world matches the movies with a cataclysmic clash of its own: "Mario vs. Donkey Kong."
Game Boy Advance serves as the battlefield for the showdown, pitting two of Nintendo's marquee characters in a series of puzzles and mano a mano, um, more like video a video throw downs.
Old schoolers will remember that Mario and Donkey Kong originally battled in the ancient "Donkey Kong" arcade monstrosities, in which Kong held Mario's girlfriend in a cage atop a construction site, while an early form of our hammer-wielding hero tried to rescue her by climbing ladders and dodging obstacles.
The adversarial relationship thawed into a friendly competition, though, by the early 1990s, when Donkey Kong became a hero in adventure games of his own. Mario and Kong began taking each other on in SuperMario Kart, as well as various tennis and golf diversions.
Renewed rivalry
But the bad blood is on again now, because Kong has stolen a bunch of Mario's Mini-Mario wind-up toys, and has hidden them in six worlds of puzzle rooms. As Mario, players must find keys to the next rooms, rescue the little wind-up guys and then go head-to-head with the big ape.
Kong is waiting for Mario at the end of six moderately difficult worlds, and players are graded on points and timeliness at the end of each. Score high enough, and you'll unlock extra components.
The side-scrolling adventure delightfully integrates classic gaming standards with newer technology. Mario, in a brief exile from the 3DGameCube worlds, moves a lot like the stodgy guy from Super Mario Bros., only he's a lot more agile. Mario can flip into handstands and pull off impressive double superjumps. He can hang from a wire, spin around and jump to unimaginable heights. He walks on his hands and kicks away falling bricks.
Other features
Not only does "Mario vs. Donkey Kong" play like a wondrous hybrid of familiar "Mario" and "Kong" worlds, but it also integrates aspects of "Pitfall," "Lemmings" and "Boxxle." The memory system allows for three data slots, so you can rotate the game among three players engaging in independent quests.
Cheesy mini-movies reward gamers after they complete each world, detailing the flimsy story that ties the puzzle rooms together.
These aren't entertaining enough to sit through while your GBA battery drains away. Thankfully, the movies are easily skippable with a click of a button.
The game itself, however, is not one to skip. It's the kind of goofy fun that will make others look over your shoulder, wishing it was them playing "Mario vs. Donkey Kong."
X"Mario vs. Donkey Kong," by Nintendo for Game Boy Advance, is rated E for everyone.