Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars

Nintendo’s longest-running rivalry is back in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars. This time, the Mini Marios are back and better than ever, in a fun title that will test your problem-solving skills, and that’s sure to be a delight for fans of puzzle games in general.

Even though this game version is the most feature-rich of the series yet, it’s clear that the Mario vs. Donkey Kong saga is beginning to show its age. As long as you don’t mind a bit of repetition, and if you haven’t played any of the other games in the series yet, you might find a ton of great content to enjoy in Tipping Stars.

March to the Finish

Tipping Stars follows some of the basic gameplay elements that we first saw in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. It’s as if the Lemmings came to the Mushroom Kingdom: the player’s task will be to guide the Mini Marios towards the end of the level, avoiding the obstacles and clearing the puzzles in their way.

This time, however, the developers have mixed things up a little by adding a Cursed Mini Mario at the end of each level. These special Minis will need the help of their peers if they hope to make it out unscathed in each labyrinthian level.

Even though the formula remains as addictive as ever, the lack of any real innovation has made the game feel a bit tiresome, especially for veterans of the series. Perhaps the worst thing about the Mario vs. Donkey Kong franchise is that, once you’ve played one of them, you’ve essentially played them all.

That’s a bit of a double-edged sword that works in Tipping Stars’ favor, though: if you should only play one of the games in the series, there’s no reason why to pick any other that isn’t Tipping Stars.

Style Over Substance

The sheer amount of levels included in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars is simply astounding. A single playthrough might take you longer than you thought, especially considering how deceptively simple the game might look at a first glance.

Still, the concept of leading the Mini Marios from point A to point B has long overstayed its welcome. Even with a game as rife with new material as this one, we can’t help but feel that the formula has become more than a little stale.

Still, if this is the first game in the series that you’re planning on trying, you won’t go far wrong by picking Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars. The lack of innovation aside, Tipping Stars still offers hours and hours of entertaining gameplay.

Mario is a character that will never lose its novelty. If you’re a die-hard Nintendo fan, you can’t go wrong with Tipping Stars. However, if you’re expecting an innovative puzzle/platformer that adds a fresh twist on a familiar formula, you won’t find that anywhere near this game, sadly.

Pros

• Charming visuals and character designs
• Some great level designs
• Puzzles never feel too difficult: great for new players

Cons

• Doesn’t do anything new with the game’s formula
• Unimpressive character sprites, especially for the home console version
• Some of the content can feel rushed or copy-pasted