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Sunday, May 12, 2013

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move review: Fancy pipe dream

There are four games in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, each sporting 2D puzzle-platforming action. What sets Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move apart from the group isn't just the change of "vs" to "and." Minis on the Move still tasks players with the challenge of guiding their Mario toys through a level of obstacles to a goal point, in this case a star, but the game diverges from the series' norm by operating in three dimensions. Players must drag tiles on the touch screen to create a track for their minis to safely traverse.

In true Nintendo fashion, this simple premise is expanded upon with a solid variety of obstacles to avoid and special tiles to use. For example, spring tiles launch your mini two spaces, and colored pipes warp your mini to another location on the small map. The occasional tile with Donkey Kong on it will send your mini flying three spaces in a given direction (I suppose that's where "and Donkey Kong" comes from).

I like to call the total package "Fancy Pipe Dream," as the gist of its primary design doesn't at all feel new or creative. It's much like the tile-based puzzler from the Miscrosoft Entertainment Pack of the 1990s, also known as Pipe Mania. The difference is that Minis on the Move is much more fleshed-out, as it includes special tiles, obstacles, and a few different modes. Oh, and Mario is in it.

Gallery: Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move