The next Mario vs Donkey Kong is too similar to the 2nd one, but is able to go far and be possibly the best DSiware game
Minis March Again takes the great Mario vs. Donkey Kong formula and adds a twist to it, you cannot control the Mini Marios. Right when you touch the Mini Marios to turn them on they will keep walking straight and never stop until they die or get to the door. This changes the focus of the game, unlike the 2nd one where you had to control the Mini Marios and move the course around to get the Mini Marios to the door, you cannot manipulate the Mini Marios, so you can change the course a lot more in Minis March Again.
It probably doesn't seem like a big difference but it really is. Since you need to constantly watch the Mini Marios and can't just move one, than stop it from moving like in 2, the game is much harder then the 2nd one and will offer much more challenge. However this also means that the levels will go by faster since you move them all at the same time instead of 1 at a time, so it's a double edged sword.
Those that played the 2nd one will remember that if you put the Mini Marios in 1 at a time, or got all of them in and let none die, you got a higher score. However, in Minis March Again, putting the Mini Marios in one at a time is mandatory. You must put the Mini Marios in the door right after each other and you must get all in or you will lose, also adding to the difficulty.
The biggest downer with the 2nd one was that the bosses were too easy but that was changed here, unlike the 2nd one where you had 25-40 Mini Marios during the battles, you only have 6 Mini Marios during each boss battle, so the bosses are also hard which is great. But, the battles and lots of the levels are very similar to the bosses and levels in the 2nd one.
And that's the only but huge flaw this game has, it's too similar. The mechanics of changing the course, the enemies, the bosses, the music, the modes of playing, it's all the same as Mario vs Donkey Kong 2 and aside from the ability to not control the Mini Marios, it's pretty much the same game. However, it's still something that every DSi should pick up even if they have the 2nd one, why?
The level editor! In Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 there was a level editor, however you could only hold 8 levels that you made and you shared with friends, which filled up fast. Also you could only share levels with those that you exchanged Friend Codes with.
However, in Minis March Again you can hold up to 140 levels, which is just huge compared to 8. Also, when you go online you can see every level put up in order of highest rated, most downloaded, etc. and it gives so much replay value with all the levels to create, share, and play online. The only downer here is that because you cannot control the Mini Marios, it's a little hard to make lots of levels, compared to the 7 levels I worked hard on and made in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2, I only made 3 levels in 3 before I felt that I couldn't think up any more puzzles, it just seemed harder to me to make levels with such simple mechanics, but then again, you may not feel this way.
The other very great addition Minis March Again has is its length. As you know, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 had a single player mode with 8 worlds, each having 14 levels, and 3 bonus levels, and it was a full retail game that cost $30. In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again, a game that costs less than a third of 2, there are 4 worlds with 20 levels, and 2 bonus worlds with 8 and 12 levels, meaning the game has 100 levels total, almost as big as the predecessor!
Even though the levels do go by faster, that is just huge! A game with a bigger level editor than its predecessor and almost just as many levels in the SP game costs less than a third of the predecessor! That is just insane, I remember I couldn't believe it when I found out how many levels it had, this game is a steal for $8 and every DSi owner out there should buy it for that sole reason, the length is just huge.
Overall, Mario vs. Donkey Kong Minis March Again is a worthy sequel to the 2nd one, the game may be far too similar to the 2nd one, but the just huge amount of length and replay value the game has makes it worth $20, so what are you waiting for!?
Fun factor: 8.50 (completed all of SP mode and played online levels for a while)
Pros: Length (0.50)
Cons: Too similar (0.50)
Final Score: 8.50 + 0.50 - 0.50 = 8.50!