Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars In-Depth Review

Reviewed by Bob

(Played on Wii U using the gamepad)

Platforms: Wii U and Nintendo 3DS

Developer: Nintendo

Release Date: March 2015

          The Mario vs. Donkey Kong franchise has been going on for quite some time now and until this game, I have managed to skip every single one.  I picked this one up because I wanted a puzzle game on my Wii U that played differently from the other big title games like Pushmo or Art of Balance.  It is important to also note that this is one of the few games from Nintendo that allows for double downloading.  Inside the case there is a code slip for the game on the other platform (Wii U gives the 3DS code and vice versa).  Is this the Mario puzzle game we have been waiting for? Let's find out.

          The story or lack thereof is told in a single slightly animated panel.  Donkey Kong has stolen something and it is up to Mario to get it back.  I assume that is what happened.  In all honestly, the story was so thin I forgot the plot the moment that little cutscene was over.  All we know is that Mario and his Mini army must go through a number of themed levels to find Donkey Kong.  Why does he have a bunch of Mini versions of characters?  Did DK really steal something?  None of this is answered and I am not sure anyone cares.  The puzzles are the real reason we are here, although it would have been nice to have some story to give more importance to our actions in the rest of the game.

          This is a puzzle game where players must guide mini versions of Mario and his pals around stages collecting all the coins while avoiding hazards.  One of the main gimmicks in this game is creating platforms and walls by connecting two points on the screen.  Needless to say, this is why we can only play using the gamepad or 3DS touchscreen.  The game is divided up into 4 parts:

The Title Screen

1)  Main Game - This is where we start.  The main game gives you six themed worlds with eight stages in each.  As the stages progress, new tools are introduced such as movable pipes, elevator like lifts and an evil robotic monkey that takes control of a Mario mini and tries to kill you.  Upon completing each world, the next unlocks. When you have beaten all six, two extra outer space themed worlds appear.  In each puzzle, your main goal is sending all of your minis to the exit door while collecting coins.  Based on how many coins you collect and how fast you do it, you will get a ranking of bronze, silver or gold.  These reward you with stars (one per grade for a max of three stars).  These stars are used in the community portion of the game.  Most of these stages are pretty easy with only a handful requiring a large amount of brain power to complete.  The ending you get is just as bland as the opening scene with a slightly animated single image. 

The beginning stages are so nice

2) Bonus Stages - The bonus stages are unlocked as you accumulate gold trophies from the main game.  There are 88 trophies in total which unlock 24 bonus stages.  As expected, these are much harder than the main game.  Some of which I would say are near impossible without the use of a guide.  I myself did use a guide on most of them and found it hard just to do what was in the video.  I don't know what Nintendo was thinking when they made some of these because unless you are just naturally gifted at puzzles, the average person cannot do these without an immense amount of time.  From my playthrough, I think I spent about 45 minutes on one puzzle while watching the guide on Youtube.  Maybe I just suck...although I doubt I am the only one.  Upon completion of the main game and bonus stages with all gold, you just get a pop-up congratulatory message which hardly makes it worth the effort. 

Really? How do you figure this stuff out?! Took me like 30 minutes!

 

3) Edit Mode - This mode is where the replay value comes in.  Edit mode allows you to pick from a variety of parts found in the main game and lets you put together stages that are as hard or easy as you like.  But be warned, because you cannot upload them to the community unless you complete them yourself with a gold trophy.  This is also where you can purchase unlock-able parts with the stars you gained from the main game and the community.

Lots of different editing options

4) Community - The community is where the "tipping stars" part of the title comes in. Community is where you gain access to other player's creations.  For each fan-made puzzle, you can comment and use the stamps you have collected.  You can also tip stars.  You get one star for every person who played your level and that person can tip additional stars.  This is the best way to get stars for unlocking the various parts in the editor.  Some of them aren't too expensive while others are outright ridiculous (I'm looking at you 5000 star gold Mario). 

Some of these take forever to earn

 

          In the community, you can find a wide range of puzzles.  Some are art based; others are auto levels where you instantly drop into the goal for a quick and easy three stars.  I myself made 20 of these stages and that is how I unlocked all but the gold Mario part.  For the average person that buys the game now and wants all the parts, I really feel sorry for because the community has shrunk resulting in not many people even seeing the stage you created.  I played for about 20 hours and still need over 4000 stars for my final part.  I didn't like the tipping system too much.  It would have been better if you could unlock parts in both the main game and community.  Lastly, the filters for finding stages are very poor.  You can only look at popular ones, most recent and Nintendo made levels.  You can save any level you want and play them at your leisure.

Only the most popular ones get attention most of the time

 

          The visuals are very simple and clean.  The minis have a nice 3D effect on them and the stages are bright and colorful.  Being a budget release, the visuals are kept simple.  There really isn't anything that sticks out and it lacks a distinct personality.  The 3DS version is the same game, but has downgraded graphics.

Very nice looking Gold Stage

          The sound in the game is ok.  Nothing too good, but nothing that makes you want to mute the TV.  Characters all have voice clips that are pretty cute and a few of the stages have nice relaxing music.  Nothing special, but nice nonetheless.  It suits the game well by keeping everything very light in mood.

          As mentioned before, the editor and community in this game allow for a potentially never ending game.  You can be as creative and challenging in the editor as you want and the amount of created levels is staggering.  While the main game is roughly 8 hours long and even longer if you are going for gold, the other features will keep you busy for a long time.  In Japan, I paid $30 for the disc version which lasted me about 20 hours.  So despite being very frustrating in the later levels, it had a good dollar to hour ratio.  I also can go back to it whenever I want if I have the itch to design a cool new stage.

          In conclusion, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars is a decent game that lacks a worthwhile story and has a learning curve in the later levels (especially in Bonus challenges) that will make you want to break the disc and cut yourself with it. The overall display and longevity of the editor and community would make it worth the purchase.  Especially if you have nothing to do until big games like Splatoon or Xenoblade X comes out.  If you like puzzles and want something that helps pass the time and gives you a reason to turn on your Wii U or 3DS, I would definitely recommend this game.

Dollar to Play Ratio: $1 per Hour (28 hours total)

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