Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! is an action puzzle game for the Nintendo DS and the fourth game in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. Notably, it is also the last Mario game released for the console, being first launched in late 2010. The base gameplay and objectives of this game are mostly the same as in previous titles, being centered on bringing all the Mini toys safely to the goal in each level. This is done by modifying the environment in various puzzles that increase in difficulty as the player progresses. Mini Pauline toys make their debut with this game, and are also the cause that drives Donkey Kong into kidnapping Pauline from Mario in the outset of the story. Alongside the main game, the game presented a level editor in a mode called the Construction Zone, where players could build and edit their own levels with assets unlocked over the course of the game. A significant feature of the game was its Wi-Fi compatibility, using the same system as in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, adding challenges where players submit their levels and other players rate them.

Story
Mario is opening his new theme park with his honored guest Pauline, and as an opening gift he is giving Mini Pauline toys to the first 100 guests to arrive at the park. Donkey Kong desperately wants a Mini Pauline and charges through the line of Toads to get to the front, only to find out that he is the 101st guest to arrive and Mario informs him they are all out of stock. Donkey Kong loses his temper and kidnaps the real Pauline in a fit of rage, leaving Mario and his force of Mini Marios to rescue her.

After venturing through many attractions, the Minis reach the Final Ferris Wheel and defeat Donkey Kong. Pauline is then freed and Mario runs to hug her. However, Donkey Kong jumps and kidnaps her again, which allows the player to play the Plus Mode. In the second ending, when Donkey Kong is about to kidnap Pauline again, Mario offers him a Mini Pauline. Happy, Donkey Kong takes it and gets into the Ferris wheel along with Mario, Pauline, and some other Minis. Several Toads can be seen celebrating the end of the conflict between Mario and Donkey Kong.

Gameplay
The game inherits the basic gameplay of its two closest predecessors, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!, in which the player has to complete levels by guiding a number of automated Mini toys to the goal door, under a time limit of 300 seconds. The Minis rely completely on the player dragging and moving objects such as girders, springs, conveyor belts, pipes, and ladders to modify their path, using the touchscreen to perform any action. In most levels, the player can set the course of the Minis in advance, then start the Minis by tapping on them. The Minis only turn around when encountering a wall and have to be driven out of danger in every level, as taking one hit from an enemy or an obstacle is enough to grant a Game Over. Levels are laid across eleven attractions of the Mini-Land, two of which are extra attractions whose levels are unlocked under certain conditions. Most levels end in a single exit door that all Minis share. However, once the door is entered by a Mini, a timer is activated which shuts the door shortly after, locking the other Minis out if they do not group close together as they head for the exit. A few other levels, on the other hand, contain multiple doors that are only used by Minis depicted on them, and which do not activate a timer.

An M-Token is found alongside a Mini Mario Card in each level. Collecting M-Tokens is necessary to unlock levels in Rainbow Summit, a bonus attraction, while Mini Mario Cards enable the player to play Minigames in each attraction.

The performance in a level is measured through a score, which takes into account the items collected along the way and the time remaining to complete the level. A goal score is established for every level, which the player can pass to earn a gold trophy. With every ten trophies that are earned, the player unlocks a new level in Secret Storage, another bonus attraction.

The final score of a level, or "Total Score," is the sum of the following:
 * a "Game Score," which is the score obtained by collecting coins, large coins, Mini Mario Cards, and M-Tokens; they are worth 100, 500, 1000, and 2000 points, in this respect;
 * a "Time Bonus;" 20 points are earned for each second left in the timer;
 * a "Collection Bonus," which is a set number of 6000 points awarded by grabbing all collectibles in a level.

Unlike in previous games, Minis themselves do not award any points upon reaching the exit, as the one-hit chance mitigates the option to lose Minis on the way.

Every attraction culminates with a battle against Donkey Kong, where the objective is slightly changed from other levels. Instead of a goal door, Minis are to be brought into certain devices or objects that inflict damage on Donkey Kong. However, as they attempt to reach these, Donkey Kong tries to impede them by changing the environment himself, such as making certain Red Girder rivets unusable, or by sending direct attacks.

Additionally, the game features an optional "Mini Guide." If the player chooses to play the guide, they can see an example of how to get the Mini Marios to the end of the stage.

Characters
Mario, one of the titular characters, only plays a role in the story cutscenes. In cutscenes that play between attractions, he is seen chasing Donkey Kong and Pauline in a locomotive, the Super Mini Mario Express, where he is accompanied by a few Minis. After dropping at a station, Mario demonstrates the elements of the new attraction with the Minis. Meanwhile, Pauline cries for help in Donkey Kong's arms. Aside from cutscenes, Donkey Kong also appears in boss levels, where he is fought. Pauline is always kept beside him, where she watches the actions of the Minis as they unravel. Toads appear as visitors of Mario's newly opened theme park, but they are only figurant characters.

Only the Minis are directly used in gameplay, the help of which Mario uses to rescue Pauline. Although designed after various characters from the Mario franchise, Minis do not act differently from each other. Being automated clockwork toys, they simply walk from side to side and are likewise able to jump over blocks to continue their march. However, they turn around when encountering a wall of two or more blocks, a tight entrance, or a conveyor going in the opposite direction. They are destroyed at contact with obstacles such as Spikes, Shy Guys, Pokeys and Thwomps, but can fight back with a pair of Hammers or a Slope Slide.

Attractions
There are a total of 103 levels in the game, counting both main levels and extra levels, spread across eleven attractions. Each one of these attractions, except for Rainbow Summit and Secret Storage, acquaint the player with a new gameplay mechanic that is the focus of that attraction. The levels in all main attractions are built in a certain respect: a new mechanic is always introduced in the first level (and, sometimes, the second level), an enemy or more appear in the fifth level (though they are not exclusive to it), a type of Kong toy is present in the seventh level, a locked exit and a Mini Mario with a key are allocated to the eighth level, and the area closes with a boss battle.

Levels in the main game are unlocked one after the other in a classic manner, but levels in Rainbow Summit are unlocked with every ten M-Tokens collected in previous levels, while levels in Secret Storage require ten trophies each. Secret Storage is to be noted for puzzles that are more complex to solve than those of earlier levels, serving as an ultimate challenge for the player.

Plus Mode
After defeating Donkey Kong in Final Ferris Wheel, he manages to run off with Pauline once more, prompting the player to traverse all levels again in a new mode called Plus Mode. It is similar in concept to the Plus Mode of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. During Plus Mode, Minis have to enter the goal door in a certain order, which is indicated at the beginning of each stage and also shown on the top screen on the console. The layout in each level is otherwise unchanged in Plus Mode, and no other important changes are made to the gameplay either, although the background in each attraction gains slightly different aesthetics. The game's attractions in Plus Mode are called the following:
 * Coaster Hills+
 * Jumpy Jungle+
 * Teatime Twirl+
 * Warped Mansion+
 * Sandstorm Steps+
 * Cosmic Adventure+
 * Cannon Cove+
 * Super Skywheel+
 * Final Ferris Wheel+
 * Rainbow Summit+
 * Secret Storage+

Pauline is rescued and the game is beaten after defeating Donkey Kong in Final Ferris Wheel+.

Items and Obstacles

 * Blockers
 * Blue Ladders
 * Cannons
 * Coins
 * Conveyors
 * Conveyor Pickups
 * Crumble Blocks
 * Girders
 * Girder Pickups
 * Mini Doors
 * Hammers
 * Horizontal Springs
 * Ladders
 * Ladder Pickups
 * Magnet Rod
 * Mini Mario Cards
 * M-Tokens
 * Purple Conveyors
 * Red Girders
 * Spikes
 * Vertical Springs
 * Warp Pipes

Enemies

 * Barrel
 * Capture Kong
 * Circus Kong
 * Fire Piranha Plant
 * Fireball
 * Pokey
 * Shy Guy
 * Snifit
 * Magnet Sparky
 * Thwomp
 * Donkey Kong