Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is an action puzzle game for the Nintendo DS and the sequel to Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Rather than being a platformer in the same way as its predecessor, this game instead places a focus on controlling the Mini toys created by the Mario Toy Company and guiding them through each level; this is the standard form of gameplay for later games in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. In addition to Mini Mario toys returning, three new toys are introduced in this game, including Mini Donkey Kong, Mini Toad, and Mini Peach. This game also marks the first appearance of Pauline in the Super Mario franchise since Donkey Kong for the Game Boy. The game's title is an allusion to the orchestral piece "" from the film .

Shortly before the release of the game, the 2006 version of the Camp Hyrule website featured a Super Mini Mario World section, which provided users with information about the game. As an additional promotion, a browser game titled Mario vs. DK 2: Cannon Kaos was published on the Nintendo Arcade webpage. The game was rereleased for the Wii U's Virtual Console in Europe and Australia in September 2015 (the same day Mario vs. Donkey Kong was released on the same platform in those regions), in Japan in August 2016, and in North America in October 2016.

Story
The Mario Toy Company returns with a commercial promoting the new Super Mini Mario World, which is an outdoor amusement park centered around the Mini Marios, Mini Peachs, Mini Toads, and Mini Donkey Kongs. A crowd of Toads is shown watching Pauline and Mario, who is about to cut the ribbon to open the park. Donkey Kong, one of the Mario Toy Company's employees, is also in the crowd. He immediately falls in love with Pauline and rushes to her, presenting her with a Mini Donkey Kong. However, Mario hands out a Mini Mario, which Pauline chooses instead of the Mini Donkey Kong. A heartbroken Donkey Kong becomes furious and breaks down a sales post of Mini Marios, even crushing one with his feet. He then heads toward the elevator, grabbing Pauline on his way and knocking Mario to the floor. As Donkey Kong enters the elevator with Pauline, Mario gets up and runs toward the elevator, but it closes before Mario can reach it, and Donkey Kong brings Pauline up to the roof of the building. Mario is unsure of what to do until two Mini Marios come to offer help.

In the ending, Mario reaches the top of the building and finds Pauline safe with many presents in a room on the roof. Donkey Kong looks apologetic for his actions as a Mini Mario races across the floor to meet a Mini Donkey Kong. Pauline picks up the Mini Donkey Kong and kisses it, making Donkey Kong happy. Toads appear and everyone waves, leading into the credits.

Main Game
Unlike in Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Mario is not a playable character in this game, as he has only a supporting role. Instead, Mini Mario toys appear as playable characters in each level. The objective of each level is to control the Mini Marios, as well as manipulate the environment around them, in order to direct each Mini Mario to the exit, a portal-like doorway with a red "M" on top. This focus on controlling Minis laid the foundation for future games in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. Each standard level contains a minimum of two Mini Marios and a maximum of eight. There are 240 Mini Marios in total.

The player can scroll around each level using the or the     buttons. Aside from this, gameplay uses only the stylus and Touch Screen:
 * Tapping a Mini activates it.
 * Tapping a moving Mini causes it to halt.
 * Minis automatically change direction when hitting a wall or another Mini.
 * If a moving Mini touches a stationary Mini, it will start moving.
 * Swiping a Mini left or right moves it in that direction or switches its direction.
 * Swiping in the same direction across multiple Minis changes the direction of all of them.
 * Swiping up makes a Mini jump.
 * If a Warp Pipe is directly below a Mini, swiping down on the Mini makes it enter the Warp Pipe. Minis can also enter a Warp Pipe directly above them by jumping into them.
 * A Mini hesitates and makes a warning noise if it is about to fall into spikes or another danger that can break it, including large heights.

To guide the Minis to the exit, the player must manipulate elements of the level itself as well as the Minis, so they can reach the exit without being destroyed. Level elements that appear frequently throughout the game include Color Blocks, which can be placed if the player has a sufficient number of them stored, as shown in the inventory on the Top Screen. For example, in Room 1-1, a wall of Pink Blocks can be picked up and placed elsewhere to form a floor, allowing Minis to cross and reach the level's Mini Mario Card. Other examples of level elements include elevators, which can be moved up and down with two separate buttons, and conveyor belts, which can be reversed using a conveyor switch.

At any point during the game, if the player enters the Nintendo DS's Sleep Mode by closing their system, Mario says one of four lines: Mario says different lines if the player exits Sleep Mode by opening their system: This feature was reimplemented in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!.
 * "Hey! Come back here, you!"
 * "Hey, come back here, you big-a monkey!"
 * "Not again!"
 * "I love this game!"
 * "What's up?"
 * "Okey-dokey!"
 * "Here we go again!"
 * "Let's play again!"

Time limit
Each level features a time limit, which does not start counting down until either Color Blocks are picked up or a Mini is activated. The player can scroll around the level before starting its timer, in order to plan their actions.

A level's timer starts at 300 seconds of a Time Bonus. If this Time Bonus exceeds 0 after the level has been completed, it will be multiplied by 10 and added to the player's score on the results screen. However, if this Time Bonus reaches 0 and the level is still being played, the time counter on the Top Screen turns blue, and its text changes from "Time Bonus" to "Time Left". The counter then resets to 300 seconds and continues to count down. If the Time Left counter reaches 0 and the level is still being played, the game displays a "Time Is Up!" message, Mario exclaims "Mama mia, time's up!" and the game is over, regardless of how many Minis entered the goal. Therefore, the player has 300 seconds to earn a Time Bonus, and 600 seconds in total to complete the level.

Scoring and stars
Scoring is specific and precise for each level. Small and big coins are spread throughout the levels (worth 50 and 500 points respectively when collected). Collecting the level's Mini Mario Card is worth 1000 points. If the timer on the Top Screen reads "Time Bonus" instead of "Time Left", each second remaining on the timer is worth an additional 10 points. There are many bonuses that come into effect on the results screen after a level is completed:
 * Each Mini that enters the goal is worth 1000 points.
 * If all Minis enter the goal, 5000 points are awarded instead of awarding points for each Mini individually.
 * Getting Minis into the goal very close to each other is called a Chain Goal. Starting at 1000, the Chain Goal bonus is doubled for each additional Mini in the chain; for example, 2 Minis in a row is 1000 + 2000 = 3000 points, and 4 minis in a row is 1000 + 2000 + 4000 + 8000 = 15000 points. The bonus increases exponentially. A sparkling effect surrounds the goal to signify the Chain Goal bonus is still active, and it lasts for about three seconds after the last Mini in the chain enters the goal.
 * If a perfect Chain Goal is formed (all Minis enter the goal consecutively while it is still sparkling), another bonus of 5000 points is awarded.
 * If a Gold Mini Mario is at the back of a perfect Chain Goal, the last bonus is doubled again (for example, 3 Minis = 1000 + 2000 + 8000 = 11000 point bonus).
 * Finally, a nonstop bonus is awarded if a Mini is never stopped by the player by tapping on it (stopping at an elevator, on an enemy, or in a Warp Pipe does not cancel the nonstop bonus). This bonus is 1000 points per Mini; however, if none of the Minis are stopped, a bonus of 7000 points is awarded instead.

By meeting all of the criteria above and earning every possible bonus, the player can earn a gold star for the level. Below it is the silver star and the  bronze star. It is possible not to receive a star after a level is completed, especially if the player loses more than one Mini Mario. Stars are used to unlock extras after completing the main adventure.

The following is a table of the bonuses for the number of Mini Marios that appear in each level, and the minimum scores needed to obtain each type of star. A indicates that a Gold Mini Mario is one of the Minis present in the level.

Mini Game
Each of the first nine levels in a floor contains a Mini Mario Card, a card with a letter on one side and a Mini Mario head on the other side. When collected, all of the cards on a single floor spell "MINIMARIO", and appear in that order (i.e. Room 7-3 contains an "N" card).

Finding every Mini Mario Card on a single floor unlocks a minigame (parsed as a Mini Game) for that floor. In the minigame, titled Shy Guy Smash!, the player uses the stylus to tap Shy Guys that appear from Warp Pipes. Tapping a Shy Guy breaks it, adding 1 point to the score. Starting in Tropical Island, Bob-ombs also appear from the Warp Pipes; however, tapping them causes them to explode, subtracting 5 points from the score. The player must earn at least 25 points within 30 seconds to reach the minigame's goal score. If the player exceeds the goal score, it is set to the player's new record.

Boss battles
Each floor concludes with a boss battle against Donkey Kong, with a time limit of 180 seconds. The player must shoot Mini Marios upward from a cannon to hit Donkey Kong either directly or indirectly. On odd-numbered floors, the cannon can be moved left and right by swiping its handle with the stylus, and the cannon only shoots Minis directly upward. On even-numbered floors, the cannon can be rotated in an arc formation by swiping its handle, and can shoot Minis at various angles. To shoot a Mini Mario, the player must tap the Attack Button labeled "SHOOT". Additionally, the player can hold or  to activate the Boss Cannon Indicator, a guideline that indicates where a Mini Mario will travel when fired.

During the first seven boss battles, Mini Marios can hit Donkey Kong directly to damage him. However, in Boss Game 2, Boss Game 4, and Boss Game 6, Donkey Kong is protected by the spiked platform he is standing on, making it more difficult for a Mini Mario to directly hit Donkey Kong. In Boss Game 8, Donkey Kong punches a Mini Mario if it touches him, causing the Mini Mario to break. Boss battles on even-numbered floors feature objects suspended from platforms at the top of the screen. Mini Marios can land on these platforms with proper timing to cause the objects to fall on Donkey Kong and damage him.

The number of Mini Marios the player has depends on how many Mini Marios they directed to the goal in the floor's first nine levels. A Mini Mario breaks if it touches a projectile. If all of the player's Mini Marios break, the game is over. After Donkey Kong takes six hits in each battle, he is defeated and the level is completed.

The player can also earn a score and a star for each of the first eight boss battles, but the score is calculated differently than in standard levels. The minimum score to receive a gold star is 1,000 multiplied by the total number of Minis on the floor. Each second left on the timer is worth 10 points, and each of the player's remaining Mini Marios is worth 1,000 points. Therefore, to earn a gold star for a boss battle, the player must direct every Mini Mario to the goal in the floor's previous levels, then defeat Donkey Kong without breaking a single Mini Mario. Alternatively, if Donkey Kong is defeated with 100 seconds or more left on the timer, the player can finish the battle with one less Mini Mario and still earn a gold star. Generally, a silver star is earned for retaining 75% of the total number of Mini Marios on the floor, and a bronze star is earned for retaining 50% of the total.

Construction Zone


Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis introduces a game mode known as Construction Zone, where the player can create and play their own custom levels, as well as share these levels with other players. The player can use the Multi-Card feature to exchange levels with another player who has a separate Nintendo DS system and game card. Prior to the discontinuation of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service, players could use the Nintendo WFC feature of the Construction Zone to send and receive levels online.

Options
In addition to the Main Game and Construction Zone modes, the game's title screen also features an Options menu, where the player can adjust settings and view unlockables. There are six buttons present in the Options menu:
 * Audio: The player can adjust the game's audio settings to Stereo, Surround, or Headphones. After completing the main adventure, the player can hear every sound effect and music track in the game. There are 144 sound effects and 77 music tracks in total.
 * Showroom: The player can view previously seen movies and images, as well as view the credits and change a cosmetic feature.
 * Movies: Players can watch the four real-time movies from the game. However, only one is unlocked at the beginning; the rest must be unlocked by playing through the Main Game mode.
 * Pre Title: Unlocked from the beginning.
 * Introduction: Unlocked by starting the Main Game mode.
 * Ending: Unlocked by defeating Donkey Kong on the Roof.
 * Musical: Unlocked by completing B2 in DK's Hideout.
 * Gallery: Players can look at eighteen full-screen pictures from the game, which are unlocked as they are shown in the Main Game mode. Eight of the pictures are the intro screens shown before the first eight boss battles, while another eight pictures are the victory screens shown after completing each of the first eight boss battles. The penultimate picture is shown before the final battle on the Roof, and the final picture is unlocked from completing B1 in DK's Hideout.
 * Credits: Replays the credits. The player must finish the Main Game at least once to unlock it.
 * Title: On the title screen, Mini Marios walk across the bottom of the top screen. This cosmetic feature can be changed to feature other Minis, but stars are required to do so.
 * Mini Marios: Unlocked from the beginning.
 * Mini Toads: Requires all 80 bronze stars in the game.
 * Mini Peaches: Requires all 80 silver stars in the game.
 * Mini Donkey Kongs: Requires all 80 gold stars in the game.
 * Register: Players can register their name as it appears in the Construction Zone and Wi-Fi Connection here.
 * Single Card: A demo version of the game can be sent to another Nintendo DS without the game card.
 * Erase All: This deletes all Main Game data and all Construction Zone levels, whether created or received, and it resets the player's friend code.
 * NintendoWiFi.com Features: Players could choose to let their statistics be part of Nintendo's official Wi-Fi site.

Controls

 * – drag or tap objects; navigate menus
 * – scroll around level
 * - scroll around level
 * - pause game; exit Shy Guy Smash!
 * - activate Boss Cannon Indicator (during boss battles)

Characters
Mario, one of the game's titular characters, only plays a minor role in the game, only appearing in cutscenes and assisting the Mini Marios during the final battle on the Roof. Mario is also seen entering each floor of Super Mini Mario World, along with Mini Marios. Donkey Kong appears in cutscenes and is fought as the boss of each floor; he is also seen entering these floors. Pauline and Toads also appear in the game's cutscenes. The cast of characters primarily consists of the Mini toys, which are the only playable characters in the game. Mini Mario returns from Mario vs. Donkey Kong as the primary playable character of the Main Game mode. A variant of Mini Mario known as Gold Mini Mario is introduced, which is worth extra points if it is the last Mini Mario to reach the exit. Mini Toad, Mini Peach, and Mini Donkey Kong also appear in the game's cutscenes; however, during gameplay, they can only be used in the Construction Zone in Special Kit 1, Special Kit 2, and Special Kit 3 respectively. All of these Minis behave identically to each other. Each Mini can turn into its fire form upon collecting a Fire Flower.

Floors
Each floor of Super Mini Mario World is diverse and has its own unique elements that sets it apart. The eight primary floors in the game (excluding the Basement and Roof) each consist of nine levels, a minigame (marked by a button labeled "MINI"), and a boss battle against Donkey Kong (marked by a button labeled "DK"). In the PAL version of the game, the floor count for the eight primary floors starts from "Ground Floor" and ends at "Floor 7", whereas in all other versions, the floor count simply progresses from "Floor 1" to "Floor 8".

Music
Most of the music tracks featured in the game are arrangements of music from other games in the Super Mario franchise. There are only two original compositions in the entire game: one is the theme that plays in Pipe Works levels, and the other is the theme that plays in various menus, such as the floor selection screen, the Construction Zone, and the Options menu, although this theme does use the 25m theme from Donkey Kong as a leitmotif.

In levels from each of the first eight floors, a single music track is used for all of the levels on a floor, but that track starts from a different measure depending on the specific level being played.

If Mini Marios appear on the title screen, a trumpet arrangement of the title theme from Mario vs. Donkey Kong plays. If Mini Toads, Mini Peaches, or Mini Donkey Kongs appear on the title screen, the Mario vs. Donkey Kong title theme itself plays.

References to other games

 * Donkey Kong: Pauline makes a return to the Super Mario franchise. The Roof and both levels in DK's Hideout use a structure of girders and ladders, similar to that of 25m and 75m. The "Opening", "How High Can You Get?", and 25m themes from this game are all arranged.
 * Donkey Kong Jr.: Snapjaws, which were introduced in this game, are featured in Jungle Hijinks. In Boss Game 8, Donkey Kong moves on vines in a similar manner to Donkey Kong Jr., and Banana Bunches can be dropped on enemies to defeat them.
 * Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Several music tracks from this game are arranged.
 * Donkey Kong 64: Several of Donkey Kong's voice clips are recycled.
 * Mario Power Tennis: Several of Donkey Kong's voice clips are recycled.
 * Donkey Kong Jungle Beat: Several of Donkey Kong's voice clips are recycled.

References in later games

 * Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe: Mini Toads appear in, where they act as spectators.