Mario vs. Donkey Kong (series)

Mario vs. Donkey Kong (known as Mario and Donkey Kong in Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move) is a sub-series of the Mario and Donkey Kong franchises. The first game, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, was heavily inspired by the Game Boy follow up to the original Donkey Kong game, and was initially planned as Donkey Kong Plus. This series features a comeback of Pauline and Donkey Kong's rivalry with Mario.

Gameplay
The original Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a puzzle-platformer where Mario is the sole playable character. Here, he must traverse various courses to obtain a key to unlock the level's door, then collect the Mini-Mario within the second part of the stage. There are also levels where Mario has to lead all the Mini-Marios he collected to a toy chest, whilst protecting them from obstacles along the way. The final level in each world is a boss-fight against Donkey Kong.

From Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis onwards, the player takes control of the Mini-Toys instead. The Minis can be controlled using the stylus and the touch screen, and must be guided to the end of the level, usually represented by a door. In these games, various items can be moved around or added from an in-game inventory in order to clear a way or make a path for the Minis.

Spin-Off Games
{| align=center width=100% class="wikitable" !width=15% style="background-color: #d9d9d9;font-size:125%;text-align:left" colspan="2"|Title !width=15% style="background-color: #e0e0e0;"|Cover, original release and system !width=85% style="background-color: #e0e0e0;"|Synopsis !colspan="2" style="font-size:125%;text-align:left"|Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move !colspan="2" style="font-size:125%;text-align:left"|Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge
 * style="text-align:center"|M&DKMotM Logo.png Nintendo 3DS
 * Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move pauses the conflict of the series' main characters, as Donkey Kong joins Pauline to run a carnival. Although the objective of guiding the Minis to the goal remains intact, it is now presented in a three-dimensional environment with a gameplay influenced by the  video game. In this game, the player must construct a pathway by placing tiles on a field and guide Mini Marios to the goal. Besides the main game, three extra modes and four minigames are available.
 * Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move pauses the conflict of the series' main characters, as Donkey Kong joins Pauline to run a carnival. Although the objective of guiding the Minis to the goal remains intact, it is now presented in a three-dimensional environment with a gameplay influenced by the  video game. In this game, the player must construct a pathway by placing tiles on a field and guide Mini Marios to the goal. Besides the main game, three extra modes and four minigames are available.
 * style="text-align:center"|MM&FACAmericanLogo.png Wii U/Nintendo 3DS
 * Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge is a spin-off that presents no story. Players have to use amiibo in order to play the game, and only certain Mario amiibo unlock Mini toys designed after the scanned amiibo. The game contains a general overworld map with levels that can be explored by any Mini. However, some of these levels conceal special exit doors or bonuses that only specific Minis can gain access to using their abilities. An exit attributed to a Mini directs it to a set of levels with mechanics that revolve around the character, which only that Mini is allowed to traverse. Due to the incorporation of amiibo, levels are only played with one Mini at the time, as opposed to managing multiple toys as in the previous games.
 * Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge is a spin-off that presents no story. Players have to use amiibo in order to play the game, and only certain Mario amiibo unlock Mini toys designed after the scanned amiibo. The game contains a general overworld map with levels that can be explored by any Mini. However, some of these levels conceal special exit doors or bonuses that only specific Minis can gain access to using their abilities. An exit attributed to a Mini directs it to a set of levels with mechanics that revolve around the character, which only that Mini is allowed to traverse. Due to the incorporation of amiibo, levels are only played with one Mini at the time, as opposed to managing multiple toys as in the previous games.

Table of Minis
The following table constitutes the appearances of Mini toys throughout the series:

Trivia

 * All games in the series were initially released outside Japan, usually in North America, before any other regions. This is due to the fact that all games were developed by Nintendo Software Technology Corporation, which is a division of Nintendo located in North America.
 * All of the handheld games can be played on the Nintendo 3DS, as the first game can be played in the Ambassador Program, the second and fourth are DS games, the third can be system transferred and bought on the eShop, and the fifth, sixth, and seventh are eShop exclusives.