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 series and the Donkey Kong series. 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
Although all part of the same sub-series, the various games feature many different styles. 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.

Trivia

 * All games in the series were initially released outside Japan, usually in North America before any other regions.
 * All of the handheld games can be played on the 3DS, as the first game can be played in the Ambassodor Program, the next two are DS games, the DSi one can be system transferred and bought on the eShop, and the fifth and sixth are eShop exclusives.