Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge is a downloadable game for the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS systems. It was released in Japan on January 28, 2016, and will be released in April 2016 internationally, making it the only installment so far in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series to not be released in North America first. In North America, it will be available for early access between March 25, 2016 and April 27, 2016, with the purchase of any amiibo figure at Amazon, Best Buy, or GameStop. It is the seventh installment in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series and the first to feature amiibo support. New toys are featured in the game, such as Mini Rosalina, Mini Bowser, Mini Bowser Jr., Mini Yoshi, Mini Diddy Kong, and Mini Spek, while returning toys include Mini Mario, Mini Luigi, Mini Donkey Kong, Mini Peach, and Mini Toad.

Gameplay
The main game is largely similar to previous installments in the series, in that the player controls a Mini Toy trying to reach the end of the stage. By scanning a compatible Mario series-related amiibo, the player can receive the corresponding toy to play as, while the Mini Spek is received by scanning any other amiibo. Each Mini Toy (with the exception of the Mini Spek) has a special ability that allows it to clear stages easier. At the end of each stage, players are given a score based on their performance, and by clearing it with a high enough score, the player earns a Gold Trophy for that stage.

Within certain main stages are amiibo Doors, which can only be accessed by the corresponding character on the door and unlock special stages themed around that character. Some stages also feature amiibo Tokens, which don't work in any other game and can only be obtained by using the abilities of the amiibo on the token.

Mini Toys
Unlike in previous games, each of the Mini Toys have their own unique special abilities corresponding to them.

Enemies

 * Cannon Kong
 * Circus Kong
 * Fire Piranha Plant
 * Mini Shy Guy
 * Mini Boo (New)
 * Piranha Plant
 * Thwomp

Worlds
In addition to the main stages in the game, there are also worlds themed around each character toy that can be unlocked by clearing certain stages via an amiibo door, which can only be accessed by using the amiibo that corresponds with the character's icon shown on it.
 * Barrel Blast Jungle : Mini Donkey Kong's world, based on Donkey Kong Country Returns. Its main mechanic is Barrel Cannons. The music that plays is a cover of the Jungle Hijinxs theme from Donkey Kong Country.
 * Mine Cart Cove: Mini Diddy Kong's world, based on the minecart levels in the Donkey Kong Country series. Its main mechanic is minecarts. The music that plays is a cover of the Bonus Area theme from Donkey Kong Country.
 * Egg Launch Land: Mini Yoshi's world, based on Yoshi's Woolly World. Its main mechanic is Yoshi Eggs that Mini Yoshi can ride in and can ricochet off walls after launching them. The music that plays is a cover of the main overworld theme from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.
 * Boost Pad Bonanza: Mini Mario's world, based on New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Its main mechanic is Boost Pads. The music that plays is the same cover of Super Mario Bros. 2 ' s overworld theme heard in previous installments.
 * Balloon Float Castle: Mini Peach's world whose mechanic are balloons that fly in the direction of the arrow once Mini Peach grabs onto one. The music that plays is the Peach's castle theme from Super Mario 64.
 * Mushroom Hills: Mini Toad's World. The main mechanic of these stages is mushrooms that bounce the Mini Toy.
 * Moonlight Mansion: Mini Luigi's world, based on the Luigi's Mansion games. Its main mechanic is Torches that can be removed and placed in different spots to stun the Mini Boos and reveal hidden blocks that can be passed through without a torch, but cannot be passed through with one. The music that plays is a cover of the mansion theme of Luigi's Mansion.
 * Air Tumble Rumble: Mini Bowser Jr.'s world in which the main gimmick is fans that push the player across gaps, which alternate between turning on and off by tapping them. The music that plays is a cover of Bowser Jr.'s battle theme in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
 * Fire Ride Fortress: Mini Bowser's world, based on Bowser's Castle. Its main mechanic is the Firebars. The music that plays is a cover of Bowser's theme from Super Mario 64.
 * Gravity Galaxy: Mini Rosalina's world, a space-themed world, with the Comet Observatory in the background. The music that plays is a cover of both the Comet Observatory and Luma's themes from Super Mario Galaxy. The main mechanic of this world is Pull Stars.
 * Star World: The final world, unlocked after clearing all of the main stages. Stages in this world can only be unlocked by collecting amiibo Tokens.

References to other games

 * Donkey Kong: Like in past games, the hammer appears, with the classic theme music.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2: Some of Mini Mario's levels use a remix of the main level theme from this game. Mini Luigi and Mini Peach's abilities originated in this game.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: Part of Star Road uses a remix of the athletic theme from this game. Mini Bowser's ability originated in this game.
 * Super Mario World: The final world is based on Star Road from this game, and features a remix of its song on the world map. Mini Yoshi's ability originated in this game.
 * Donkey Kong Country: Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong's levels feature a remix of "DK Island Swing" and the Bonus Area theme as background music, respectively.
 * Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island: Mini Yoshi's levels are based on this game, and use a remix of the game's overworld theme as the background music.
 * Super Mario 64: Mini Peach's levels are based on her castle from this game, and use a remix of "Inside the Castle Walls" as the background music. In addition to this, Mini Bowser's levels use a remix of his battle theme from this game as background music. Mini Mario's ability originated in this game.
 * Luigi's Mansion: Mini Luigi's levels use a remix of this game's main theme as background music.
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Mini Mario's levels are based on this game, with the background resembling world 1 of said game. Mini Bowser Jr.'s levels are based on the game's airship levels as well, and use a remix of Bowser Jr.'s battle theme as background music.
 * Super Mario Galaxy: Mini Rosalina's levels are based on this game, and are set in the Comet Observatory. The background music is a remix of the observatory and Luma's theme music.
 * Donkey Kong Country Returns: Mini Donkey Kong and Mini Diddy Kong have levels based on this game, featuring DK's treehouse and mine carts in this game's art style.
 * Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon: Mini Luigi's levels seem to be based outside of Gloomy Manor from this game, since it's seen in the background and on the world map.

Trivia

 * Wario is the only Mario character with an amiibo that does not have a corresponding Mini Toy in the game, as using Wario's amiibo will only lead to the player simply receiving a Mini Spek.
 * Mini Pauline is the only mini that was in prior games to not be present in this game, as there is no Pauline amiibo.
 * The descriptions of the abilities for Mini Luigi and Mini Rosalina contradicts each other's statements relating to their height of jump; with the former stating, "Jump higher than other Mini Toys", and the latter reads, "Perform an exceptionally high jump next to high walls".