Gizmo

Mario vs. Donkey Kong

Rating: “““ (out of four stars)

Web: www.nintendo.com

Review: Nintendo has reunited its video game superstars with “Mario vs. Donkey Kong.” This new Game Boy Advance exclusive harkens back to the simpler days of gaming — but simple doesn’t mean easy. You might think this is an action game, and it certainly has lots of finger flexing battles between two of the biggest game characters from the 1980s. But don’t be fooled: Behind this action facade lurks a challenging puzzle game. You play as pudgy Italian plumber Mario in a quest to retrieve miniature Mario toys from the greedy clutches of chest-thumping Donkey Kong. The game eases you in with levels that sport short jumps, casual rope climbs and straightforward monster tossing. But its true puzzle-solving nature soon becomes evident. Sometimes, you’ll have to figure out how to get from one area to another by stomping on a series of colored bumpers. It’s trickier than it sounds. Jumping on a yellow bumper causes red floors to vanish, while landing on a red bumper has the reverse effect. After you beat Donkey Kong and rescue the Mini-Marios, there are bonus, unlockable levels which make this game considerably longer than expected. There’s no fancy three-dimensional graphics or cinematic touches found in many new games. With its fine test of brain and brawn, “Mario vs. Donkey Kong” does just fine without them.