Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis [DS]

When the original Mario vs. Donkey Kong debuted two years back, players found themselves on a puzzling adventure to rescue the scattered Mini-Mario toys. This time around, you'll take control of the endearing mechanical Marios directly as they compete in a Lemmings-like expedition to rescue the beautiful Pauline from the clutches of a lovesick Donkey Kong.

Spread across more than 80 levels, you'll have to lead the Mini-Marios to safety in order to proceed. Though small in stature, the toys have just as many abilities as the levels have danger. You'll need to navigate around enemy critters, natural hazards, and fiendish traps, but power-ups such as magnetic boots, fire flowers, and the classic Donkey Kong hammer are here to help the Mini-Marios complete the quest. In addition to the power-ups, players also have the ability to manipulate the environment, such as moving block bridges, opening water valves, and spinning platforms.

Of course, no Mario game would be complete without warp pipes and they can be found in abundance here. In early levels, the pipes are merely a novelty, but they quickly become a necessity. Some even have moveable sections, allowing you to control the emergence point.

Touchscreen control is the name of the game here, as you manipulate the world by tapping and sliding the stylus across the screen. The D-pad is used to move the viewing area. For the most part, the touch commands work well, but the game occasionally misinterprets your gestures. While minor, these mistakes usually end up costing the player a point bonus.

Simply completing a level is really quite easy, but mastering it can be a bit more difficult. To get the gold star, you'll need to execute a perfect run by getting all your charges safely through the level, into the exit in a continuous chain and never stopping to catch your breath. Just because you can beat a level on your first try, doesn't mean it won't take you a half-hour or more to earn a perfect score.

At the end of each world, it's time for a face off with the big ape. Here you'll need to avoid the obstacles that DK throws at you, while shooting your Mini-Marios out of a cannon in an attempt to nail the maniacal monkey. The first fight or two is relatively simple, but later you will need to master the bank shot and bounce your Mini-Marios off walls and into DK. Knock him out before you run out of Mini-Marios and it's off to the next world.

Completing each world also allows you to use that area's tiles in the construction kit, which is a full featured level editor. Controlled by the stylus, you can not only design your own levels but swap them with friends locally or online.

The very definition of a "pick up and play" video game, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2 strikes a comfortable balance between bite-sized gameplay and respectable longevity. It could use some tighter controls and a multiplayer mode, but it's a competent addition to the DS' line of puzzlers.