Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move

Gameplay

In the main game, the player must place blocks on a grid with the goal of making a path for a Mini—a small walking robot resembling Mario or another Mario series character—to travel from a warp pipe to a star goal, while avoiding obstacles such as spike pits and Shy Guys along the way. The player can complete the additional task of collecting three colored coins along the created path, which itself may require additional tasks, such as closing the Mini within a figure-eight loop. Collecting all three coins for a level earns the player a star token, which unlock additional gameplay modes, levels, and toys as they are amassed. There are more than 180 puzzles over four modes of play, as well as four minigames which can be unlocked.

Additionally, Minis on the Move features a level creation mode with which the player can create custom levels using any and all pieces from the main game, as well as control the frequency of available falling tiles. Created levels can be saved and shared via StreetPass once the player is able to complete the created level. These levels can also be shared via Nintendo Network, where users can download other popular user creations.

Development

Like the 4 previous entries in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, Minis on the Move was developed by Nintendo Software Technology.

Reception

Minis on the Move has an aggregated score of 78 of 100 on Metacritic and a rounded score of 79% on GameRankings. The scores represent a sample of 41 and 29 reviews, respectively. Most reviews cite the level creator as the most impressive element of the game. IGN's Lucas M. Thomas wrote that it's "a feature that should extend the [replay value] significantly," though some (including Thomas) derided the limitation of randomly falling pieces in creating levels.

Games Master UK called the game, "A breezy, if surprisingly brutal, puzzler that puts full 3DS retail releases to shame," rating the game 85%. Tony Ponce of Destructoid appreciated the removal of "the needless threadbare plot of [Mario vs. Donkey Kong] games past." Of the revised gameplay, he wrote he was "glad Nintendo decided to explore new avenues for the Minis," having a decidedly favorable reaction to Minis on the Move taking inspiration from Lemmings and "railroad puzzles." Ponce rated the game 9 out of 10. Tom Sykes of Official Nintendo Magazine UK, who rated the game 82%, wrote that "it's clear that Nintendo has gone above and beyond the call of duty, particularly for a £9 [US$10] downloadable title." He suggests that both Pipe Mania and Tetris were positive inspirations for the gameplay in Minis on the Move, culminating in a "compelling, cleverly realised and challenging set of wind-up puzzles."

Lucas M. Thomas was less favorable towards what he wrote is "simply a Nintendo-fied version of the old-school puzzler Pipe Mania." While derisive of the main game's "randomized tile dispenser," Thomas found the "Puzzle Palace" and "Many Minis Mayhem" modes to be "the highlight of the package," giving the overall game a 7.0 of 10. Nintendo Life's Jon Wahlgren found that "every trick in the book is deployed" to create a "constant sense of urgency" with gameplay that is "a little unfair at times." He deemed "the secret best part" of Minis on the Move to be the minigame "Cube Crash," comparing it to Art Style: Cubello, but overall feeling it was a game that "doesn’t really justify the move into 3D", rating it 7 out of 10. Mike Suszek of Joystiq also compared the game to Pipe Mania, though "much more fleshed-out," while calling the minigames simply a "reason to look away from the touch screen." Suszek rated the game 2.5 out of 5, stating in summation that the "challenge never materializes."