Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Mario himself takes a back seat — this time the Mini Mario toys must save the day. A Lemmings-inspired touch screen puzzle game where you guide groups of Minis through 80 levels across 8 themed floors, with a full level editor and Nintendo Wi-Fi sharing built in.
Story
Mario’s Mini Mario Toy Company has built a brand new outdoor theme park — Super Mini Mario World — and the grand opening is underway. As Mario prepares to cut the ribbon, a smitten Donkey Kong rushes forward and presents Pauline with a Mini Donkey Kong toy. But Pauline accepts Mario’s Mini Mario instead, and an enraged, jealous Donkey Kong snaps.
DK grabs Pauline and kidnaps her, carrying her to the top of the theme park building. With Mario unable to reach her alone, the Mini Mario toys spring into action — marching floor by floor through 8 themed levels to rescue Pauline from the roof.
Story Cutscenes
DK’s jealousy boils over as Pauline picks the Mini Mario over his Mini DK giftMario and the Mini Marios give chase after DK takes PaulineGameplay
Mario is not playable — he appears only in cutscenes. Instead, you control Mini Mario toys directly using only the DS stylus and touch screen. No buttons are used during gameplay at all. Each level contains 2–8 Mini Marios (240 total). The objective is to guide them all to the exit portal — a door marked with a red “M”. Minis walk automatically once activated; your job is to manipulate both the Minis and the environment to get everyone safely to the exit.
Touch Screen Controls
- Tap a Mini to activate it and start it walking
- Tap again to make it jump
- Tap and hold to pick it up and carry it
- Tap Pink Blocks to pick them up and place them in outlines to build platforms or bridges
- Interact with the environment — activate elevators, flip conveyor belts, move girders
- Top screen shows the main gameplay area; bottom screen is a full level overview map
Scoring & Stars
Points are earned by collecting Coins (50 pts), Large Coins (500 pts), and Mini Mario Cards. A “perfect chain” bonus is awarded for getting every Mini to the exit without any being destroyed. Getting a Gold Mini Mario to the exit last earns extra bonus points. Three stars are awarded for top-score performances; all 9 Mini Mario Cards per floor must be collected to unlock bonus content.
Boss Battles
Each floor ends with a Donkey Kong boss fight. Minis must work together to attack DK while avoiding his weapons and sidekicks. Bosses grow harder with each floor, culminating in a final showdown on the Roof with Mario joining in.
The Mini Toys
Six Mini toy types appear in the game. Mini Mario is the only playable character in the Main Game. The others are playable in the Construction Zone level editor via Special Kits unlocked by collecting Mini Mario Cards.
Mini MarioMain Game hero — the primary playable Mini
Mini DKConstruction Zone — Special Kit 2
Mini PeachConstruction Zone — Special Kit 1
Mini ToadConstruction Zone — Special Kit 3
Fire Mini MarioShoots fireballs — Construction ZoneGold Mini MarioWorth bonus points when last to reach the exitFloors of Super Mini Mario World
The theme park has 8 main floors plus a Basement and Roof. Each floor contains 9 puzzle rooms, a minigame, and a Donkey Kong boss fight — 80 levels total. Every floor introduces new mechanics and hazards on top of those already learned.
Floor 1Mushroom Mayhem
Introductory floor. Teaches Pink Blocks, Yellow Springs, Blue Springs, conveyor belts, elevators and Spikes. Enemies: Shy Guys, Piranha Plants, Circus Kongs.
Floor 2Tropical Island
A sunny tropical setting introducing water hazards and new platform types. Enemies: Fly Guys, Piranha Plants, Circus Kongs.
Floor 3Pipe Works
A subterranean pipe-filled maze. Introduces Capture Kongs. Minis navigate tight pipe corridors with conveyor belts and springs.
Floor 4Magnet Mania
Introduces Magnet Floors that pull or repel Minis. One of the most puzzle-intensive floors, requiring careful block placement.
Floor 5Lava Dome
Lethal lava pits and fire hazards throughout. Requires careful routing over platforms. Enemies: Circus Kongs, Bob-ombs, Thwomps.
Floor 6Toadstool Castle
A castle-themed floor with complex multi-level layouts, moving platforms and Crash Kongs as new hazards.
Floor 7Spooky Attic
Haunted attic with Phantom Guys, dark rooms and surprise hazards. Ghost-themed obstacles keep things unpredictable throughout.
Floor 8Jungle Hijinks
Lush jungle theme with vines, moving platforms and wildlife obstacles. Combines the most complex mechanics at full difficulty.
Basement⬇️ Basement
Secret underground area with 2 rooms — unlocked after the main floors. Contains some of the game’s hardest puzzles.
Roof🏁 Roof — Final Boss
Where Pauline is held captive. Mario joins the Mini Marios for the climactic final battle against Donkey Kong.
Items & Objects
Pink BlockPicked up and placed in outlined slots to create platforms or bridges — the game’s core puzzle mechanic.
Yellow SpringFlings Minis straight upward to reach higher platforms.
Blue SpringFlings Minis upward and forward simultaneously — used to cross gaps.
Conveyor BeltMoves Minis in one direction automatically. Tap to reverse direction.
ElevatorCarries Minis between levels of a stage. Activated by tapping.
GirderHorizontal platforms reachable from below via springs.
CoinCollected by Minis for 50 points each.
Large CoinCollected for 500 points — often in hard-to-reach spots.
Mini Mario Card9 per floor (72 total). Collecting all on a floor unlocks bonuses and Special Kits.
Exit PortalThe goal of every level — a door marked with a red “M”. Guide at least one Mini here to complete.
SpikesInstantly destroy any Mini that touches them.
Magnet GroundFloor 4 onwards — pulls or repels Minis depending on magnetic type.Enemies
Enemies destroy Minis on contact. Many can be neutralised by jumping on them or hitting them with blocks. Crash Kong and Capture Kong make their series debut here as DK’s special forces.
Shy GuyWalks back and forth — can be jumped on. Appears from Floor 1.
Piranha PlantSnaps from pipes or walls. Cannot be jumped on — must be avoided entirely.
Circus KongDK’s circus performer — throws balls at Minis. Appears from Floor 1.
Capture Kong ⭐ NEWGrabs and carries Minis away — the captured Mini must be rescued by tapping it free.
Crash Kong ⭐ NEWActively chases and destroys Minis on contact. More aggressive than Circus Kong.
Cool KongA relaxed variant of DK’s Kong forces appearing in later floors.
Bob-ombWalks in a set path and explodes after a timer — the blast destroys any Minis in the radius.
ThwompDrops from above to crush Minis. Wait for it to rise before moving Minis beneath it.
BlooperSwims through the air in wave patterns near water-themed sections.
Mummy GuyA bandaged Shy Guy variant appearing in later floors — walks back and forth.
SnapjawA snapping crocodile jaw that clamps shut when Minis walk into its path.
Donkey KongBoss at the end of every floor and the final Roof battle — gets harder each time.Construction Zone — Level Editor
🔧 Build & Share Your Own Levels
Construction Zone is a fully-featured level editor built into the game. Create your own puzzle levels using the same tools, blocks and hazards from the main game — then share them worldwide via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Players can download levels from friends using Friend Codes, or from any player globally. This was one of the most ambitious user-generated content features on the DS platform in 2006.
The editor supports all Mini types through Special Kits unlocked by collecting Mini Mario Cards: Special Kit 1 unlocks Mini Peach, Kit 2 unlocks Mini DK, and Kit 3 unlocks Mini Toad. Levels can be saved to the cartridge and uploaded or downloaded over Wi-Fi, creating an effectively unlimited supply of community content.
Reception
| Publication | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IGN | 7 / 10 | Praised the Lemmings-inspired design and level editor; felt less depth than the original game |
| GameSpy | 3.5 / 5 | “A mixed blessing” — fun puzzles, some touch screen responsiveness concerns |
March of the Minis received generally positive reviews. Critics acknowledged it as a clever, original take on the DS touch screen rather than a direct sequel. The Construction Zone and Wi-Fi sharing were consistently highlighted as standout features. Despite mixed scores the game sold well enough to spawn two sequels: Minis March Again! (DSiWare, 2009) and Mini-Land Mayhem! (DS, 2010).
Trivia & Facts
- This is the first Mario vs. Donkey Kong game where Mario is not playable — he only appears in cutscenes and the final Roof boss battle.
- The game is directly inspired by Lemmings — guiding a group of characters through hazard-filled levels by manipulating the environment.
- All gameplay uses only the DS touch screen and stylus — no buttons are used during levels at all.
- Crash Kong and Capture Kong are new enemies making their debut in this game as DK’s special forces.
- There are 240 Mini Marios spread across all levels — 2 to 8 per stage.
- The Construction Zone with Nintendo Wi-Fi level sharing was one of the most ambitious user-generated content features on DS in 2006.
- DK kidnaps Pauline out of jealousy — she preferred the Mini Mario toy to his Mini DK gift. One of the more emotionally motivated kidnappings in Mario history.
- In the PAL version, floors are labelled “Ground Floor” through “Floor 7” rather than “Floor 1” through “Floor 8”.
- Developed by Nintendo Software Technology (NST) — Nintendo’s American studio in Redmond, Washington — not Nintendo EAD in Japan.
- Collecting all 9 Mini Mario Cards per floor unlocks Special Kits and all Mini toy types for use in Construction Zone.
- The game was the direct foundation for the rest of the Mario vs. DK series — the Mini toy focus established in this game carried through every subsequent entry.