Series guide
All Mario vs. Donkey Kong games in order
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is the puzzle side of the Mario–Donkey Kong rivalry: short stages, a key, a door, and later a parade of wind-up Mini Marios you guide with the stylus. Seven games in twenty years, three of them downloads that can no longer be bought, and one remake that brought the series back. Below are all seven games in order, with the platforms linked — the GBA and DS cartridges are the copies we stock and test — and buying notes that say which ones exist on a cartridge at all.
The short answer
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004, GBA) → March of the Minis (2006, DS) → Minis March Again! (2009, DSiWare) → Mini-Land Mayhem! (2010, DS) → Minis on the Move (2013, 3DS eShop) → Tipping Stars (2015, 3DS & Wii U) → the Switch remake (2024). Start with the remake.
Every Mario vs. Donkey Kong game in order
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong · 2004 · Game Boy Advance — the puzzle-platformer that grew out of Donkey Kong ’94 on Game Boy
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis · 2006 · Nintendo DS — the switch to guiding wind-up Mini Marios with the stylus; Europe in March 2007
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! · 2009 · Nintendo DSi (download) — DSiWare only — never on a cartridge
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! · 2010 · Nintendo DS — the last Minis game on a DS cartridge, with a level editor; Europe in February 2011
- Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move · 2013 · Nintendo 3DS (download) — eShop only, and the only one called “and” instead of “vs.”
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars · 2015 · Nintendo 3DS & Wii U — one purchase for both consoles; boxed in Europe, download-only in America
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong (remake) · 2024 · Nintendo Switch — the 2004 game rebuilt, with two new worlds and co-op
Do you have to play them in order?
No. The games split into two styles — the first game and its remake are platform-puzzles you control directly, everything from March of the Minis to Tipping Stars is a lemmings-style guiding game — and neither needs the other. What order does explain is the drift from cartridge to download: after Mini-Land Mayhem in 2010 the series lived mostly on the eShop, until the 2024 remake put it back in a box.
Which Mario vs. Donkey Kong should you buy now?
- Playing, today: the Switch remake (2024) — the first game rebuilt, with co-op, on Switch and Switch 2.
- The original cartridge: Mario vs. Donkey Kong on GBA — also in the slot of a DS or DS Lite.
- The Minis puzzles: Mini-Land Mayhem! (DS) — the best of that style, with a level editor.
- Game zero: Donkey Kong ’94 on Game Boy — where the whole idea began.
Buying Mario vs. Donkey Kong second-hand
Three of the seven never came on a cartridge
Minis March Again! (DSiWare), Minis on the Move (3DS eShop) and, in America, Tipping Stars were downloads only — and the DSi Shop and 3DS eShop have closed. The cartridges to collect are the GBA original, March of the Minis, Mini-Land Mayhem and the European Tipping Stars; the Switch remake covers the first game.
The GBA original plays on a DS or DS Lite too
Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004) is a Game Boy Advance cartridge: region-free, and it fits the second slot of an original DS or DS Lite — not the DSi, 2DS or 3DS. On those, the Switch remake is the way to play it.
The two DS Minis games are region-free
March of the Minis and Mini-Land Mayhem run on any DS, DS Lite, DSi, 2DS or 3DS from any region. Both lean on the stylus, so a clean touchscreen matters; Mini-Land Mayhem’s level editor is fully on the cartridge.
Donkey Kong ’94 is where it starts
The 1994 Game Boy game called simply Donkey Kong — a hundred puzzle stages after the four arcade ones — is the direct ancestor of Mario vs. Donkey Kong, and plays on any Game Boy, Game Boy Color or GBA. Collectors count it as game zero.
Every copy tested before it is listed
Booting, gameplay, saving, label condition — checked on real hardware. We have been doing this since 2019, with 1400+ verified reviews at 5.0★, and we ship tracked to all 27 EU countries. Originals only; if something ever turns out not to be genuine, you get your money back.
See the Mario games in stockQuestions we get asked
Do I need to play the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games in order?
No. Each game is a set of puzzles with a thin story about Pauline, Mini Marios and a stolen toy factory. The 2024 Switch remake of the first game is the best starting point; the DS Minis games are a different, stylus-driven style.
How many Mario vs. Donkey Kong games are there?
Seven: the GBA original (2004), March of the Minis (2006), Minis March Again! (2009), Mini-Land Mayhem! (2010), Minis on the Move (2013), Tipping Stars (2015) and the Switch remake (2024). Donkey Kong ’94 on Game Boy is the unofficial first.
What is the newest Mario vs. Donkey Kong game?
The Nintendo Switch remake of Mario vs. Donkey Kong, released in February 2024 — the 2004 GBA game rebuilt with new worlds and two-player co-op. It runs on Switch 2 as well.
Is the Switch Mario vs. Donkey Kong the same as the GBA game?
It is a remake of it: the same six worlds with new graphics, plus two new worlds, a casual mode and co-op. If you own the GBA cartridge, the Switch version adds content rather than replacing it.
Which Mario vs. Donkey Kong should I buy?
The Switch remake for playing today; the GBA original for the pixel art and the DS or DS Lite slot; Mini-Land Mayhem for the best of the Minis puzzles and its level editor.
Do you ship outside the Netherlands?
We ship to all 27 EU countries with track & trace. Parcels leave from the Netherlands, there are no customs charges within the EU, and your country’s exact rate appears at checkout before you pay.
Years given are the first release; European dates were sometimes a few months later. Donkey Kong-games in het Nederlands.