Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe’s guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo’s download service. Written by Sam C Gittins

If you're a fan of the two oldest characters in Nintendo history or just a fan of "the Football!" then you'll likely find something worth playing here. Anyway enough from me and on with the games!
 
Available for download this week we have...     

Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Tecmo Bowl

Price: GB £6.29, EU €6.99
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo Software Technology
Released: 2004
System: GBA
 
Anyone who's familiar with the fantastic GameBoy version of Donkey Kong – available on the eShop – should at least know partly what to expect from Mario VS Donkey Kong as the underlying formula is at least familiar albeit with a brand new spin put on it. Fed up with kidnapping Princesses the infernal ape Donkey Kong has moved on to collecting Mini Mario's but rather than buying them from a shop he decides to steal all of the toys from the factory leaving none for anyone else; of course Mario won't stand for this and so he gives chase as he follows DK up to the top of the toy factory collecting all of the mini versions of himself that the big ape seemed to drop during his getaway.

Your goal in each level is to collect packages then reach the exit, firstly there will be one package to obtain plus a key which must be carried to a locked door leading onto the second part which contains a further two packages to collect along with the Mini-Mario for that level; only the key plus the toy are essential for completion but if you're wanting to unlock Hard Mode then you'll be going after the extra items too in the quickest time possible. Each main level seems very well designed with a lot of thought put into how Mario interacts with the environment as it all becomes one big playground utilising everything from the double jump to throwing enemies or even blitzing all in your path with the classic Hammer power-up, when it comes to the boss stages though winning against DK may seem remarkably simple but if you want to rake in the points then you'll need to complete each boss battle without getting hit as this is how you are rewarded.

Every six levels you'll be tasked with leading the Mini-Mario's you've collected from the factory to the toy box in a Lemmings style puzzle, this is where the the more original element of play comes into its own helping to separate it from other Donkey Kong titles; ultimately it's almost a shame that there aren't more of these stages as they really brighten up the already shining experience but being that this is the technically the first title in this partially new series it's entirely forgiveable. Also thanks to this culmination of elements both old and new this is one title which you might feel familiar with at times but are constantly assured that it's all new content making for a truly compulsive playing experience which even fans who have played the first GameBoy version of DK repeatedly will revel in this glorious title.

While it doesn't remain faithful in the graphics department as the original games were all entirely sprite based which added to their charm it's still impressive if a little jarring 3D rendered sprites for the characters in the game including Mario himself which might not sit well with purists but overall it's certainly not a deal-breaker. Audibly this is a well-rounded effort taking into account the brilliant music compositions which are top-tier as you might expect but unfortunately Mario in particular seems overly vocal in this entry which there's nothing wrong with but it's arguable that the frequent voice samples aren't needed as often but again it's not a huge concern.

This is a really brilliant partial-reinvention of an old formula which there might not have been anything wrong with to begin with but it's hard to deny that what has been added here definitely has a positive effect on the classic Donkey Kong franchise helping to bring it to a larger audience as today there are many sequels that have stemmed from this modern-day classic. It almost goes without saying that if you've loved any of the original DK games then you will almost certainly love this modern take on an all-time great and if it's sitting on your 3DS unplayed then why not give it a try because I guarantee you won't be disappointed.    

Verdict : A masterful Mario title with more than a healthy dose of Donkey Kong.

Price: GB £8.99, EU €9.99
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo Software Technology
Released: 2007
System: DS

Following on from the first game, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is indeed a direct sequel even if it takes a slightly different approach in its execution, for anyone who played the original you will likely recall the Mini-Mario stages of which I originally stated that it's a shame that there wasn't as many of these stages; this just goes to show that you've got to be careful what you wish for. The story picks up where it was left with the Mini Mario Toy Company which makes the Mini Mario Toys now embarking on a theme park, as Mario decided this would be the logical way forward being that the toys are so popular is to open a Theme Park based around them - could we soon be seeing a real-life parallel situation with amiibo? - but of course on the day of the opening ceremony Donkey Kong comes along and kidnaps the special guest Pauline before climbing to the top of a very high building, so now it's up to Mario or rather his mini-minions to save the day.

Getting one of Mario's clockwork counterparts to the goal is all you need to do in order to clear that level which sounds simple enough, though there's plenty of peril in the form of obstacles along with various enemies to stop you in your tracks while you're fighting against the time limit. Moving between the different floors of the building you'll see the themes change as you progress, you have eight floors in total each of which in turn contains nine rooms which are the levels, of course there's also a DK boss battle too not to mention a mini-game if you manage to get every single Mini-Mario Card plus some other secrets which I won't spoil.

In an attempt to distance itself from the first title here you have a completely different control scheme which allows for independent control of each toy by either making them walk in either direction, stopping or of course jumping; then you have the level objects which you must also interact with to ensure success, sending the Minis across bridges, onto springs or even on top of a Shy Guy in SMB2 style. You are able to scout each area before you start which will please anyone who likes to plan ahead but we aren't talking Fire Emblem levels of complexity here, indeed if you've ever played the PC classic Lemmings then you'll at least be partially prepared; there's also a level editor which comes under the banner of Construction Zone which gives you the power to make your own levels with an easy to get to grips with set of pieces, it's a bit like Super Mario Maker... except it's not really and of course you can no longer share your creations but still some extra value to be had here. All of the usual DS game display options are here, some may struggle using the one screen on the Gamepad with the other on TV setup but really it's fine once you get used to it.

Such a clean artistic style is employed here, it's also one which doesn't quite have that traditional Nintendo feel however it's still nicely rendered though it certainly takes some getting used to and I personally only felt like it partially resonated with me; the animations are of course full of charm though as the on-screen action plays on at a reasonable pace. The audio has clearly been afforded some decent prodcution values as well, even though we aren't talking proper pangs of nostalgia here there are some good music tracks present here which combine nicely with the satisfying sound effects.

It seems odd to get at least part of what you originally thought you wanted from a sequel only to feel partially cheated, make no mistake that this is still definitely very playable indeed, it's even a lot of fun at times but Mario vs DK 2 is definitely not what you might be expecting if you were after the same game with more levels. For anyone new to the series I would suggest playing the original first or even Donkey Kong '94 before that if you haven't done so already because this is definitely one for the long-term fans who will definitely gain something from it, just not perhaps quite what they'd imagined.

Verdict : A decidedly different departure from the first title which still manages to delight.

Price: GB £3.49, EU €4.99
Publisher: Tecmo Koei
Developer: Tecmo
Released: 1989
System: NES

For someone who doesn't really like sports that much, a game revolving around Football - especially of the American variety - was never going to be very high up on my list of games to play if at all, so I must give credit to Tecmo in this instance for creating such a title which at the very least intrigues me ever so slightly. There's something interesting about making a sporting title work on limited hardware, often the end result would be something simple that still resembles what it's supposed to be replicating, that is true here yet what is different about Tecmo Bowl is its unique Arcade quality which still shines through against today's almost peverse pursuit for perfection pushed upon us since the polygons of the Playstation; while I do like a game to look nice it should never come at the cost of convoluted controls grating against the gameplay.

Three modes are available to you here including Single Player, Two Player plus Coaching which lets you call the shots plus manage your team while the CPU does all the work which is a nice novelty which has some use, but getting into the main game you get a choice of four plays on either offense or defense. Offense means you can choose running or passing play, hiking the ball is on one action button while you can pass or toss the ball using the other one, you simply control the player who has the ball who has to run, break tackles and hopefully score; I understand the defense to be largely similar except you're trying to stop the other side from scoring... Sports games really aren't my speciality, I hope that I've already mentioned that?

Clearly this is one of those instances where you will likely get more out of the experience in two-player mode as this will at least give you some moments of madness as you're both bashing buttons in order to make your player move either left or right in order to eventually, hopefully score a goal by some miracle. Otherwise it's a fairly lonely undertaking but some might enjoy playing these types of games on their own, for that I commend the staying power required as unless you're really into your sports titles you could be done with this after a few goes.

Being that this is 8-Bit American Football it's easily forgivable that it doesn't exactly look amazing by today's standards but at least everything is put across reasonably well, even if it can still be a little difficult to determine which position a character is in instantly; all the sideline details seem to be there though but I wouldn't notice if they were missing either. Audio is a particular highlight as the theme song is seemingly something that's legendary among those who have fond memories of it, all of the necessary sound effects are there too including the audible "hut-hut!" before the ball is passed plus some brutal tackle sound effects which really make the game that more immersive.

If you've ever longed to play a good, basic sports title revolving around that funny oval-shaped ball then look no further as this is likely perfect for you, anyone wanting lots of stats or depth to the experience should look elsewhere as this is aimed solely at being fun than fumbling with numbers which ultimately mean very little. This is another solid Tecmo title which deserves your attention if you're a fan of the company or easy to get into sports simulations as there is at least some fun to be had here, however fleeting it may be.    

Verdict : Tecmo takes the title of technical triumph for its time, though they don't try too hard.   

That's it for another installment of VC Weekly which will return again soon. So until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!