Time supposedly heals all wounds, but someone try telling that to Donkey Kong. Despite starring in several hits throughout his illustrious career, the huggable ape has been trapped inside Mario's shadow for years. The result is a very jealous 800-pound gorilla. In fact, he's so bitter that he's gone and kidnapped the lovely Pauline after he failed to win her heart. But like always (well, almost always), Mario is hot on his trail, or rather, a bunch of wind up toys. It's Mario Vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, and it's one very entertaining videogame.

Much like the surprise hit GBA original, March of the Minis contains a series of puzzles that require you to guide the game's main character(s) to the goal without dangling them in harm's way. Except this time, Nintendo's mixed things up by introducing these cute little Mario toys, or to be politically correct, Mini Marios, which just so happen to be the Mario Toy Company's most popular toys (it's all explained in the opening FMV...yes, I said FMV). Using the touch screen to make the pint-sized pipsqueaks walk, jump, or stop on a dime, you must first figure out the best way to get them to the goal, then carry out your plan, all the while avoiding fire-breathing piranha plants, shy guys, spiked pits, unstable bridges, and other hazards. The game looks great, is fun to play, and I love the fact that there's 80 plus levels and secret items to unlock. But unfortunately, March of the Minis is just too easy, especially the first few Floors (comprised of a series of puzzles). I took the game on the train to NYC (a 35-40 minute ride) and blew through the first three floors before I arrived in Penn Station! That was extremely disappointing and things didn't get much better. I'd find myself obsessing over the later stages (and I always delighted in figuring out the solution), but it only took me a few hours to complete the game, leaving me with quite an empty feeling.

Its short length notwithstanding, there are two things that make this title a must buy beginning with its quality. It's only going to take you two to four hours to complete, but those are going to be hours well spent. March of the Minis has been polished to a pristine shine. The graphics look great (though nowhere near as amazing as the original's during its time), the FMV is among the best that I've seen on the DS (it's quite good, actually), and the gameplay is rock solid. It just makes me happy, which is something I can't say about most games these days.

I'm also in love with the Construction Zone, a level editor that lets you create your own puzzles and share them with friends, either through ad hoc or the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. This is really the true meat of the game because the possibilities are endless. People are going to get to work creating puzzles, upload them online, and you'll (hopefully) have hundreds of boards to master. But I encourage you to create some of your own. The program is really easy to use, and you'll unlock new construction sets/parts as you complete the Main Game.
So there you have it! March of the Minis is a fun puzzle game that, while short, contains a sick level editor that multiplies its replay value ten fold. Buy it ASAP.