Mario vs. Donkey Kong series

Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a 2D puzzle platformer and the only game in the series to star Mario as a playable character, putting the rivalry between him and Donkey Kong in the limelight. After seeing an advertisement for Mini Mario toys on television, Donkey Kong rushes to the toy store to buy one of them. He soon learns that the store is out of stock and decides to steal all Minis from the Mario Toy Company across the street, prompting Mario to chase him through several worlds and retrieve the toys.

As it was originally intended to be a remake of Donkey Kong for the Game Boy, Mario vs. Donkey Kong features many of the mechanics present in that game, including Mario's extended moveset consisting of the handstand, backflip and wire spin. During each level, Mario has to carry a key to the goal door and unlock it in the first part, then reach and free a captured Mini Mario in the second part.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis is an action puzzle game that continues the rivalry between Mario and Donkey Kong with a new story. The newly-renamed Mini Mario Toy Company expands its Mini collection and opens a theme park, inaugurated by Mario and his friend Pauline. Donkey Kong, also present there, kidnaps her out of jealousy for choosing Mario's toy gift over his, taking her to the roof of the building located many floors above. Mario then employs the help of the Mini toys to rescue Pauline. In the same year the game was released, a promotional browser game appeared on the Nintendo Arcade website called Mario vs. DK 2: Cannon Kaos.

The game marks the transition of the series to a style of gameplay reminiscent of Lemmings. In each level, the player has to guide a number of Mini toys to the exit door. They start moving automatically upon tapping them, although they can be kept under control for the remainder of the level using the touchscreen. They can be swept sideways to change their direction or upward to make them jump, or tapped to bring them to a stop. The levels are scattered with various mechanisms, switches or enemies that can be manipulated by the player or the toys themselves to help them progress. Even though levels can be finished with only one Mini left, bringing as many Minis as possible to the goal increases the player's score with a significant amount, awarding them a star rating which contributes towards unlocking extra levels.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! is a retelling of the game's previous story with a different gameplay. Mario once again sends the Minis to rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong, who has kidnapped her on a whim for being declined a Mini toy after they sold out.

The player no longer has control over the Minis after activating them, and can only modify the environment so that the toys are safely escorted to the exit door. Unlike in the previous game, no Mini has to be lost or destroyed on the way to the goal, as this lowers the amount of retries the player has until they reach a game over. A characteristic mechanic of this game, the Pink Block, has been adjusted from the previous game to be individually removed and placed in special slots throughout a stage, acting as walls or platforms for the Minis.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, Mario and Pauline open a new amusement park, the Mini-Land, where the public comes for a chance to obtain the brand new Mini Pauline toy. Donkey Kong arrives late and learns that there are no more of these toys, making him kidnap the real Pauline out of spite. As such, Mario and the Minis set out once again to rescue Pauline on the Super Mini Mario Express, a locomotive which they use to commute from one attraction to the other.

The gameplay takes after the predecessor, in that the Minis start marching uncontrollably after being initiated and the player must form a path for them to the exit, avoiding obstacles and collecting optional items. However, the extra life mechanic is ditched. The key mechanic of the game is constructing various platforms and walls to direct the Minis, making use of a limited stockpile of resources to build them. Red Girders are introduced to the gameplay and would form a main-stay feature in the following titles.

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move pauses the conflict of the series' main characters, as Donkey Kong joins Pauline to run a carnival. Although the objective of guiding the Minis to the goal remains intact, it is now presented in a three-dimensional environment with a gameplay influenced by the Pipe Mania video game. In this game, the player must construct a pathway by placing tiles on a field and guide Mini Marios to the goal. Besides the main game, three extra modes and four minigames are available.