Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars

Funny, creative, but with not very many puzzles. A Trojan Horse for Mario Maker. With this new game in the Mario vs Donkey series the Nintendo community is going to be tested if they're ready for a level editor.

Like Minis on the Move, Tipping Stars won’t draw the kind of crowd Mario’s other extracurricular activities (kart racing, tennis, golf) might, but it’s no less a quality way to kill time while on the go.

The level editor is a great example of empowering players with clear and solid tools, which allow you to to work creatively and effectively without being hampered by overly complicated systems.

A fair but unimaginative puzzle game, Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars is a good way to spend some afternoons, but the series really needs a twist to go on.

Even though Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars isn’t a “full” game in terms of what it offers and its pricing, it still has lots of potential. The end product is a puzzle game that is easy to play, but difficult to master.

Whether the face revealed by a zombified Mini Mario is fresh or not, the mechanics of Tipping Stars are mostly old, but they still shine through this brilliant lesson of level design. Then aspiring - and inspired - puzzle builders can give their own interpretation to the community, stimulated by an even more gratifying workshop. Surely a t(r)ip towards the seventh heaven for all brain teasing games' lovers.

The gameplay is classic and solid, but it lacks refreshing ideas. Whoever has already played any Mario vs. Donkey Kong with Lemmings influence, won't find anything new here. The editor is the better part of the offering, and the star economy is fun enough to put to good profit.

Whether you’re a Mario vs. Donkey Kong series veteran or are diving into the toy-puzzle scene for the first time, Tipping Stars will (eventually) challenge you with tough stages to master, even if it doesn’t exactly bring anything new of value to the table.

Tipping Stars is just about what you’d expect from a modern Mario vs. Donkey Kong title: unique, fun in short bursts, and inexpensive—but nevertheless, nothing terribly exciting.

There's little innovation here, and somehow it feels like a 0,99c mobile game priced at 20$. It isn't a bad game, but Nintendo should have tried harder.

If gamers flock to Tipping Stars and really embrace the level creator, we could see a thriving community that provides tons of innovative levels for years to come. If people skip the game, you're stuck with another by-the-numbers sequel in this long-running series. [Issue #14: Old vs. New – March/April 2015, p.30]

The new entry in the long-running puzzle series is fun in short burst, but it just doesn’t bring anything new.

After a tantalizing serving of polygonal freshness in its predecessor, it’s disappointing to see Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars not just tread water but actually move the series backward.

The basic gameplay in this entry just seems uninspired, especially its main campaign.