Mario vs. Donkey Kong Opening Sequence Reveals Why the Two are Fighting

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is just over a month away from release, and Nintendo has been starting to build up hype for the game. Earlier this month, the company revealed a trailer alongside some new features players can expect to see. Today, Nintendo pulled back the curtain on the game's opening sequence, which reveals why Mario and Donkey Kong find themselves squaring off this time. The cutscene is based on the same one from the original Game Boy Advance version, but things are looking much more polished in the Nintendo Switch game!

The opening sequence for Mario vs. Donkey Kong can be found below.

As the sequence begins, Donkey Kong can be seen sitting in his Tree House, surrounded by bananas. The big ape is looking quite bored as he surfs through the channels. However, a commercial for new Mini Mario toys catches his eyes. DK excitedly races to the store, only to find that they've sold out. Desperate to get his paws on one, DK heads to the Mini Mario factory, frightening the Toad staffers as he grabs every single one in sight. Catching DK in the act, Mario takes off after him, setting the game's events in motion. The opening sequence from the GBA version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong played out the exact same way, but instead of being fully animated, it featured voiced still images. Clearly, things look a lot nicer now!

Charles Martinet as Mario

One thing viewers will notice from the video is that Mario is still voiced by Charles Martinet. Last year, Nintendo announced that Martinet is stepping into a role as a "Mario ambassador," and will no longer be voicing Mario in new games. As a result, Kevin Afghani provided Mario's voice in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. However, Nintendo confirmed last year that it will be keeping Martinet's voice in remakes and remasters of existing games. In addition to Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Martinet's voice work will appear in Luigi's Mansion 2 HD later this year. 

Mario vs. Donkey Kong Release Date

Mario vs. Donkey Kong will be released on Nintendo Switch on February 16th. That's just a few months shy of the 20th anniversary of the original game, and it should give a bunch of newcomers a chance to see what the game has to offer. From everything Nintendo has shown so far, players can expect the gameplay to be very similar to the original GBA version, though there will be some new additions. Notably, the game will feature two new worlds, and there will be a Casual play style. The Casual play style will offer a somewhat easier experience. Easier options have become something of a staple of Mario games over the last few years, including titles like Super Mario Bros. Wonder. 

Are you looking forward to Mario vs. Donkey Kong next month? Did you play the original game on Game Boy Advance? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!