Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars Image
Metascore
70

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 53 Ratings

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  • Summary: The Mario vs. Donkey Kong series makes its way to Wii U with the newest
    game in the charming puzzle series. This HD entry takes full advantage of the touch screen on the GamePad controller and features a near-limitless puzzle-creation mode.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 15
  2. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Mar 5, 2015
    90
    A superb puzzle game that has the added bonus of being cross-buy.
  2. Mar 5, 2015
    90
    But hey, for what they were building, Tipping Stars does a lot of things right.
  3. Mar 5, 2015
    85
    Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars is another fun puzzle game to add to the 3DS library. If you are done with the creative levels Nintendo made for you, there is still the level creator. Add to that the cross-buy feature and this game is tons of fun.
  4. Mar 5, 2015
    70
    Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars is a nice, small and interesting game, with a perfect level design and cute graphics. Its affordable price, the cross-buy and cross-play options between 3DS and Wii U, plus huge social element, are enough to keep you interested for many hours.
  5. games(TM)
    Apr 11, 2015
    70
    What would otherwise be a pretty bog standard platform game is elevated by the workshop option. [Issue#159, p.109]
  6. Mar 13, 2015
    70
    If you’re expecting a full Mario, or even a full Nintendo game experience, you’d be better off skipping this game.
  7. Mar 4, 2015
    50
    It never instills any sense of wonder or accomplishment, and it often feels more like work than play. It's a very paint-by-numbers affair; for a puzzle game it doesn't actually require much thinking, only doing. It is a game that exists, and that's about as much as there is to say about it.

See all 15 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Mar 7, 2015
    10
    Basta de juegos de disparos! Este juego tiene una excelentes mecánicas y puzzles que te hacen pensar que camino seguir. El modo creador es unaBasta de juegos de disparos! Este juego tiene una excelentes mecánicas y puzzles que te hacen pensar que camino seguir. El modo creador es una genialidad para ejercitar el cerebro. Expand
  2. Mar 5, 2015
    10
    A fantastic puzzle game akin to Lemmings! Very polished! The level design and screen tipping elements add a lot of value, too. For 20 bucks,A fantastic puzzle game akin to Lemmings! Very polished! The level design and screen tipping elements add a lot of value, too. For 20 bucks, you can't go wrong! Expand
  3. Mar 5, 2015
    10
    This game is really clever! I love the infinite possibilities with the sharing of levels - this gives it a perfect score for replayability!This game is really clever! I love the infinite possibilities with the sharing of levels - this gives it a perfect score for replayability! Reminds me of Pushmo with all the possibilities for unique ideas. The tipping feature is a nice touch - I think Nintendo should do some sort of contest where the person who gets the most "tipping stars" receives a job offer to work on their next game! Love the cross-play and that this can be portable or in my living room - please include this in the future as well! 10/10 Well done again, Nintendo! Expand
  4. Mar 6, 2015
    9
    A cute puzzler with about 90 unlockable Nintendo made levels. These levels range from relatively easy to pretty challenging so it has a niceA cute puzzler with about 90 unlockable Nintendo made levels. These levels range from relatively easy to pretty challenging so it has a nice difficulty curve. The real reason to get this game (aside from the price/ cross-buy) is the level sharing. Already have played many user created levels and created some of my own. Truly a blast!! Expand
  5. Mar 8, 2015
    6
    Got some time until the game ends,and i just wait for that for finish. He has his moments,so i gave him 6.could give him 4,but its prettyGot some time until the game ends,and i just wait for that for finish. He has his moments,so i gave him 6.could give him 4,but its pretty funny,even when it not trying. Expand
  6. Mar 16, 2015
    5
    I know that its a good game but it is the same Mario Vs Donkey Kong games on the DS. The $19.99 pricetag even that its for the 3DS and theI know that its a good game but it is the same Mario Vs Donkey Kong games on the DS. The $19.99 pricetag even that its for the 3DS and the WiiU does not justify the price. Expand
  7. May 25, 2015
    5
    I loved previous installments in this light-hearted puzzle series, but this time Nintendo have cut it a little too short, making this latestI loved previous installments in this light-hearted puzzle series, but this time Nintendo have cut it a little too short, making this latest one a game that is only worth buying if you haven't got any of the others.
    The main game consists of the same old classic puzzle challenges that, while fairly enjoyable, introduce hardly any new mechanics. Instead, they take all of the previous Mario vs DK games' innovations and simple recycle them. This means that the game is rarely surprising and you'll probably get bored if you've played the previous Mario vs DK titles.
    Still, the single player isn't the focus here, of course, as the title suggests. The level editor is what is supposed to keep you coming back for more, and that is, in the end, the biggest disappointment. You can use it to design levels, like in the previous games, for sharing online. But the trouble is, because the game barely introduces any new ideas, if you've played the previous games and made a lot of levels with them, then you won't have many ideas for new levels here. According to Nintendo, this is where the 'tipping stars' come in. The idea is, if other people like your levels, they'll tip you stars which you can then use to buy new mechanics and options to use in the levels you make. This, according to Nintendo, should keep people making levels. And it's a nice idea- but it's made pointless by the fact that these new mechanics are merely new themes, not anything else! How is a golden pipe going to help you make more creative levels any more than an ordinary green pipe? Or a new background? I don't know what was going through the developers' minds, but they really got this very wrong indeed. And did I mention you can't even share more than 20 levels anyway per account?
    Oh, and the price tag- the game should be half that price, but the fact the purchase was crossplatform seemed to make Nintendo think they could charge double for it, even though it's exactly the same on Wii U and 3DS!
    If you've never played a Mario vs DK game before, this might be worth picking up. But even then, you'd get more enjoyment from buying the old DS entries in the series than this one, for their more inspired level design.
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See all 8 User Reviews