The Mini-Mario toys are so cute that even Donkey Kong likes them, so he steals some from Mario's toy company. While chasing after DK, Mario will need to use his acrobatic skills to make it through dozens of challenging levels filled with enemies and puzzles.

Combining puzzle-solving and platforming, Mario vs. Donkey Kong has six worlds, each containing six levels. To progress through the game, you must find keys, recover Mini-Marios, and battle DK at the end of each world.