GENRE
	Puzzle
	DEVELOPER
	Nintendo
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1-2
	WORTH PLAYING TODAY?
	yes
	BUY NOW AT

Ever wonder how Nintendo ended up with the reputation of being the best first party developer? Sure Sony can churn out a good game now and then. Heck, even Microsoft may get lucky and make a decent first party title one of these days. But when something new is coming down the Nintendo pipeline, people take notice. Well it didn’t always used to be that way. Back on the NES, Nintendo proved its genius with every opportunity it got. If they didn’t invent a new way to play games, they could at least improve upon it. This is what they did with Tetris. The groundbreaking idea was new to console gamers, and Nintendo isn’t one to be shown up, even if they were getting royalties from it. They saw a good thing in Tetris and knew it could be something even better, and thus Dr. Mario was born.

visuals

Puzzle games have never really been about the graphics, so I’ll cut right to the chase. Visuals are simplistic, but get the job done. However, in all areas where Nintendo could have added a visual boost, they did. Menus and HUD’s are eye-catching and easy to understand. The animated germs and Dr. Mario on the side of the gameplay are also not needed, but very entertaining and well drawn. Overall this game didn’t need to have much graphical detail to be great, but Nintendo didn’t forget to polish it up nicely for the player anyway.

audio

Dr. Mario has some of, if not the catchiest tunes on the NES. You have your choice between two classic melodies: chill and fever. Both are wonderfully composed and quite memorable. Dr. Mario also features some ear pleasing sound effects to reward you for your germ busting. Be sure to check out some remixed versions of these great tunes in Dr. Mario 64 and Super Smash Bros. Melee.

gameplay

In Dr. Mario, simplicity is key. As in most puzzle games, your main objective is to match alike colors to clear the board. However, unlike the average puzzler, you only have three different colored items (or in this case viruses) to eliminate. Even simpler are the pieces given to you to knock out those viruses. No funky L shaped blocks here, just plain old bicolored pills. This simplistic approach can give players a false sense of security, but they quickly discover that leftovers pile up and cause some serious trouble. It’s that build up to climax that really sets Dr. Mario apart in my mind. In other puzzle games, you know when you’re about to get screwed. But the unique garbage system in Dr. Mario tends to sneak up on you, giving even veteran players a run for their money. That being said, while it’s hard enough to keep your own leftovers from coming back to haunt you, the true thrills come from the garbage opponents can toss your way.

multiplayer

The same rules apply in versus mode, only here you have the chance to really screw your friends, and isn’t that what multiplayer is all about? The key to victory lies in planning ahead and setting up a big chain of combos. For every pair of germs you eliminate, a random half pill is dropped on your rival. Strategic use of this garbage will assure you victory and a great time.

overall

Dr. Mario may not be as popular or critically acclaimed as it’s older brother Tetris. But I honestly belive it is the better game. It’s intuitive design and simplistic gameplay make it very user friendly, but it’s customization of speed and virus infestation make it a tough one to master. On top of that it’s one of the most competitive games on the market to this date. If you haven’t tried this outstanding puzzler out yet, then you owe it to yourself to pick up either the original, Dr. Mario 64, or even its latest reincarnation in Wario Ware Inc.

10/10