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CONSOLE: NES DEVELOPER: Nintendo PUBLISHER: Nintendo
RELEASE DATE (NA): October 1990 GENRE: Action
// review by Beverley

Wanna play doctor?

We all know Mario and his expansive entertainment empire, and this classic, Dr. Mario, is no exception. I am sure most readers are already very familiar with this plumber's foray into the medical field, as this classic falling block puzzle game has been ported, remade, and sequeled on every console from here to kingdom come. But what has made this classic such a favourite? Why has this pill-pushing classic become so popular?

The premise is that Mario, starring as Dr. Mario, is throwing pills and attacking viruses. Much like Tetris, you have to guide the falling pills to line up four objects of the same colour — both viruses which are already on screen and segments of falling pills. There are three colours in the game: red, yellow, and blue. Rather than adding more colours as the levels advance, you get more viruses until your screen is an infected pustule stuffed to the brim with these deadly creepy-crawlies. As things get tougher, you might find yourself in some sticky situations. The game seems straightforward, but there are lots of clever tricks you can master to reach the higher levels. Once you hit Level 20, no more viruses are added, but you can keep playing. To adjust the challenge, you can change the number of viruses and the speed of the falling pills.


We've got the prescription for you: a daily dose of Dr. Mario! Take with food.

If you decide you would some company, there is also a two-player mode. It's the same game on both sides of the screen, and whoever clears their screen first wins. The twist is that when you make a clever move like eliminating more than one virus at once, fragments of pills are dropped on your opponent's game, providing another obstacle to overcome. The game is set up so you have to win two of three games to win the round.

This game has excellent music: on the title screen, even the little blue virus is jamming! On the menu you can choose Fever, Chill, or Off, so you can play your own favourite puzzle gaming anthems. My personal favourite tune is Chill, which is very funky, but Fever is the one most commonly associated with the game and has a high energy, upbeat vibe. The sound effects are the typical bleeps and bloops you expect from an NES game, but they fit the gameplay and that are really the most you can ask for.

It wasn't until I looked at some of Dr. Mario's prototypes that I realized just how much effort went into the graphical details of this game. The simplicity of "Virus," as it was previously called, emphasizes the attention the developers gave to changing Mario's sprite, the virus sprites, the title screen, the menus, and many other subtle elements I would not have noticed. While the Nintendo Entertainment System's graphics are very simple compared to what we are capable of today, the amount of special attention given to each and every pixel is something to really marvel at. Compared to the prototype, which felt very plain, I notice now how the components of the playing field have a very medical theme, with such objects as a clipboard and a magnifying glass. So why is Dr. Mario a classic? Well, because it's packed with great gameplay, great graphics, and amazing music it's no wonder this game has been rehashed more times than Joan Rivers has had plastic surgery. If you have been living in Siberia for the past 20 years, I highly recommend you pick up a copy immediately. If not, you probably already know what I am going to say: Dr. Mario is an awesome game.


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