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Dr. Mario (JP) (stylized as D℞. Mario) is a game released to the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy in 1990 and 1991 and was later re-released on the Game Boy Advance. It also made it's way on to the Virtual Console for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
Plot[]
Gameplay[]
It is a puzzle game where the objective is to defeat different colored germs using vitamins of the same color. It is basically four in a row just like Tetris (row or column counts) or to put it another way, to defeat each germ, three halves of the same color must be next to the germ. These halves do not need to be on the same pill. The germs will multiply as the levels progress.
The germs come in three colors: red, yellow, and blue. The red and blue ones are named Fever and Chill (respectively), after the two music tracks provided, while the yellow one is named Weird.
Development[]
Reception[]
Remakes and ports[]
VS. Dr. Mario[]
The game was later released on the VS. System under the name VS. Dr. Mario. This version drops the Slow mode and features a less generous scoring system. In the NES version, the first virus killed by a vitamin yields 200 points (on Normal mode), the second 400, the third 800, the fourth 1600. So each virus is worth twice as much as the last. In the VS. version, the first virus is worth 200, then 400, then 600, then 800. So a virus is worth only 200 points more, and not twice as many points, as the previous virus.
Satellaview[]
A slightly altered version of Dr. Mario known as Dr. Mario BS Version 「Ｄｒ．マリオＢＳ版」 was broadcast for the Satellaview system between March 1997 and June 2000. It has the same graphics and music that was used in the remake from Tetris & Dr. Mario which was not released in Japan. It should also be mentioned that the complete game is still in the ROM, just locked out.[1]
List of re-releases and ports[]
- Dr. Mario was ported into the Nintendo PlayChoice-10 arcade machines in North America.
- In 1994, Nintendo released a remake for SNES, as a part of the Tetris & Dr. Mario cartridge.
- In 2004, Nintendo re-released the original NES version for the Game Boy Advance, as part of the Classic NES Series.
- In 2005, Nintendo again released Dr. Mario for Game Boy Advance, but this time as an enhanced remake in Dr. Mario & Puzzle League.
- On March 22, 2012, the Game Boy version was released on the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in PAL regions and it was released in Japan and North America on October 2nd and 3rd respectively later that year.
- A trial version of the Game Boy game appears as a unlockable Masterpiece in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U.
- Dr. Mario is one of the games that appear in NES Remix 2 and Ultimate NES Remix. It is the final challenge in Championship Mode.
- A trial version of the NES game appears as a "highlight" in amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits.
- The NES and Famicom version of Dr. Mario is one of the 30 games included in the NES Classic Edition and Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer, respectively.
- Dr. Mario was made available as one of the 20 NES titles at the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service's launch in September 2018, and can be played competitively with other players online.[2]
Microgame[]
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! featured a microgame version of Dr. Mario. There is also an unlockable mini game version entitled Dr. Wario.
Another microgame based on this game appeared in WarioWare Gold.
Development[]
Dr. Mario was originally made under the title "Virus", which had similar gameplay, but the goal was to cure viruses in a sick animal. What appears to be Nurse Toadstool is also visible in the game.[3]
Soundtrack[]
Trivia[]
- The game was featured on the cover of Nintendo Power V18.
- This is one of the 12 games featured in NES Remix 2.
Gallery[]
References[]
External links[]
- Dr. Mario at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Dr. Mario at GameFAQs
- Dr. Mario at MobyGames
- Nintendo UK Game Boy Advance site
| Nintendo Puzzle video games | |
|---|---|
| Dr. Mario series | Dr. Mario • 64 • Online Rx • Express • Dr. Luigi • Miracle Cure • World |
| Puzzle League | Panel de Pon (Tetris Attack) • Pokémon Puzzle League • Pokémon Puzzle Challenge Planet Puzzle League (Express) |
| Picross | Mario's Picross • Super Picross • Picross 2 • Picross DS • Picross 3D • Picross 3D: Round 2 Pokémon Picross • My Nintendo Picross |
| Bit Generations | Boundish • Dialhex • Dotstream • Digidrive • Coloris • Orbital • Soundvoyager |
| Compilation | Tetris & Dr. Mario • Dr. Mario & Puzzle League • Nintendo Puzzle Collection |
| Other Games | Alleyway • Kirby's Avalanche • Mario & Wario • Pokémon Trozei! • Pokémon Battle Trozei • Touch Panic Puzzle & Dragons • Wario's Woods • Wrecking Crew • Wrecking Crew '98 • Yoshi • Yoshi's Cookie |
| Related | Tetris • Puyo Puyo • Columns |