Dr. Mario 64

"The Doctor is back! The addiction returns, with an abundance of new features."

Way back in 1990, the outbreak of Dr. Mario fever began to spread throughout the United States. And that fever hit me very hard; Dr. Mario was my very first puzzle game, but definitely not my last. That was the game that forever got me hooked on the puzzle genre, that was the game that kept me playing hours on end non-stop, that was the game made seeing the doctor something to look forward to. Now, eleven years later, that same game has returned, but this time with a drastic overhaul. Dr. Mario 64 features the same addictive game engine of the past, combined with the hardware of today. What’s the diagnosis on Dr. Mario 64? This review will outline the healthy and ailing areas of the game:

Story (4/10): I’ll give Nintendo credit for trying, because creating a storyline for a puzzle game is not an easy task. Unfortunately, the plot of Dr. Mario 64’s single player Story mode is absolutely dreadful. It’s flu season again, and Dr. Mario is busy curing all the sick patients using his special Megavitamins. Deep in a secret castle, the evil Mad Scienstein receives orders from his secret master to go and steal the Megavitamins from Mario. Wario, seeing that the Megavitamins could be sold for much money, decides to try and steal them as well. When Mario goes home, Dr. Scienstein breaks into his home and pilfers the vitamins. Wario comes by, and begins to chase after Scienstein, trying to take the Megavitamins. And finally, Mario goes home to discover the vitamins are missing, and chases after the other two. Pretty much the rest of the game involves chasing after them over, and over, and over again. There’s even a few laughable “plot twists” that make very little sense at all. It’s ss repetitive and boring a storyline as can be. Luckily, the strength of puzzle games lies less in story, and more in gameplay.

Graphics (6/10): The graphics in Dr. Mario 64 are decent, but nothing special. From the very opening of the game, the graphics have a hybrid Paper Mario and Tetris Attack look and feel to them. Many of the characters in the opening and in story mode appear to be flat, cardboard cut-outs, and run by bouncing up and down. The setup of the Versus mode, with one character’s picture facing another’s is similar to the Tetris Attack battle screen. The landscapes and levels that you get to play in are unique and colorful, but again, nothing stunning. However, the actual in-game graphics are quite similar to those of the original Dr. Mario, specifically the capsules and viruses. They look nearly identical to their 8-bit counterparts, which doesn’t really help or hurt the game. When playing with four players though, the each individual screen becomes extremely small and very difficult to see. The viruses are more difficult to distinguish, which can be quite frustrating for some players. The individual playable characters are odd, but illustrated and animated well. The end result of Nintendo’s efforts is that a more modern feel for Dr. Mario has been created, yet they still feel somewhat lacking.

Audio (5/10): Oh Nintendo, why oh why did you have to mess with the excellent music of the original Dr. Mario? The good news: Fever and Chill are back again in Dr. Mario 64. The bad news: They’ve both been drastically altered to the point of extreme annoyance. For example, Nintendo has added a duck-like sound and other strange sound effects in the effort to create a remix of the original Fever. Unfortunately, the bizarreness of it all simply ruined the song for me. Chill has been slightly altered, but is more similar to the original than Fever. In addition to the classic two songs, there are two new ones named Cube and Que Que. Cube is simply a poor song, slow and repetitive. Que Que on the other hand is a bit better, with a faster tempo and catchy melody. More good news: a faster track has been added for when you are nearing the top of the bottle, which adds to the intensity and excitement of the near-loss experience. More bad news though: also when you near the top of the bottle, an annoying siren begins to go off every few seconds. I found it as an unnecessary annoyance and distraction. The non-battle songs are average, though some of the other golden oldies from Dr. Mario are back, and as good as ever.

Controls (10/10): The controls for this game are very simple. The control pad is used to move the capsules left and right, and by pressing down, they’ll fall quickly. Press the A button to rotate a capsule clockwise, and press the B button to rotate it counterclockwise. In Marathon mode, pressing either the L or R button causes the number of viruses in the bottle to increase. Pressing any of the C buttons causes the capsule landing indicator (which shows where your capsule will land) on or off. The smooth and easy to pick up controls are a tremendous help to beginners and experts alike.

Gameplay (10/10): The heart and soul of Dr. Mario 64 is the excellent gameplay. Dr. Mario 64 can be played by one to four players, and there is a multitude of modes to choose from. The basic point of Dr. Mario is to eliminate all of the viruses in the bottle by arranging four blocks of the same color in a row (that includes the viruses themselves). This can be achieved by dropping colored capsules on them that Dr. Mario tosses in periodically. However, the masterminds at Nintendo have dreamed up several new modes to increase the fun:

Classic - For one player only. This mode is identical to that of the original Dr. Mario. Your goal is to destroy all of the viruses in the bottle without clogging up the opening at the top. If you get rid of them all, you are allowed to move on to the next level, where there are even more viruses to destroy. See how high a score you can achieve or the highest level you can get to. If you were a fan of the original, you’ll be sure to enjoy Classic mode.

Story - For one player. This mode follows the storyline described above. The purpose of it is to battle each of the individual enemies in a Versus battle. You win by clearing all of your viruses before they do. These battles are generally one-on-one, but there can also be a four-way battle. Be warned though, each battle gets progressively harder, so be sure to stay alert! Story mode provides a challenge, but tends to get boring after a few times through. I suggest sticking to other modes once you’ve completed Story mode.

Versus - For one or two players. Versus mode battles are one-on-one contests, with one character facing another. Again, the object is to eliminate all of the viruses from your container before your enemy can. If you manage to do this three times, you win, although the number of wins is an adjustable option. If you can perform a combo (destroying two or more stacks of viruses/capsules in succession), you’ll send garbage pieces to your opponent, which can disrupt his plans. Versus mode is one of the best ways to play, especially if you have a friend you can challenge. You may find yourselves playing for hours on end; the competition can become fierce and grueling.

Multiplayer Versus/Team Battle - For one to four players. These contests are radically different from regular Versus battles. The screen shrinks so it can fit four bottles, each for one of the four players. If less than four people are playing, the computer will take over the open slots. The object once again is to clear all of the viruses from your bottle, but this time the combo system is different. You’ll send garbage to your enemies depending on what color block you used to start the combo. In a Team Battle, you team up with one other player to take on the remaining two, and the rules are similar to those of Multiplayer. These modes are unique additions to Dr. Mario 64 and are both challenging and entertaining. There’s more complex strategy involved here compared to other modes.

Flash - For one to four players. The object is to destroy the flashing viruses; all others do not need to be killed. Again, this mode involves different strategies than the others, because the flashing virus may be buried near the bottom, and you may need to tunnel through other viruses to reach it quickly. If you enjoy Classic mode, you will likely delight in taking on the new challenges of Flash.

Marathon - For one player only: See how long you can last in a world of multiplying viruses! Viruses will begin to reproduce every few seconds, and you are forced to quickly dispose of them to stay alive. If you’re a speed demon looking for high scores, you also have the option to add more viruses so that you can eliminate them faster than they would normally appear. This mode is one of the less enjoyable ones, because it is so much longer and dragged out. If you have the time and are looking for a long-term challenge, Marathon may be the way to go.

Score Attack - For one or two players. Race against the clock to see how many points you can accumulate in three minutes. With one player, you’ll be competing against yourself, attempting to establish high scores. With two players, your goal is to outscore your opponent. Score Attack tends to be very intense, because one small mistake could slow you down tremendously, and as a result, hurt your score. An excellent challenge for the Dr. Mario vet.

Difficulty (8/10): Dr. Mario 64 features various levels of difficulty. In Story mode, you can choose from Easy, Medium, Hard, and S-Hard. Beginners and experts alike will find themselves challenged by the varying degree of challenge in Story mode. The computer AI tends to be a bit sporadic though. One time, you may find yourself in a battle to the wire with the computer, and the very next, you may be able to blow them away. If you’re able to hit a combo or two in the very beginning, this can throw off the computer for the rest of the match. With Versus mode, there are five levels of difficulty to choose from; each character has its own corresponding difficulty level. These provide for a good challenge, and there are even codes to make them more difficult for the expert gamer. However, even the hardest computer difficulty may not be enough for those players who have been playing Dr. Mario since the early ‘90s, but most gamers will find themselves adequately challenged.

Replay Value (10/10): Replay Value is something a good puzzle game is known for, and Dr. Mario 64 is no exception. With the myriad modes, you’ll find yourself playing repeatedly to accomplish everything there is to offer. And if you can find some good competition from a friend, the amount of fun you can have with this game is endless.

Rent or Buy: For the average gamer, Dr. Mario 64 will make for a great rental, and an even better one if you have some friends to play with. However, a rental likely won’t be enough to satiate the needs of a puzzle enthusiast. If you own the original Dr. Mario, I’d suggest that you buy this game; it’s an excellent modern day update of a classic game. The good news about buying the game is that the MSRP is only $29.99, far cheaper than most games these days. An excellent bargain.

Overall (8/10): Nintendo has impressed me once again by taking a classic puzzle game, and modernizing it in a creative and unique way. Though I may have been disappointed by Dr. Mario 64’s graphics and sound, the most important part of the game, the gameplay, is better than ever and certainly will not disappoint. The numerous modes and features certainly are addictive, and the affordable price makes Dr. Mario 64 an even more enticing purchase.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/17/01, Updated 04/17/01