Dr. Mario

"The most addictive puzzle game ever created... ever."

Dr. Mario is a classic. No doubt about it. But what makes this game so fun?

Read on.

Graphics: 7/10

While Dr. Mario throwing pills, and the viruses that dance under the magnifying glass are very detailed, and quite funny to watch; the viruses that you are eliminating look like miniature balloons with arms, very, simplified balloons. The background is a checkerboard pattern, with an outline of a black bottle in the middle. But don't let the graphics fool you, it doesn't take away from the game, as you will see after roughly 10 seconds of play time.

Gameplay: 10/10

The gameplay is the major part of this game. The object is to match the color of the pills to the corresponding virus. You can turn the pills clockwise or counterclockwise like Tetris. It helps when stacking pills if you have the right color land on the virus below. The object is simple. Red pills land on red viruses, blue pills for blue viruses, and yellow pills for yellow viruses. You must get four of the same color in a row, including the virus, to destroy it. Pills are split into two pieces, and most pills are split into two colors a pill. So a pill will most likely be red and blue, blue and yellow, red and yellow, etc. If one side of a pill is destroyed, the other half will fall to the bottom of the jar, or land on another virus. If the pill is the same color and lands on top of the virus and two pills, then it will be destroyed as well as the virus and pills it landed on. There is a single player game, and multi player game as well. The gameplay is extremely addictive, play for 10 minutes and it will most likely be hours before you put the controller down. That's what puts this game on top of other puzzle games.

Sound: 10/10

There are a limited variety of sounds in the whole game. There is a sound for your pill moving across the jar, a sound for a pill landing on a virus or another pill, the sound of a virus being destroyed, a sound when you pause the game, and the sound of a multi-virus combination. The sounds are well done, though, as they won't get severely annoying or repetitive during the game. The music is a big plus. There are two music types to choose from, Fever and Chill. The songs instantly became classics, and once you hear them, you'll never forget them. While the music is repetitive, it doesn't get over-repetitive. The music is well thought out and is a big part of the game. Plus, if you absolutely hate the music altogether, you can turn it off.

Replay: 10/10

This is, aside from the gameplay, the main reason that this game is still played by audiences young and old alike. This is the reason that most people look back at this game and think ''Wow, I remember that game, I'd love to play it again.'' You can play this game for hours and hours until you just can't go any longer. Although the viruses stop increasing at level 20, you can(could) play the game forever with the viruses in a different order every level after. You can also adjust the number of viruses, and the speed that the pills fall.

Overall: 10/10

This game goes down as my favorite puzzle game of all time. Despite the fact that puzzle games have been made before and after, this was the most addicting puzzle game I've ever played. For that reason, this game gets a well-deserved 10/10.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 05/28/03, Updated 05/28/03