Despite its simplicity, Tetris has become one of the most addictive and recognizable gaming franchises ever. So of course, some will try to emulate that success with their own versions. Dr Mario is one, and it’s actually quite good
Graphs: 8/10
While not exquisite, the graphs are decent and show some evolution from the original game. You see Mario throwing pills down the bottle and viruses on the opposite side grimacing at you. It’s more than other similar puzzle games even in the 16-bit era (think Columns).
And the viruses do serve a purpose: when one disappears it means that it has been eliminated. This means you can ignore said color(s) once they drop. This will make your strategy all the more important to avoid piling up these futile colors
Music: 8/10
Like Tetris, one doesn’t play Dr. Mario for its top-notch music. Nevertheless, while there are only a grand total of 3 tracks (including the option screen), they are more elaborate than the Tetris tracks. Chill loops for an incredible 2 minutes, and unlike the Casino theme in Dragon Warrior IV, it’s not a mere repetition of the same loop. Plus it has a kind of techno vibe to it.
Fever has a shorter loop and is proper for a more tensed track, especially when you near the top of the screen.
As for sound effects, there is no glorious “tetris” sound, but it’s not distracting. It’s actually useful to have them on: when you play vs. mode, you sometimes get a half pill descend out of nowhere and spoil your stack. It’s quite distinctive so be on the lookout.
Addictiveness: 10/10
This game is more addictive than Tetris. For starters, even the regular game allows you to choose your “viral load” (how high you start and how many viruses you have to destroy) and several speeds from the get go. It allows for many combinations and almost endless fun.
But what I preferred was the vs mode. While not as aggressive as Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, the occasional half pill that descends can affect your plans, so watch out. And even in this mode, you can have an easier/harder screen than your opponent. That mode was cruelly lacking in Tetris.
Story: 5/10
I don’t know if it’s meant to be an actual story, but during the tool-assisted speedrun of the game, the player actually showed the “true” ending of the game: the viruses are actually aliens, and they get back to their spaceship.
But be it as it may, there is really no plot line. You’re just trying to kill viruses with pills
Depth: 9/10
Despite a simplistic premise and gameplay, that game goes actually pretty far like Tetris. I was able to make it to level 20 (with 84 viruses!) from the easiest setting, and it looks like it could keep going on forever.
Difficulty: 5/10
Since you can create your own difficulty, it’s quite reasonable and offers far more customization than Tetris. But it you play the game “honestly” (i.e. without the rewind function on the Switch), than the difficulty is closer to an 8. Because with 84 viruses, you barely have any room to maneuver around unless you know PRECISELY where to drop your pills and stack 3 of the same color to kill the virus. Even though the speed remains (seemingly) the same as you customized it in the beginning.
In fact, I would say that the vs. mode is more difficult because of its random half pill that comes out of nowhere. It’s especially frustrating to see it fall on an opposite color, meaning that you need THREE more (for a total of 4) to eliminate it. Speaking of which: it’s a good thing there was an “exit” strategy to save us from a wrong drop – since the Switch controls seem even less accurate than the NES ones.
In short, Dr. Mario is an excellent game for its times, and a welcomed variation on the Tetris theme. It’s widely customizable, and its vs. mode will surely create a lot of broken controllers/ TV screens. It goes get a little competitive…
Despite its simplicity, Tetris has become one of the most addictive and recognizable gaming franchises ever. So of course, some will try to emulate that success with their own versions. Dr Mario is one, and it’s actually quite good
Graphs: 8/10
While not exquisite, the graphs are decent and show some evolution from the original game. You see Mario throwing pills down the bottle and viruses on the opposite side grimacing at you. It’s more than other similar puzzle games even in the 16-bit era (think Columns).
And the viruses do serve a purpose: when one disappears it means that it has been eliminated. This means you can ignore said color(s) once they drop. This will make your strategy all the more important to avoid piling up these futile colors
Music: 8/10
Like Tetris, one doesn’t play Dr. Mario for its top-notch music. Nevertheless, while there are only a grand total of 3 tracks (including the option screen), they are more elaborate than the Tetris tracks. Chill loops for an incredible 2 minutes, and unlike the Casino theme in Dragon Warrior IV, it’s not a mere repetition of the same loop. Plus it has a kind of techno vibe to it.
Fever has a shorter loop and is proper for a more tensed track, especially when you near the top of the screen.
As for sound effects, there is no glorious “tetris” sound, but it’s not distracting. It’s actually useful to have them on: when you play vs. mode, you sometimes get a half pill descend out of nowhere and spoil your stack. It’s quite distinctive so be on the lookout.
Addictiveness: 10/10
This game is more addictive than Tetris. For starters, even the regular game allows you to choose your “viral load” (how high you start and how many viruses you have to destroy) and several speeds from the get go. It allows for many combinations and almost endless fun.
But what I preferred was the vs mode. While not as aggressive as Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, the occasional half pill that descends can affect your plans, so watch out. And even in this mode, you can have an easier/harder screen than your opponent. That mode was cruelly lacking in Tetris.
Story: 5/10
I don’t know if it’s meant to be an actual story, but during the tool-assisted speedrun of the game, the player actually showed the “true” ending of the game: the viruses are actually aliens, and they get back to their spaceship.
But be it as it may, there is really no plot line. You’re just trying to kill viruses with pills
Depth: 9/10
Despite a simplistic premise and gameplay, that game goes actually pretty far like Tetris. I was able to make it to level 20 (with 84 viruses!) from the easiest setting, and it looks like it could keep going on forever.
Difficulty: 5/10
Since you can create your own difficulty, it’s quite reasonable and offers far more customization than Tetris. But it you play the game “honestly” (i.e. without the rewind function on the Switch), than the difficulty is closer to an 8. Because with 84 viruses, you barely have any room to maneuver around unless you know PRECISELY where to drop your pills and stack 3 of the same color to kill the virus. Even though the speed remains (seemingly) the same as you customized it in the beginning.
In fact, I would say that the vs. mode is more difficult because of its random half pill that comes out of nowhere. It’s especially frustrating to see it fall on an opposite color, meaning that you need THREE more (for a total of 4) to eliminate it. Speaking of which: it’s a good thing there was an “exit” strategy to save us from a wrong drop – since the Switch controls seem even less accurate than the NES ones.
In short, Dr. Mario is an excellent game for its times, and a welcomed variation on the Tetris theme. It’s widely customizable, and its vs. mode will surely create a lot of broken controllers/ TV screens. It goes get a little competitive…
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