Surprise! Nintendo announced a whole bunch of Mario-related Game Boy games on March 10th, because it's Mario Day. While it doesn't include any of his more traditional adventures, this newest update does give Nintendo Switch Online subscribers a chance to experience the puzzle game favorite Dr. Mario, Mario Golf and Mario Tennis. That's cool and all, but are any of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Nintendo Power, Computer & Video Games and more classic magazines to see what critics said back when these games first came out. So get those pain pills ready, because Mario going to get a real workout in this sporty episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


Between their incredible work on the Hot Shot series and Mario-branded titles, Camelot is the master of making fun and extremely accessible sports games that anybody can get into. That is something that is going to be proven multiple times in this very episode, starting with Mario Golf, the handheld companion to the Nintendo 64 game of the same name. Here we have a surprisingly big and sprawling golf game in the style of NES Open Tournament Golf, complete with Mario-centric courses and hazards. With a great cast, exclusive modes and even the ability to transfer data between the Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64, this was a stacked release that didn't feel like a downgrade of its 64-bit counterpart.

You saw that reflected in the reviews, where even the lowest magazine score is still pretty damn good. Giving it an 8 out of 10, Electronic Gaming Monthly called Mario Golf a “really good title.” “Besides rock-solid physics and top-notch gameplay, the RPG elements are enough to push it into the ‘must-buy' category. Most of the adventuring involves golf challenges for points and info gathering for the big matches. Two-player link is a blast, as are all the regular modes. Golf fan or not, go get this competent game.”

As it turns out, Game Informer liked the game a bit more, giving it an average score of 8.75 out of 10. That's pretty much the same score we saw over at Nintendo Power, who really enjoyed this Game Boy golf game. Scott called it “one of the best games so far on the Game Boy Color. The golf is excellent and the game design adds depth and replay value.” Jason said that it was “on par with the excellent Nintendo 64 version. Who knew there were so many shades of green?” Andy called it a “golf RPG,” though Sonja did bring up one minor gripe: “Putting is pretty tough.”

In order to find the highest score, we're going to need to take a flight across the pond to the UK. That's right, Computer & Video Games gave Mario Golf a perfect 5 out of 5 when they reviewed he game in their 218th issue. “With four courses and ten different characters to beat, Mario Golf is a big game. Amazingly, it will save your best shots for you to view again and again, and is even fun enough to suck in golf-haters for hours at a time. It's an absolute masterpiece and you should move heaven and earth to get your hands on a copy.”

Thankfully, there's no need to move either heaven or earth now that Mario Golf is part of the Nintendo Switch Online library. Just subscribe and play this fantastic golf game.

Fifteen years after Nintendo wowed console players with an impressive (albeit rudimentary) Tennis game on the Nintendo Entertainment System, they followed it up with a Mario-branded sequel on Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color. We've already covered the 64-bit version of Mario Tennis, so here we are looking at the technologically inferior (but still great) Game Boy Color version, which proved that the bits don't matter; you can make a great tennis game on pretty much every system. And, best of all, this wasn't just a downgraded port, as this portable edition features a cool role-playing game mode, as well as other extras not found in the Nintendo 64 version.

All this added up to a game the critics simply couldn't resist. In fact, the game was so well-received that the lowest score I could find was a 4 out of 5 from Computer & Video Games. They loved the characters and modes, but took issue with the gameplay: “What stops this game from being a classic is the control system. Having to tap combinations of buttons can be awkward, and while there are loads of moves to perform, they just don't feel as intuitive as something like Virtua Tennis. However, this is a great achievement on the Game Boy, and there's more than enough here to keep you playing for months.”

This isn't that far off from Electronic Gaming Monthly, which ended up giving Mario Tennis an average score of 8.3 out of 10. Dean argues that “the repetitive nature of tennis wears thin on the Game Boy Color. The small digital pad and the constant back-and-forth pressure does a number on the ol' thumbs. Yeah, it's a pathetic complaint, but that's the only thing wrong with this game. You won't find a better tennis game for the Game Boy Color.” Kraig also liked the game, making special note of the RPG mechanics: “The game is insanely addicting and easy to learn. Its challenging mini-games and RPG-like upgrading of characters give it a unique feel, much like the Dreamcast's Virtua Tennis. When you add in the link multiplayer and Transfer Pak capabilities, this is not only one of the best Game Boy Color sports games, but one of the best Game Boy Color titles, period. A must-buy.”

There are higher scores, of course, like the 8.75 out of 10 we saw from Game Informer. For their part, GamePro went with a 4.5 out of 5, which is basically the same as the 9 out of 10 score we saw from Australian magazine Hyper. Now, if you're looking for the highest score, then look no further than Nintendo Power. Giving it a perfect 5 out of 5, all five editors gushed about Mario Tennis. Andy argued that “if you have the N64 version, you have to get the Game Boy Color version. The two games complement each other very well. Play control is perfect and the story line really gets you into the game.” Drew agreed, noting that “fresh off its excellent Mario Golf GBC effort, Camelot serves up another fantastic Game Boy Color sports game. All the RPG elements and lightning quick gameplay you'd expect are there.” And finally, Jenni makes a solid point: “Most game players will appreciate Mario Tennis, even if they're not very fond of sports titles.”

That's an important point to reiterate – tennis games tend to transcend the usual sports fans. They are fast, fun and easy to get into, even if you can't stand watching the sport. Add Mario and his pals into the mix and you have a must-play tennis game. This is yet another great game to add to the Nintendo Switch Online library.

After seeing the success of Tetris, you can't blame Nintendo for wanting to go back to the well and fish out another puzzle game. At the same time, the company was still a little wary about the genre, worried that maybe everybody's obsession with falling blocks was just a fad. The result was Dr. Mario, a puzzle game that used a popular Nintendo character to sell people on the simple concept, something they would continue to do time and time and time again. Instead of clearing lines with falling shapes, the goal here is to match unique shades using falling pill capsules. See, totally different.

This is one of those beloved classics that a lot of people have nostalgia for, so let's go ahead and start with the high scores. This includes Mean Machines, who ended up giving Dr. Mario a score of 87% in their fifth issue. Matt called it a good game: “It's playing style is very addictive and will have you coming back for more over quite a period of time. My biggest gripe is that if you've got Tetris (and virtually all Game Boy owners have), this holds very little extra in comparison. It's also not as good as the Soviet wonder, so if you want another great puzzle game on the Game Boy to supplement your Tetris, get Pipe Dream instead.”

As it turns out, most of the British press agreed with Mean Machines, with Nintendo Magazine System giving Dr. Mario a score of 88%. With a score of 81%, Raze also liked the game, though, once again, they recommended people buy Tetris instead: “Two-player games on the Boy are always fun, but people with a UK Game Boy will already have Tetris, the original and still best puzzle game.”

From there, the scores start to take a bit of a hit. For example, Nintendo Power may have plastered Dr. Mario all over their cover, but they gave the Game Boy version a 4.1 out of 5. ACE, on the other hand, kind of hated the game, using their ridiculous one-thousand-point scale to give it a 510. They argued that “it reeks of plagiarism, which wouldn't be so bad if only it was better than the original games it's modeled on.” They concluded that “it's a simple game idea and not one that works particularly well, I hasten to add. What you have here is Nintendo's favorite game character playing Nintendo's favorite game, and sadly, it just doesn't come close to either.”

And then there's Electronic Gaming Monthly, whose editors had real mixed feelings about the pill-pushing doctor. Martin gave the game a 6 out of 10, noting that “Dr. Mario is Nintendo's attempt to clone Columns for the Game Boy (and soon the NES). Not only do you have to twirl “pills” into position a la Tetris, but you must also place them in rows to successfully eliminate the viruses. It's complicated in higher levels, but it is different.” Steve, on the other hand, wasn't having any of that, giving it a 4 and saying: “Dr. Mario is an annoyingly over-involved version of Tetris meets Columns that takes a different approach and comes up way short. Sure, Nintendo has done the same old thing in a refreshing new way, but where's the fun?” EGM gave Dr. Mario an average score of 5.75 out of 10.

No matter how good or bad the scores were, one thing was painfully clear – everybody agreed that Tetris is better than Dr. Mario. And for a lot of the critics, it wasn't even a close call. I know it makes me unpopular, but I find myself agreeing with a lot of what EGM and ACE said. I have always felt that Dr. Mario was a huge step down from Tetris. But for those who love the game and have a lot of nostalgia, I'm happy that it's available on the Nintendo Switch.