Dr. Mario (Game Boy)
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After seeing the surprise success of
Tetris, Nintendo was quick to capitalize on the puzzler's appeal. Their first stab at the Tetris-clone genre was Dr. Mario, which saw everybody's favorite plumber battling viruses with vitamins. Were critics thrilled to have another puzzler on the go, or did they reject Dr. Mario's medicine? We dig through old issues of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Raze, Nintendo Power and Nintendo Magazine System for the answers.
(NOTE: Although we occasionally cut for length, no other edits are made to the review. Defunct Games does not change any of the wording, grammar or punctuation use. Also keep in mind that our score is the average of all critics at the time, not just the sample that is reprinted on this page. If you still have more questions, I recommend you check out the
Review Crew FAQ, where we address the review guidelines, converting scores, magazine covers and more.)
NINTENDO MAGAZINE SYSTEM #1
"Mario's back in a Tetris-inspired puzzle game which sees him chucking different proteins into a beaker in order to make all the nasty viruses disappear. This is quite easy to begin with, the action gets meaner as you progress making for a truly exciting test of your reflexes and brain power. Highly recommended to puzzle fans."
(87% out of 100%)
NINTENDO POWER (Nov/Dec 1990)
"Medical alert! Microscopic monsters have come out in force to take over the lab of the famous plumber turned practitioner, Dr. Mario. You've got to set things straight by manipulating Dr. Mario's special vitamin capsules and making matches to obliterate the menace. It's Tetris-style strategic fun for one or two players!"
(4.1 out of 5)
RAZE #2
"Don't say it! I know what it looks like. The Tetris-like screen represents the human throat leading to the body infected with a virus. Dr. Mario (father of the Mario Bros) throws capsules made up of two halves into the throat. There are 20 levels of virus infection at three speeds with two types of music (fever and chill)."
(81% out of 100%)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #16
"Dr. Mario is Nintendo's attempt to clone Columns for the GameBoy (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." -Martin
(6 out of 10)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #16
"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?" -Ed
(4 out of 10)
REVIEW CREW AVERAGE: 66% -
Based on what I hear from people these days, Dr. Mario is as much a classic as
Tetris. However, that wasn't the case in 1990. Electronic Gaming Monthly's Ed Semrad called the game "an annoyingly over-involved version of Tetris." Ouch. Martin liked the game a little more, leaving us with this baffling statement: "It's complicated in higher levels, but is different." Thanks for clearing that up.
Not a single editor at Electronic Gaming Monthly liked Dr. Mario. Some critics were indifferent, but none were willing to recommend it to their readers. Other magazines disagreed, calling Dr. Mario "a truly exciting test of your reflexes and brain power." Nintendo Magazine System says that Dr. Mario is "highly recommended to puzzle fans."
Raze also enjoyed it, but made a few comments that left me scratching my head. At one point they suggested Dr. Mario is actually Mario's father. What's more, they seem to think the scree "represents the human throat," and not a beaker. Did they not look at the cover art?
Dubious facts aside, Dr. Mario didn't score particularly well. Nintendo hoped it would be another Tetris, but the 66% average suggests otherwise.
SUPER MARIO ARCHIVE:
Want to see how this Super Mario game stacks up against the rest? Below you will find every Mario game currently in the Review Crew archive. Read the original reviews and see if you agree with the old school critics.
ON WEDNESDAY'S EPISODE:
Get your motor runnin' and head out on the highway, because if you're looking for adventure in whatever comes your way, you'll want to check out the next episode of Review Crew. On Friday, Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro and a whole host of classic magazines will take a look at Rock 'N Roll Racing, the futuristic racer from the makers of World of WarCraft.
Make sure and check out the
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