Score
Gameplay:	8
Graphics:	7
Sound:	7
FunFactor:	8
PlasmaFactor:	6
Overall:	7.2

Dr. Mario Online Rx Review
May 28, 2008 by Jereme Puik

Dr. Mario gives it another go in this newly updated release. Costing you only a fee of 1,000 Wii points, you can enjoy two games that should fulfill your appetite for a couple of hours. With Dr. Mario, you are brought back in time with this classic that bridges together a twist on the Tetris formula with colorful graphics and a zany soundtrack. You prescribe your own pills to the mix as you fend off the attacking germs. With some more depth then its NES predecessor, Dr. Mario doesn’t fall behind. Germ Buster pits your Mii and friends with fighting off the germs from the game that was originally released with Brain Age, on the Nintendo DS.

The Doctor is In 

Two games coming in one package seems like a decent tradeoff for 1,000 Wii points, which is the equivalent of $10USD. With Dr. Mario you are getting the revamped classic from the days of the NES, along with it comes Germ Buster, which as mentioned before came as a mini-game with Brain Age 2 on the Nintendo DS previously released. In Dr. Mario, players hold using the Wiimote like an NES controller. And the game plays in the Tetris style you should know all too well. With the gameplay screen in the form of a bottle, you will notice different colored viruses, red, blue and yellow. Each of your pills is also split into two different colors as well, which gives players more options to maximize their scores. 

When the game starts, Dr. Mario launches the pills into the bottle and they move slowly down the screen in Tetris-like fashion. You must quickly decide where each pill must land in order to destroy the corresponding colored viruses. You must successfully land 3 pills on or surrounding the colored virus in order to destroy it. Now, it’s not as easy as it sounds. You could easily find yourself in a load of trouble the moment the first pill starts falling from the top of the bottle. You move onto the next stage when all viruses have been removed from the bottle surface. The game will also end if you misplace your pills to the point of them piling up to the top of the bottle and thus knocking Dr. Mario over letting the germs win. 

Surprisingly, there are several options to browse through in this title to make the gameplay more exciting. You can set the difficulty level to determine how much of a challenge you really want with these puzzles. As you pump up the difficulty you will see an increase in the amount of viruses on screen thus increasing the pressure when you start the game. There are various music tracks that you can listen to while you’re destroying those viruses. You can speed up the tracks as well, if you really want to challenge yourself in the end. 

In addition, there is a Flash Mode that is added to both normal gameplay and online play. Here, players take on the same challenge as in the normal puzzles. Only here, you have to destroy the various flashing viruses. There are only a limited few of them, but they are in places where you have to quickly open up a path to reach them. 

There is online play also involved here, and you should be happy to know that there is no lag whatsoever. The only wait time you should find yourself experiencing is when the Wi-Fi Connection searches for new players after every match. Your Miis appear here to show yourself to your competitor, as is your opponent’s. Other features of online include battling against friends along with players from around the world. With Dr. Mario basing itself on getting the highest score, you can expect that there are player rankings. You can view a list of top 10 players from around the world as you play through different matches, and you are in the in-game lobby, you can view how many wins and what your rank currently is. Although you still can’t talk with your opponents, there are pre-set texts that you can show on screen before the next match, such as “Good Game!”…Etc. 

Now, along with Dr. Mario comes the illustrious Germ Buster. If you didn’t pick up the original release of this game on the Nintendo DS with Brain Age 2, then this might be a nice little addition. Germ Buster basically takes its gameplay down to the simplest form possible. Turning the Wiimote back from its NES form and into the pointer form, you drag, grab, and pull the pills down the bottle surface and land them precisely where you need them to destroy all the viruses. The only major difference might be that you’re zoomed in a little towards the end of the bottle and you see yourself (in Mii form) leading the pack of doctors against the army of germs. As you destroy each virus or fail to do so, a doctor or germ will knock off the screen showing how close you are to completion. 

How are the Graphics? 

Both Dr. Mario and Germ Buster come with very colorful graphics. You will find it easy to read and hopefully be aware when you’re completing each puzzle in the main stages. A title like this mostly relies on its gameplay to carry it through to the end with graphics taking a back seat. Nintendo did a nice job making the presentation of Dr. Mario Online Rx appeal to gamers. While it does look good, you will find yourself concentrating more on the gameplay then anything else. With a re-release like this, you should expect that there would be some kind of graphic update to the game to make it more presentable to the current generation. 

Can we hear it? 

You can rest assured that Dr. Mario comes with tuneful (and likely familiar) melodies that may have you humming them before long. With various tracks mixing it up, you won’t find yourself hearing the same song twice… although, depending on the settings you choose before you started the puzzles, you could find yourself hearing that one track alone. If you’re into mixing it up then you can pick ‘random’ and be on your way. Dr. Mario Online Rx comes in crystal clear. 

PlasmaFactor 

With the addition of online play, Dr. Mario Online Rx becomes a title that is easily worth the 1,000 Wii points spent on it. With no lag in sight, matches are easily accessible to various players around the world and even through your friends. Gameplay doesn’t deter from this fact and if you’re good enough, you might just rank in among the Top 10. Player rankings give even more depth to the online. 

Conclusion 

Nintendo faithfully chimes in with this WiiWare release, and gives gamers a classic that will hopefully see more classics making an updated return. With sharp presentation and overall genuine gameplay coming with it, Dr. Mario Online Rx provides a fun time whether you are playing online with friends or with friends in your own living room. Germ Buster becomes a nice addition to make the price tag more bearable. If you have Tetris fever and are looking for a twist on puzzle games, this may be the cure you’re looking for.