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AtomFamicom Mini: Dr. Mario
aka Classic NES: Dr. Mario outside of Japan.
Remember a little game called Dr. Mario for the NES? No? It was also released for the original Game Boy, had a graphical upgrade for the Super NES, repackaged for the Nintendo 64 and it’s most recent appearance was in Nintendo Puzzle Collection for Gamecube. Dr. Mario may have been around the block a few times, but Nintendo has decided to re-release the original NES rendition as part of the Famicom Mini series.
If you haven’t played Dr. Mario here is a brief run down of the game. Every stage has a set number of viruses in the game. These viruses can only be eliminated by matching three of the same color antibiotic pill in a row. One of the unique features of the game, which differs it from being a Tetris clone, is that each antibiotic pill has two different colors. This enables savvy players to attack two different viruses at once. Once you clear all of the viruses the stage is over and you’ll enter a stage with more viruses. The more viruses that are around the less room you have to work with, which makes the game a challenge. If the pills fill the top of the screen the game is over and Dr. Mario shrugs his shoulders.
One of the best things about this game is the hallmark of the puzzle genre. It’s all about the "randomness". Virus position is random and what pill you get is random, too. The number of possible permutations for different levels is enormous. Since there are so many possibilities it makes each game feel like a new challenge. If there were set levels with set virus positions the game wouldn’t be as fun to play.
The graphics in Dr. Mario look obviously dated since it is a classic NES game and not one of the updated versions. Even for NES graphics Dr. Mario looks rather dated. The main screen has really pixilated viruses, that look like scribbles on the game. The pills do look like pills, but what type of graphical achievement is that? The best animation in the game is a toss up between the viruses falling down when they get hit or when Dr. Mario throws a pill. A technical feat? I think not. Sound wise Dr. Mario was always top notch. There are three songs you get to choose from Fever, Chill and . Honestly, these tunes are classic MIDI fanfare that pushed video game music in new direction. On the Game Boy Advance the MIDI music still sounds good, but compared to what the GBA can do it’s disappointing.
One other issue with the re-release of Dr. Mario on the GBA is that you can already play it on your GBA if you own the Nintendo Puzzle Collection. With a GBA cable you’re able to transfer the game in to the GBA’s flash memory for portable play. So why should gamers have to purchase another copy? Dr. Mario also doesn’t hold it’s ground against other portable puzzlers like Puzzle Fighter and the soon to be released Puyo Pop fever. If you really like this game then get it, but it feels too archaic for most gamers to waste their cash on.
Import Friendly? Literacy Level: 0
The menus are all in English and the gameplay is incredibly intuitive.
US Bound?
The first Famicom Mini series was released in America as the Classic NES series recently. So it should be released here, eventually.
+ Pros: Familiar and intuitive gameplay
- Cons: Nothing special about game in the first place
Overall: You can get the original NES or Famicom Cartridge cheaper than buying this game, but even then why would you throw your money away on something that just isn’t that fun.
< Screenshots >
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