Dr. Mario Online Rx Review

While Mario may best be known as the goomba-stomping, mushroom eating, Yoshi riding, Italian, it’s easy to forget that everyone’s favorite plumber has his PhD!

In 1990, Nintendo released Dr. Mario for the NES and Game Boy systems, marking the first time that the character of Mario appeared in a non-action based game and also not simply as a cameo appearance. In the grand tradition of Tetris and other puzzle games before it, Dr. Mario’s simple, yet highly addictive game play tasked its players with rotating and arranging dual-colored pills called “megavitamins” in vertical or horizontal rows in order to destroy the red, blue, and yellow viruses laid out on the grid.

Now, 18 years and numerous ports and remakes later, Dr. Mario is once again geared up to battle those nasty little viruses in Dr. Mario Online Rx on the Wii.

Available via WiiWare download at the cost of 1000 Wii Points (equivalent to $10 USD), Dr. Mario Online Rx is far more than just another remake of the same game. Rather, it is a complete re-envisioning of the original game, with a much more modern emphasis on online game play and a few extra bells and whistles tacked on to sweeten the deal.

So getting right into it…

Game play

The game play of Dr. Mario has not changed one bit from the original, so if you’ve played it before, you already know all that you need to jump right in. At the start, two game types are available for play: Dr. Mario and Virus Buster. Those who have played Brain Age 2 may recognize Virus Buster as one of its mini-games. Dr. Mario Online Rx features a more customizable version of Virus Buster, allowing cooperative or competitive play for up to four people. Virus Buster plays just like your typical Dr. Mario game, however, players use the Wii-mote pointer rather than the control pad and buttons to manipulate, drag, and drop the mega-vitamins. This mode feels like it was added almost as an afterthought, unfortunately. While it’s fun for a few minutes, the controls are often too cumbersome for their own good. Mistakes are easy to make, especially when the speed starts to pick up. This is made even worse when trying to coordinate your efforts with three other people. This is definitely not the game you want to play if you have a short temper.

In Dr. Mario, two modes of play are available: Classic and Flash. Classic mode is essentially the exact same game that has been enthralling players for years. While there have been no new additions to the core game play of Dr. Mario, nothing has really been removed either, with the exception of the Nintendo 64 game’s 4-player support for the Standard game modes. Flash mode (also featured in the Nintendo 64 version) returns in Dr. Mario Online Rx, and helps add a little variety to things. Instead of working to clear out all of the viruses, Flash mode tasks players with eliminating three flashing viruses mixed in with the rest of the bunch.

Players may choose to play any of the available game modes alone, with a friend, or against a CPU. Additionally, Classic and Flash mode may be played over WFC against opponents both Regional and Worldwide. The first time the game is connected to the WFC, a friend code is designated to your console which can be shared with others in order to play online matches. Players who have purchased the game may send a trial version to Wii users registered in their address books, much like the DS Download and Play feature. The trial version is a stripped down demo of the full-version game, but it does allow its recipient to play both on and offline.

If you’re not playing with a friend, you can choose to participate in random matches against others around the world. The game’s online play is essentially a competitive match in either Classic or Flash mode. Players are ranked via a point system much like the one used in Mario Kart Wii. Each player starts with 5000 points, if the match is won, the player’s points increase and decrease in the event of a loss. When facing random opponents, the game attempts to pair you up with a player whose point rating is similar to your own. The difficulty level of the game is also generated based on your rating. For starters most games tend to be between levels 3 – 5. At times this can be frustrating as it sets the learning curve much steeper for first-time players attempting matches online. It also could dissuade more talented players who prefer to play on higher game modes from even participating in the online play. The game also tracks your total wins and displays them for other players to see on your player profile. Losses are thankfully not displayed.

Nintendo has allowed players some small degree of communication when playing online, by means of preset comments and responses which can be sent to your opponent between matches.

Graphics and Sound

There is not much to be said for the sound and graphics of Dr. Mario Online Rx. While everything looks much crisper and clean on the Wii’s hardware, Dr. Mario was never a graphically impressive game to begin with. It is nice to have the option of being able to play using your own Miis and they even wear their own lab coats, which is comical if nothing else.

The music of the Dr. Mario games has always been catchy, and it’s certainly no different in this iteration. Fever and Chill, the game’s most infamous tracks, make their triumphant return, along with two tracks from the Nintendo 64 game (Cube and Que Que) which have had their name’s changed to Cough and Sneeze respectively.

Conclusion

It’s hard to argue against Dr. Mario Online Rx, if only because of the value attached with it. It’s a full-version Dr. Mario game with full online support and a bunch of extras for ten measly dollars. It would really have been nice to see 4 player support for some other game modes besides just the Virus Buster and some extra degree of control over the difficulty level at which random online matches are played would not have gone amiss either. However, it’s once again very hard to argue against buying this game when it comes at such a great value. Though it’s certainly not the perfect example of a re-release, there is more than enough content for countless hours of play that no current or would-be Dr. Mario fan should pass up. Dr. Mario Online Rx is definitely a big positive for WiiWare and a tasty sampling of things to come.

Point Breakdown & Score

Graphics: 7 - There’s nothing going on with the graphics that even approaches impressive, but the presentation is much cleaner and crisp. Putting players’ Miis in lab coats was a nice touch as well.

Sound: 8 - Bleeping and blooping sound effects aside, Dr. Mario games have always featured very distinct music, the tracks Fever and Chill being foremost among these. The reintroduction of Cube and Que Que in the form of Cough and Sneeze was also a welcome addition.

Replay Value: 8 - Dr. Mario has always been one addictive game. This one is no different. It’s the addition of the online multiplayer, however, that really keeps the timer ticking on this one.

Value: 9 - For only 1000 WiiPoints, it makes you wonder why everyone doesn’t have this yet.

Multiplayer (Wi-Fi): 8 – The main drawing force behind the reintroduction of the title has got to be the inclusion of online play over WFC. Despite the lack of any communication beyond pre-made responses, the online play is challenging and accessible and plays with virtually no lag at all. Unfortunately, the lack of control over the difficulty settings during random matches could pose a negative factor depending on the type of challenge you like to give yourself.