Game Review: Dr. Mario Online RX

Developer:

Arika

Publisher: Nintendo

Players: 1-2 (online/offline)

Genre: Puzzle

Release Date: May 26, 2008

System: Nintendo Wii

(Wii Ware)

Rating: B+

 

Dr. Mario Online Rx is the 3rd full installment of

the Dr. Mario series, which had is origins on the Nintendo Entertainment

System.

 

Like its predecessors, Dr. Mario Online Rx is a

puzzle game that allows the player to play alone, against the CPU, or against a

friend.

 

The main aspect of the game is to match the colors of the

pills against a virus in order to kill it. There are three viruses and three

pill colors to match up – red, yellow, and blue.

 

Once the player matches up four or more either diagonally or

horizontally, it will destroy the virus and the pills. Any pill colors above

the match-up will fall straight down.

Like most puzzle games, there is a limited amount of variety, but the challenge

comes from the strategies you use. If the player selects the Dr. Mario setting,

he or she will access the main game. Two players can play or the player can

play against the CPU.

 

Accessing the Wi-Fi Connect for online battling is also

available in this game mode. The two modes available to play are the Normal

mode, which requires the player to kill all of the viruses on the screen by tossing pills on them.

 

The next mode is called Flash, which requires the player to

compete against either a friend or the CPU in order to kill three or more

selected viruses before his or her opponent does. Whoever kills the targeted

viruses first will win. These viruses are noted flashing on the screen.

The other main game is called Virus Busters. It works much the same way as the

normal game in Dr. Mario, except that it uses the functionalities of the

Wiimote in that the player points at the pills on the screen as they drop and

can slow them down or speed them up.

 

Also, when pills are destroyed leaving others to fall, the

player can grab the falling pills and move them over. The level starts out with

one pill falling at a time, but after a short time, it will drop two pills at

once, requiring the player to maneuver both independently of each other.

The online competition is probably the major selling point of the game. Sure,

most players are familiar with Dr. Mario, but why get it on the Wii? Well, this

game allows you to play against friends or random opponents online. It utilizes

the Friend Code system for matches against friends, but the player can also

play random matches against others.

There are some really tough opponents out there, so definitely practice before you jump into a game. Even if a friend does not have the game, the player can still send a demo version of the game to his or her friend so that they may be able to battle online in a limited mode.

There is not much to this game, as it is a WiiWare title. It is fun and can be

easy or challenging depending on the settings the player is allowed to adjust

before the start of a game. Human opponents definitely add to the challenge of

the game.

 

The music is very repetitive, though you get about four

songs in Dr. Mario and two songs in Virus Busters to choose from, or you can

simply turn off the music. The graphics are good for a WiiWare title and a

puzzle game, but there is really not much to it, nor does this type of game

need exceptional graphics.

 

This is a good title for the launch of the WiiWare platform,

and at such a small price, the amount of fun you receive is well worth the

cost.