I have a fever and the only prescription is Dr. Mario. After my previous post about what games are needed on the Wii’s Virtual Console which included Dr. Mario, the folks at Nintendo promptly released Dr. Mario for the WiiWare. I’m sure someone at Nintendo had read my blog and worked diligently over the weekend to make my Monday that much better. Joking aside, Dr. Mario on the WiiWare is a game that is definitely worth picking up. It provides original game play as well as an opportunity to spread the enjoyment of this game to others while you indulge yourself.

At the basic level of video game enjoyment, you’ll most likely be pleased with this game if you’re into the Tetris or Columns style games. The original game presents a field infected with germs (probably more accurately bacteria since we’re treating it with pills), that you must dispatch. To do this you need to get at least four like-color objects in a row (not diagonal). Dr. Mario throws in different colored pills to aid your quest. Pills are composed of two parts that can be any one of three colors, which also correspond to the bacteria color (red, yellow, and blue). Pills can be two different colors or one solid color. Drop the pills on the bacteria of corresponding color to start getting rid of them. Simple game play, great for an hour or so, and nothing too intense if you don’t want it to be. You can adjust the speed the pills will drop and how many bacteria are in your container. Plus, you can choose the tunes to listen to as you get your prescription on.

Other modes of game play include a two player mode which you can face off against another person or the CPU. In addition, there is “Flash” which gives you the assignment of clearing certain flashing bacteria. Be the first to get rid of them to claim victory.

Outside of the original game there is the new Wii version, which allows you to control the pill via the Wii remote. The controls are simple; just tap “A” to rotate and “B” to grab the pill and place it where you want. An added bonus, you can have up to four players collaborate allowing for a true multiplayer experience.

The final cool feature I’ll quickly cover is based on the first grade principle of sharing. If you have some friends who are in need of a dose of Dr. Mario you can send them a trail version that will allow you to compete with your friend online. How neat is that? So neat, I used the word “neat.”

Overall, if you are willing to put 1000 points toward a good game this one is worth it. However, if you’re not into puzzle games or Tetris you might be better off with a different game. Ten dollars is a bit steep for a downloaded Wii game, but this is a good way to keep fans of the original Dr. Mario entertained in four different ways for hours on end.

And for your viewing pleasure (note: this is not me playing):

Rx by,

Dr. M. CLK