Name: Dr. Mario Online Rx
Genre: Puzzle
Platform Wiiware

Wiiware has sort of become what we always wanted the Wii’s Virtual Console to be, with upgraded versions of some of our favorite retro titles being re-released with features that were impossible to implement during their era. Dr. Mario Online Rx is the first game released in that vein, complete with the familiar Dr. Mario gameplay and surprisingly well-made multiplayer and online modes, as well as scoreboards and improved graphics.

The gameplay is a nice modification on the “falling blocks puzzler” that was often seen on the NES, with pills of different colors being able to destroy matching germs; the goal being the removal of all illnesses from the screen like some strange, sick medical operation. It is obvious that the game is taking a jab at the American Medical system, where the only solution is dumping more and more pills down patients’ throat.

Multiplayer modes are not unlike the ones packaged with recent versions of Tetris, where fast and precise maneuvers will give your opponent a harder time despite never having any direct contact with their board. A 3D Dr. Mario stands in the top right corner of the screen, and the game has been given a new coat of paint to make it feel like it is actually worth repurchasing and remaking, as opposed to just slapping a $6 price tag on it and labeling it a Virtual Console title.

At a price of 1000 Points ($10) it may be a little high for some gamers who would prefer the original at a lower cost, but for anyone looking for some nostalgia in their Wiiware this game definitely packs a powerful punch for the cost. You likely already know if you are going to like the game or not, as it doesn’t introduce anything new to the formula, but if you are someone who would, at all, consider yourself a Dr. Mario fan I recommend you spend the money and begin saving lives.

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