Dr. Mario (video game)
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/* Characters */
{{unreferenced|date=July 2008}}
{{Infobox VG
|title = Dr. Mario
|image = [[Image:drmario box.jpg]]
|developer = [[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Nintendo R&D1]]
|publisher = [[Nintendo]]
|designer = [[Hirokazu Tanaka|Hip Tanaka]] <small>([[composer]])</small>
|engine =
|released = <small><sup>'''[[Japan|JPN]]'''</sup></small>[[July 27]], [[1990]]<br /><small><sup>'''[[North America|NA]]'''</sup></small>October, 1990
|genre = [[Puzzle game]]
|modes = [[Single player]], [[multiplayer game|multiplayer]]
|ratings = [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: Kids to Adults (K-A)<br />|ratings= [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: E (Everyone) (GBA, Wii)
|platforms = [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Game Boy]], [[Game Boy Advance]]
|media =
|requirements =
|input =
}}
{{nihongo|'''''Dr. Mario'''''|Dr. マリオ|Dokutā Mario}} is an [[arcade game|arcade]]-style [[puzzle]] [[video game]] produced by [[Nintendo]]. It was originally released for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] and [[Game Boy]] in 1990. Its gameplay is often likened to that of ''[[Tetris]]''. In this game, Dr. Mario throws vitamins that the player must align in order to destroy the viruses that populate the playing field (designed to resemble a medicine [[bottle]]).
{{US patent|5265888}} covers ''Dr. Mario'', but as of 2004, Nintendo has not enforced it against amateur software developers.
==Gameplay==
A puzzle game similar to ''[[Tetris]]'', ''Dr. Mario'' features Nintendo [[mascot]] [[Mario]] as a doctor. Play consists of dropping two-sided [[vitamin]] capsules into an eight-block-by-16-block playing field populated by viruses of three colors (red, yellow, and blue).
There are six types of capsules, differentiated by their color: red-red, yellow-yellow, blue-blue, red-blue, red-yellow, and blue-yellow. The player must rotate and position these capsules on top of and alongside the viruses and other capsules in an effort to eliminate the viruses. Both [[viruses]] and capsules are eliminated when four or more objects of corresponding color are placed in a row or column. A player completes a level by eliminating all viruses on the playing field. Conversely, the game will end if any capsules obstruct the bottle's narrow neck at the top row of the field. The game consists of 21 distinct levels, whose starting virus counts range from four at level 0 to 84 at levels 20 and higher. Above level 20, each level starts with 84 viruses. Levels do not increase in difficulty past level 20. The last level in the game is 24; once 24 is defeated, the game does not end, but rather starts a new round of 84 viruses labeled again as level 24. Much like ''Tetris'', the player may choose a level of difficulty to start, along with the game's speed and a selection of [[background music]]. Three levels of speed can be chosen: low, medium and high. Choosing the low option will make the game's background dark green, choosing the medium option will make the game's background blue, and choosing the high option will make the game's background gray. Three kinds of music can be chosen: fever, chill and off (no music).
The [[Game Boy]] version of the game is nearly identical to its NES counterpart. In keeping with the technical limitations of the device, the game features a playfield measuring eight-blocks by 15-blocks and viruses of black, white, and gray. In addition, levels increase in difficulty after level 20 and may be impossible.
Two player gameplay in either version consists of two side-by-side playfields that can be level-adjusted according to the strength of each player. The first player to win three games wins the match. The objective is to be the first to clear the viruses or to block the opponent's field to the top.
An added element is the ability to "rain" down blocks into the opponent's playfield by clearing two, three, or four separate lines with a single vitamin (intentional branches of vitamin drops which exceed four lines cleared will be disregarded). An alternative method to raining four blocks is to clear four separate lines with two vitamins within the time between your opponents' current vitamin and his next vitamin (two quick double-line clearances, in other words).
The colors of pills rained down upon the opponent correlates to the colors of the lines cleared. Again, a clearance of more than four lines in this respect will be disregarded.
===Characters===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Dr-Mario NESscreen.jpg|right|thumb|170px|The enemy viruses will try to overwhelm Dr. Mario and his megavitamins in the ''[[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]]'' game.]] -->
The viruses have never been given any formal names, and are known simply as "Red Virus," "Blue Virus," and "Yellow Virus". The [[Nintendo Comics System]] (a series of comics produced by Valiant) included an issue called "The Doctor Is In... Over His Head," which depicts a story of Dr. Mario based on the original NES and original Game Boy titles. The comic names the blue virus "Chill," the red "Fever," and the yellow "Weird." These names were later used in ''[[Dr. Mario 64]]''.
In the [[Super Mario Adventures]] comic Mario dressed up as a doctor, but was pretending to be a psychiatrist. The viruses also made a cameo as guests at Bowser's wedding. Ryan Stasa of Carleton, Michigan has the world record for winning 234 consecutive head to head games.
===Other versions===
*In WarioWare MegaMicrogame$ there is a mode called Dr. Wario which shows Wario in Dr. Mario's suit. The gameplay is the same, although the only music played is "Chill."
*The game also exists in [[Brain Age 2]] and can be discovered by touching the bottom slot in the training section, even if it is blank. It is called Virus Buster.
==Reception==
Dr. Mario was rated the 134th best game made on a Nintendo System in [[Nintendo Power]]'s Top 200 Games list.<ref name="NP Top 200">{{Citation|year=February 2006| title=NP Top 200|periodical=Nintendo Power|volume=200|pages=58-66}}.</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*{{Nintendo.com-archive|id=m-Game-0000-411|title=Dr. Mario (Game Boy)}}
*{{moby game|id=/dr-mario|name=''Dr. Mario''}}
*[http://www.gamersgraveyard.com/repository/gameboy/manuals/manuals/dr_mario.txt Dr. Mario Manual Write-Up] (txt) by Starsky.
{{Mario puzzle games}}
[[Category:1990 video games]]
[[Category:Dr. Mario games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Research & Development 1 games]]
[[Category:Game Boy games]]
[[Category:Falling block puzzle games]]
[[Category:PlayChoice-10 games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Vs. Series games]]
[[es:Dr. Mario]]
[[fr:Dr. Mario]]
[[ja:Dr.マリオ]]
[[pt:Dr. Mario 64]]
[[ru:Dr. Mario]]
[[fi:Dr. Mario (videopeli)]]
[[sv:Dr. Mario]]