Dr. Mario 64

Dr. Mario 64
Developer(s)	Nintendo (division unknown)
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64, iQue Player, Nintendo GameCube
Release date	April 9, 2001 February 7, 2003 (GameCube, Nintendo Puzzle Collection) November 17, 2003 (iQue Player)
Genre	Puzzle
Rating(s)	ESRB: - Everyone
Mode(s)	Single player, Multiplayer
Media	Nintendo 64: Cartridge iQue Player: Digital download GameCube: Optical disc (Japan only)
Input	Nintendo 64: Nintendo 64 Controller iQue Player: iQue Player iQue Player Multiplayer

Dr. Mario 64 is a puzzle game developed by Nintendo and released for the Nintendo 64. This is the third installment in the Dr. Mario series and the final Mario game released for the Nintendo 64. In 2003, it was re-released along with Panel de Pon and Yoshi's Cookie in a Japan-only Nintendo GameCube game called Nintendo Puzzle Collection. In 2005, Dr. Mario & Puzzle League was released, with the Dr. Mario portion mostly taking visual and audio cues from the 64 version.

Gameplay

A screenshot from Dr. Mario 64.

Dr. Mario 64 plays the same as its pre­de­cess­ors for the most part. Dr. Mario throws Megavitamins into a jar full of Viruses, and the goal is to line up a minimum of four of a color combination of Viruses and Megavitamins to make them disappear. There are three types of Viruses - the Red Virus (Fever), the Blue Virus (Chill) and the Yellow Virus (Weird), with a Megavitamin color designed to defeat them.

Dr. Mario 64 features many different modes of play (all of which have tutorials hosted by a Para-Goom). The player uses the to toggle with the different modes they wish to select. The first one is Classic mode, where Dr. Mario is playable like he was originally. In the second mode of play, Story mode, Dr. Mario or Wario must track down the stolen Megavitamins. This mode only has versus matches against computers. The third mode allows practice against a computer player, where any character found in Story mode can be selected. The fourth game mode is Flash mode, where only the clearing of flashing Viruses counts. The fifth game mode is Marathon mode, which is basically an endless mode (the Viruses never stop coming out of the bottom of the jar). The sixth game mode is Score Attack mode, where there are only three minutes to get both a high score and clear all of the viruses. Multiplayer mode supports up to four players, which adds a mode allowing four players to play on two teams.

Plot

Dr. Mario's story

Unlike past Dr. Mario games, this game has a storyline. It's flu season and Dr. Mario is using his Megavitamins to heal the infirmities of the citizens of the land. However, Wario attempts to steal the Megavitamins, believing that if he has them, he will be rich. Before he can do so, Mad Scienstein takes the Megavitamins. Dr. Mario chases Wario, believing he has the Megavitamins, and they duel. Afterwards, they both go after Mad Scienstein. Throughout their adventure they both meet many creatures, all of them villains from Wario Land 3. In the end, it is revealed Mad Scienstein stole the Megavitamins for the diabolical Rudy, who wishes to cure his cold. Dr. Mario defeats Rudy, takes back his trusty Megavitamins, and makes Rudy happy by curing his cold. If Dr. Mario hasn't lost any matches, Wario will take the Megavitamins and consume all of them at once, transforming him into Vampire Wario.

Enemies exclusive to Dr. Mario's story

• Wario
• Silky
• Jellybob
• Helio
• Vampire Wario

Wario's story

Wario's story is slightly different in that his story features enemies that Dr. Mario does not face. In his ending he defeats Rudy but then Mad Scienstein comes and runs off with the Megavitamins. Wario runs after him and the chase continues, seemingly with no end. If Wario hasn't lost any matches, Dr. Mario will try to get the Megavitamins back. Wario will rush away, but he'll trip, causing the Megavitamins to spill out of the jar and onto Dr. Mario. Dr. Mario will swallow all of them and transform into Metal Mario.

Enemies exclusive to Wario's story

• Dr. Mario
• Appleby
• Lumpy
• Octo
• Metal Mario

Characters

The default cast of characters.

The final cast of characters.

Playable

• Dr. Mario
• Wario
• Spearhead
• Webber
• Silky
• Appleby
• Jellybob
• Octo
• Helio
• Lumpy
• Hammer-Bot
• Mad Scienstein
• Rudy
• Metal Mario (unlockable)
• Vampire Wario (unlockable)

Reception

Overall, Dr. Mario 64 received mostly positive reviews. GameRankings gave the game a score of 70.03%, while Metacritic gave it a score of 71/100. GameSpot also gave the game a 7.0/10. Dr. Mario 64 was voted #76 in the Top 100 Games of All Time poll published by Game Informer Magazine in August 2001.

Reviews
Release	Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
N64	Gerald Villoria, GameSpot	7/10	"While not as exciting or enduring as Nintendo's last puzzle game, The New Tetris, Dr. Mario is a legitimate and satisfying puzzle game that is executed rather nicely in this four-player-focused package. Nintendo has made the decision to value-price Dr. Mario 64 at $29.95, which--along with the excellent multiplayer format--makes it worthwhile as one of the last N64 games to be released."
N64	Fran Mirabella III, IGN	5/10	"To be honest, Dr. Mario 64 is just about everything I expected it to be. It was obviously an effort by Nintendo to get a game out for the month of April, and get it out quickly. There have been virtually zero upgrades outside of the four-player versus modes, which lends little reason not to go back and play SNES version which featured both Dr. Mario and Tetris. If you're dying for a multiplayer puzzle game that you can play with three friends, then Dr. Mario 64 is well worth it for around $30. Otherwise, I suggest sticking with The New Tetris or the well Pok¿mon Puzzle League. Dr. Mario 64 is more or less Nintendo's way of using Mario's name to sell a port of a very old game. This doctor's Ph.D. expired long ago."
Aggregators
Compiler		Platform / Score
Metacritic		71
GameRankings		70.03%

References to other games

• Dr. Mario - The basic formula for the Dr. Mario series is carried on from this game.
• Super Mario 64 - Power Stars are used as indicators for whenever a character wins a match. When Dr. Mario wins, he spins and puts up a peace sign the way Mario does when he acquires a Power Star in Super Mario 64. Metal Mario (as both a powered-up form of Dr. Mario and a secret unlockable character) is a power-up from this game.
• Wario Land 3 - All characters apart from Dr. Mario, Metal Mario and the Viruses are from this game.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Dr. Mario 64.

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  Dr. Mario

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  Dr. Mario throws a Megavitamin.

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  Dr. Mario sprite

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  Logo.

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  Title screen.

Media

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Staff

Main article: List of Dr. Mario 64 staff

Hitoshi Yagami, director of the original Dr. Mario returned to director and game design duties for Dr. Mario 64. The game had a large number of graphic designers, most of which whose only videogame credits are Dr. Mario 64 and Guilty Gear X2 #Reload.