Dr. Mario & Puzzle League
Template:Infobox Dr. Mario & Puzzle League (also parsed Dr. Mario / Puzzle League,[1] known as Dr. Mario & Panel de Pon in Japan) is a "2 in 1" game for the Game Boy Advance. Dr. Mario is an enhanced remake of the original Dr. Mario, using many of the graphics from Dr. Mario 64.
Puzzle League's name probably comes from Pokémon Puzzle League, a game based on Tetris Attack, which is in turn based on the Japan-only Panel de Pon. This version, however, is a very simple form of the game.
A browser game, Dr. Mario Vitamin Toss, was released as a promotional tie-in with Dr. Mario & Puzzle League.
Gameplay
Dr. Mario mostly resembles the Nintendo 64 version, Dr. Mario 64. Like Dr. Wario, the unlockable minigame from WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, its bottle is 13 cells tall instead of the standard 16.
Puzzle League is completely changed from the original only Japan game Panel de Pon. The graphics closely resemble those of the GBA multiboot version from Nintendo Puzzle Collection. Both games have a vertical mode that can be unlocked, where one tilts the Game Boy Advance(SP) 90° counterclockwise to play, allowing for a higher resolution playing field.
Both games have a multi-pack multiplayer mode, but can download a demo version to another Game Boy Advance using only one cart. The demo version of Dr. Mario features limited animation and an NES soundtrack. The demo version of Puzzle League features a small animal (Pupuri from Panel de Pon) on the side that calls out when blocks are cleared. The demo of Puzzle League is also the same demo from Nintendo Puzzle Collection.
Gallery
Artwork
Sprites
- Dr Mario - (Dr Mario Puzzle League).png
Screenshots
Selection
Dr. Mario
1P Classic
Media
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Reception
| Reviews | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release | Reviewer, Publication | Score | Comment |
| Game Boy Advance | Craig Harris, IGN | 7.8/10 | "Both these games still work out great on the Game Boy Advance, but it's a missed opportunity for Nintendo to offer up the same impressive presentation it did for Panel de Pon as it did on the N64 and Game Boy Color. Instead, the company quickly threw two games on a cart and called it a day. The games certainly stand on their own, and for a good price. Just don't expect any huge production and you'll be satisfied." |
| Game Boy Advance | Frank Provo, GameSpot | 8/10 | "If you're a puzzle game fanatic, you won't go wrong adding Dr. Mario/Puzzle League to your collection. Sure, the overall presentation is lacking energy, but the gameplay in both games, particularly Puzzle League, is compelling enough to keep you coming back time and time again." |
| Game Boy Advance | Kristan Reed, Eurogamer | 7/10 | "As a package it's excellent to have two timeless games to dip back into whenever you feel like it, but there's still the niggling feeling that Nintendo's pricing strategy for such things is bordering on insane. When similar puzzle titles can be bought in enormous compendiums on other systems for next to nothing, you have to wonder how it's possible to charge full price for two ancient puzzle games. So that leaves us with a dilemma: we love both games dearly, but would we pay what Nintendo's asking? Not in a million years. One to snaffle up in the post-Christmas sale, for sure." |
| Aggregators | |||
| Compiler | Platform / Score | ||
| Metacritic | 74 | ||
| GameRankings | 76.44% | ||
Staff
- Main article: List of Dr. Mario & Puzzle League staff
Trivia
- This game was released in Japan on the 20th anniversary of Super Mario Bros..
- This is the last game in the Dr. Mario series to have a physical release. Every game released after it was only made available as a digital download.
External links
Reference
- ^ End screen of Dr. Mario Vitamin Toss
