Software:Dr. Mario 64

From HandWiki
Short description: 2001 video game
Not to be confused with Mario 64 or Dr. Mario.
Dr. Mario 64
North American box art
Developer(s)Nintendo R&D1
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Hitoshi Yamagami
Yoshiyuki Kato
Producer(s)Genyo Takeda
Junichi Yakahi
Designer(s)Hitoshi Yamagami
Kazushi Maeda
Yohei Fujigawa
Composer(s)Seiichi Tokunaga
SeriesDr. Mario
Platform(s)Nintendo 64, iQue Player
ReleaseNintendo 64
iQue Player
Genre(s)Puzzle
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Dr. Mario 64 is a 2001 tile-matching action puzzle game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The game is an enhanced remake of Dr. Mario, which was originally released for the NES and Game Boy consoles in 1990, and is based around characters from the 2000 Game Boy Color game Wario Land 3. The game's soundtrack was composed by Seiichi Tokunaga, featuring arrangements of classic Dr. Mario tunes and new compositions. The game was released in North America on April 9, 2001.

The game received a Japanese release as part of the Nintendo Puzzle Collection compilation, released for the GameCube in 2003.[3] The game was re-released on the Nintendo Classics service in October 2021, marking its first release in PAL territories.[4]

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot

Like its predecessor,[5] Dr. Mario 64 is a falling block tile-matching video game. The playing field is represented on-screen as a medicine bottle populated with viruses of three colors: red, blue, and yellow. The main objective of the game to clear the playing field of all the viruses using two-colored medical capsules dropped into the bottle. The player manipulates the capsules as they fall, moving them left or right and rotating such that they are positioned alongside the viruses and any existing capsules. When four or more capsule halves or viruses of the same colour are aligned in horizontal or vertical configurations, they are removed from play. The player receives a game over if the playing field fills up with capsules such that they obstruct the bottle's narrow neck. Points are awarded when viruses are destroyed.

There are several single-player modes present in the game:

  • Classic - This mode features a similar set-up and design to the original Dr. Mario game.
  • Story - In this mode, the player may take control of either Dr. Mario or Wario to track down the stolen Megavitamins, battling computer players on the way.
  • Vs. Computer - In this mode, the player may battle against the computer as any character the player has played as or fought against.
  • Flash - In this mode, the player must eliminate three particular flashing viruses faster than the computer can.
  • Marathon - This mode consists of a never-ending rising field of viruses which does not end until the player quits or loses.
  • Score Attack - In this mode, the player is given three minutes to clear all of the viruses as well as get a high score.

A multiplayer mode also allows up to four players to compete at once in Classic, Flash, or Score Attack gameplay.

Plot

The story of Dr. Mario 64 is titled “Dr. Mario and the Cold Caper”. The story can be viewed differently depending on if the player chooses the character of Mario or Wario. The journey begins when Mario starts working at a virus research lab inside the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital. While working as a doctor there, one of the hospital's experiments goes wrong, and viruses begin to spread at an accelerating rate. To fix the mistake, Dr. Mario creates a new type of vitamin named the Megavitamin that he uses throughout the game to defeat the viruses.

With the flu season coming, it is Dr. Mario's duty to use his Megavitamins to heal the people of the land. As Wario is arriving at Mario’s house to steal the Megavitamins to sell for riches, he sees Mad Scienstein with the help of Rudy the Clown leaving Mario’s house with the Megavitamins. Afterwards, both Dr. Mario and Wario chase after Mad Scienstein as they are led through battles with all of the virus types. Throughout their adventure, both of them meet up with many creatures from Wario Land 3. Most of the time the fights that emerge are really misunderstandings; for example, the player may accidentally bump into a creature, who gets angry and retaliates. Dr. Mario and Wario follow Mad Scienstein to Rudy's castle, where they fight Rudy to take back the vitamins. If the game is completed on Normal or Hard mode without using a continue, one last battle occurs after defeating Rudy; the opponent is Metal Mario for Wario and Vampire Wario for Dr. Mario.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings70.03%[6]
Metacritic71 / 100[7]
Review scores
PublicationScore
EGM6.8/10[lower-alpha 1]
Game Informer8.5/10[9]
GamePro3.875/5[lower-alpha 2]
GameRevolutionC[11]
GameSpot7/10[12]
IGN5/10[13]
N64 Magazine43%[14]
NGamer72/100[15]
Nintendo PowerStarStarStarStar[16]

Dr. Mario 64 in all of its various permutations was voted #76 in the Top 100 Games of All Time poll published by Game Informer in August 2001.[17] IGN criticized the game for being "more of the same" and gave it a middling score of 5 out of 10.[13] GameSpot gave the game 7 out of 10, summarizing that "Dr. Mario is a legitimate and satisfying puzzle game that is executed rather nicely in this four-player-focused package."[12] It was a runner-up for GameSpot's annual "Best Nintendo 64 Game" award, which went to Paper Mario.[18]

Notes

  1. ↑ Electronic Gaming Monthly's review was by three critics that scored Dr. Mario 64 differently: 7/10, 7.5/10 and 6/10.[8]
  2. ↑ GamePro gave Dr. Mario 64 a 4.5/5 for fun factor, 5/5 for control, and two 3/5 ratings for graphics and sound.[10]

References

  1. ↑ I. G. N. Staff (2001-04-09). "It Doesn't Happen Very Often" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/04/09/it-doesnt-happen-very-often. 
  2. ↑ "iQue PLAYER优惠套装上海试卖，五款精品游戏同步发售！" (in Chinese). iQue. http://www.ique.com/news/game_news_031118.htm. 
  3. ↑ Nintendo Puzzle Collection - GameCube Preview , IGN.
  4. ↑ "Nintendo 64™ – Nintendo Switch Online". Nintendo. October 25, 2021. https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/nintendo-64-nintendo-switch-online-switch/. 
  5. ↑ Juul, Jesper (1 December 2007). "Swap Adjacent Gems to Make Sets of Three: A History of Matching Tile Games". Artifact 1 (4): 205–216. doi:10.1080/17493460601173366. http://www.jesperjuul.net/text/swapadjacent/. Retrieved 12 October 2025. 
  6. ↑ "Dr. Mario 64". GameRankings. http://www.gamerankings.com/n64/459840-dr-mario-64/index.html. 
  7. ↑ "Dr. Mario 64". MetaCritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/dr-mario-64/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-64. 
  8. ↑ Dudlak, John; Johnston, Chris; Hsu, Dan. "Dr. Mario 64". Electronic Gaming Monthly (144): 108. 
  9. ↑ Leeper, Justin. "OPEN UP AND SAY "MAAAHHHH-RIO"". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200105/R03.0804.1642.10407.htm. Retrieved October 14, 2020. 
  10. ↑ Major Mike. "Dr. Mario 64". GamePro. http://www.gamepro.com/nintendo/n64/games/reviews/13080.shtml. Retrieved October 14, 2020. 
  11. ↑ Liu, Johnny. "Dr. Mario 64". GameRevolution. http://game-revolution.com/games/n64/strategy/dr_mario.htm. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Villoria, Gerald (April 12, 2001). "Dr. Mario 64 Review". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/dr-mario-64-review/1900-2707568/. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Mirabella, Fran (April 17, 2001). "Dr. Mario 64". IGN. http://ca.ign.com/articles/2001/04/17/dr-mario-64. 
  14. ↑ Evans, Geraint (July 2001). "Dr Mario 64". N64 Magazine (56): 64–65. https://www.nintendo64ever.com/Tests-Nintendo-64-Game,91,Dr.-Mario-64,1.html. Retrieved September 19, 2021. 
  15. ↑ Kelly (August 2001). "Dr. Mario 64". Nintendo Gamer (1): 52–53. https://www.nintendo64ever.com/Tests-Nintendo-64-Game,91,Dr.-Mario-64,1.html. Retrieved September 19, 2021. 
  16. ↑ "Dr. Mario 64". Nintendo Power 143: 114. April 2001. 
  17. ↑ Cork, Jeff. "Game Informer's Top 100 Games Of All Time (Circa Issue 100)" (in en). Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx. Retrieved 2020-12-02. 
  18. ↑ GameSpot VG Staff (February 23, 2002). "GameSpot's Best and Worst Video Games of 2001". GameSpot. http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2001/. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

Template:Atari


[1]



  1. ↑ Harrison, Ryan (July 20, 2020). "Story Dr. Mario 64". https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/gameboy/563270-dr-mario/faqs/67275/story. 
  2. ↑ McGlothlin, Ed (February 26, 2025). "Dr. Mario 64". http://archive.thegia.com/n64/drmario/drmario.html. 
Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Dr._Mario_64&oldid=3954562"