Sentences written about this title, gathered by type from the Japanese and English Wikipedia articles (as of 2026-8-30).
It received generally positive reviews, appearing on several lists of "Best Nintendo Games of All Time".
ACE criticized the uninspiring graphics, repetitive play, and "plagiarism" while comparing it unfavorably with Tetris and Connect Four.
In the Japanese magazine Famicom Tsūshin, the four reviewers said that while the game is similar to Tetris, they still found it fun with one reviewer saying it was more fun to play as a two-player game.
Allgame praised the NES version, stating that on its release, "when puzzle games were flooding the market, Dr. Mario stands out as one of the best, combining a smooth learning curve, playful graphics and memorable tunes" and "fundamental concepts may be simple, but the addictive gameplay becomes progressively more complex as the speed increases and additional viruses are added.
In 2019, PC Magazine included Dr. Mario on their "The 10 Best Game Boy Games".
Eurogamer said the game was "still as playable, addictive, and maddening as it was back in 1990" but criticized Nintendo for re-releasing classic games as standalone games in the Classic NES Series instead of as a compilation, like Atari's Atari Anthology or Midway's Midway Arcade Treasures.
Henk Rogers of the Tetris Company spoke negatively about the game in an interview published in 2018, saying he "was pissed off about that game, Dr. Mario was a blatant attempt to come up with a Tetris replacement and I thought they did it in a cheesy way."
In the "Cross Review" feature of the magazine Famitsu it received a total of 31 out of 40, earning a place in the Silver Hall of Fame. In the "Game Report Card" reader poll run by the magazine Family Computer Magazine, it scored 22.27 out of 30.
In the "Cross Review" feature of the magazine Famitsu it received a total of 31 out of 40, earning a place in the Silver Hall of Fame. In the "Game Report Card" reader poll run by Family Computer Magazine, it scored 22.32 out of 30.
In the "Cross Review" feature of the magazine Famitsu,the game scored a total of 25 out of 40.
ACE criticized the uninspiring graphics, repetitive play, and "plagiarism" while comparing it unfavorably with Tetris and Connect Four.
Allgame praised the NES version, stating that on its release, "when puzzle games were flooding the market, Dr. Mario stands out as one of the best, combining a smooth learning curve, playful graphics and memorable tunes" and "fundamental concepts may be simple, but the addictive gameplay becomes progressively more complex as the speed increases and additional viruses are added.
Eurogamer said the game was "still as playable, addictive, and maddening as it was back in 1990" but criticized Nintendo for re-releasing classic games as standalone games in the Classic NES Series instead of as a compilation, like Atari's Atari Anthology or Midway's Midway Arcade Treasures.
Dr. Mario was taken from TETRIS & Dr. MARIO, which had been released only outside Japan for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and broadcast as the event game for the month of 4.
It includes Dr. MARIO 64, a title for the NINTENDO 64 released only in markets outside Japan, together with Yoshi's Cookie and Panel de Pon.
Vs. Dr. Mario was first shown at Nintendo's Seventh Annual Distributor Meeting in San Diego, and both versions were released simultaneously in August 1990.
The NES version was ported twice to the Game Boy Advance: first in 2004 as one of thirty games in the Classic NES Series (Famicom Mini Series in Japan), then bundled with a version of the Puzzle League series in 2005 as Dr. Mario & Puzzle League, with updated graphics and new music.
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