GamerRespawn

Puzzle games are addictive and have always been highly popular. And after the highly successful release of Tetris, why wouldnt Mario get in on the act?

Inbetween saving Peach and crushing Koopas, Mario has somehow had time to study and pass his degree in medicine and now he has to stop an outbreak of viruses with his specially made vitamin pills. The game is pretty straightforward, there is only one mode available to play and even though you an adjust the difficulty, speed and even choose what level you want to start at. This is almost unheard of in the puzzle games of today.

 

There are 20 levels available for you to choose from. In the first few,  there will be very few virus’ and with each level after that, more virus’ will appear. You are given three options for speed: low, medium, and fast. Combined with the level select, you can customize the game fairly well based on what kind of challenge you are looking for.

When you start the game a vial will appear on screen with a number of little twitchy 'viruses' of different colours in it. Your job is to create rows of four to make them disappear. Mario himself stands at the side chucking the pills into the top of the vial, which you can then flip and move around to get them in the right place.

 

If you have the version released on the GameBoy Advance, then you have the awesome ability to connect two GBA systems together via link cable or Wireless Adapter even if you only have one cartridge available. This allows you to make use of the multiplayer function. You can even keep the game in your system even if you break the link, which is a good way of letting your friends have access to the game if they don't own it themselves.

 

The design of the puzzles deceptively fun and very addictive, you could start playing and then realize, an hour later that you are still going. It owes a lot of this to Tetris. Which revolutionized the puzzle genre and paved the way for so many classic games.

Graphically, there isn't really much to it, but a puzzle game doesn't need a lot. You have the vial in the center of the screen with the wiggling viruses. Mario, in a doctor's coat, stands at the top right corner of the screen tossing in the vitamin capsules. In the opposite corner is a magnifiying glass with larger representations of the three different colours of virus. It is good to see each one writhe about in agony every time you clear one of its kind. Your score and current level information are in boxes that resemble clipboards, keeping in with the game's medical theme. Sound-wise, there also isn't that much here, aside from the odd blips and chimes. The game's two, incredibly catchy music tracks, "fever" and "chill," will have you humming along and then turning the sound down.

 

If you are a fan of puzzle games then i would definitely recommend giving this one a go. With the wireless connectivity this game has been given a whole new lease of life. Because when has beating your closest friends at something not been fun?!

 

 

 

Score = 7/10