Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure Reviews
The new Miracle Cures add welcome new flourishes to the classic puzzle gameplay, and the sheer wealth of content on offer makes this a bargain. Even once you've ignored the awful Luigi bits.
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure introduces a fresh new twist on an old formula.
Featuring three different game modes from throughout the franchise's history, as well as preset scenarios to clear and online multiplayer, this is easily the most packed Dr. Mario game yet. There's a ton of different ways to play, so if you don't fancy Miracle Cure or Dr. Luigi, for example, you can easily leave them untouched and still have a lot to do. Those that are into head-to-head battles will find the online mode quite entertaining as well.
Doctor is one profession that Mario really shouldn't pursue.
There's nothing wrong with modernising older games. However, therein lies the problem for Miracle Cure: it's just a modernisation. Over the years Nintendo has continued to innovate with its stable of core franchises, yet this feels more like a simple repackaging. Dr. Mario fans will no doubt jump at the chance to play it on 3DS, but for those used to cheaper, more fulfilling puzzle games on other platforms, Miracle Cure will prove a tough pill to swallow.
Currently available at $8.99 on the 3DS e-store, Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure felt a little light to me at first, as there aren't nearly as many Miracle Cure advanced puzzle levels as I'd like to flesh it out. However, Virus Buster is the surprising highlight of the game (but doesn't include any of the Miracle Cure capsules) and offers a new gameplay take on the classic puzzler that allows for experimentation and improvisation. It's also certainly worth a buy if you're into Dr. Mario multiplayer, where it can be played locally or online with a ranking system.
If you're a Dr. Mario junkie, you can probably pull the trigger on Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure just to see what the fuss is about in regards to the power-ups. For everyone else, just stick with Dr. Luigi until Nintendo decides to overhaul the formula a bit more.
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure doesn't do much to rock the boat that the series has built over the last couple of decades. This is both a good thing and a bad thing, as the game doesn't ruin what fans have loved, but it also doesn't offer much to bring them back either.
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure doesn't offer too many improvements outside of the Miracle Cures and graphical updates, but that's kind of expected with certain puzzle games. The game still provides a solid Dr. Mario experience with the Dr. Luigi and Virus Buster game modes thrown in and the addition of the Miracle Cures shakes things up a bit, both online and off, but the lack of an overall high score for your game session seems like a step backwards for a standard puzzle game. While not perfect, if you're looking for some Dr. Mario on the go, Miracle Cure is still worth a shot.
While it doesn't offer any real innovation, Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure is a good update of the original title. It feels like the game you played all those years ago, but without the ability to suck you in for more than an hour or two of gaming. Fun puzzler, until you run out of new things to do and feel the drain of the repetition.
The main mechanics are all there, this time with the additional factor of online multiplayer, which can lead to intense moments of bedlam across territories. What it offers in ambition, though, it lacks in innovation and graphical quality, with very modest visual and sound environments and a resolution that can be problematic in the first model of the Nintendo 3DS.
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Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure offers an entertaining experience for puzzle enthusiasts; however, if you already own Dr. Luigi or want to experience the old NES gameplay, you may want to skip this latest entry.
Admittedly, Miracle Cure can get repetitive after long jaunts and the harder stages can be frustrating for folks who aren't used to puzzle games. I also wish it added more new things to shake the formula up, even if it's just something as simple as a wacky story mode like Puyo Puyo does, for example. Still, it's a pretty solid title that introduces a classic to newcomers who may not have had the opportunity to try its earlier incarnations. If you like Tetris-style puzzle games, then Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure might be a pill you'll want to swallow.
Miracle Cure is a few healthy refinements away from the category of controlled substance, and purchasing it won't require your driver's license. But purely as a source of unique puzzle entertainment, it has all the active ingredients of an addictive puzzler—just with a few unwanted side effects.
I quickly found myself addicted to Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure – it's colourful, addictive and has some cool music too
If you've played a Dr. Mario game, you're not missing a bunch here. But regardless, it's a nice addition to the series.
Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure is the most complete installment of the series but with a handful of overlooked features, it's a notch below the game that fans would hope it to be.