Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure

 3DS
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 33 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 33
  3. Negative: 6 out of 33

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  1. GrumpyDan
    Jul 11, 2015
    7
    The Mario brothers are back, moonlighting as a pair of doctors whose medical credentials are as questionable as their plumbing skills. Considering we’ve never seen Mario do so much as write up an estimate for a new en-suite, watching him throw a cocktail of drugs into a bottle of viruses in the hopes of eradicating them with enough blows to their tiny, germy noggins isn’t too far-fetched.The Mario brothers are back, moonlighting as a pair of doctors whose medical credentials are as questionable as their plumbing skills. Considering we’ve never seen Mario do so much as write up an estimate for a new en-suite, watching him throw a cocktail of drugs into a bottle of viruses in the hopes of eradicating them with enough blows to their tiny, germy noggins isn’t too far-fetched. Luckily, he has the help of a new Miracle Cure this time around, so you can relax - he’s still a few years away from wiping out the species. Probably.

    There are three modes in the game. The Miracle Cure Laboratory lets you play through a total of 50 stages, split over a tutorial, basic and advanced levels, that introduce you to the various Miracle Cures. You’ll play a mixture of the series’ standard Dr. Mario mode, the Wii U’s Dr. Luigi mode - which replaces the pills with L-shaped capsules - and vs. mode that pits you against the AI.

    While the single-player mode will top you up with Blasters, Zappers, and Exploders, the vs. battles will let you sabotage your nemesis with Reversers that invert the controls, Lockers that disable pill rotation, and Boosters that increase the speed of falling capsules. Rather than seeking out a destitute Willy Wonka - down on his luck in a grotty back alley - for a handful of these confections, you just need to fill up the Miracle Cure meter. This feat is laughably easy to achieve, as every time a pill hits the bottle, the meter starts to rise. Chains and combos speed up the process, but the game is as eager to push them on to you as the aforementioned Mr. Wonka, desperate for enough cash to cover a straw of special sherbert and the warm embrace of an Oompa-Loompa for the night.

    If it all looks like it could get too samey, fear not. Progress is kept interesting with juiced-up game speed and varying amounts of viruses festering in the bottle, along with increased focus on certain aspects like chains and combos, or a particular Miracle Cure. These levels are engineered to hone your skills and familiarise you with the mechanics, as is common practice with Nintendo games.

    The Custom Clinic lets you choose between Dr. Mario, Dr. Luigi and Germ Buster mode, tailoring the level of viruses and game speed to your tastes.

    Overall, Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure is solid enough, and while it’s not earth-shattering in its originality, the nuances in gameplay brought about by the Miracle Cure power-ups and the addition of Dr. Luigi mode - whether you want it or not - has certainly livened things up since the last time the plumber donned a white coat in Dr. Mario Express. How a couple of so-called handymen are continually able to pull off this charade is anyone’s guess. It’s almost as mystifying as a plumber whose first instinct upon seeing misplaced piping is to squat on top of it.    … Expand
  2. ericwithcheese
    Nov 22, 2015
    7
    Despite the inclusion of Dr. Luigi, this quick game literally does nothing to add to the tried and true formula of thr Dr. Mario franchise we have come to know and love. Challenges are split up into bite-sized pieces and levels you keep track up by charts, and they get more difficult as you go along - predictably. It's nothing new, but it's still pretty fun. And that's never a bad thing.
  3. Silverzapper
    Mar 9, 2016
    7
    I like this game. Since it's for 3ds you can play it anywhere which is nice for times when you're away from home with nothing to do. The gameplay is the same as the previous games but with miracle cures added. It's only about 7 dollars and I would definitely say it was worth it.
  4. Shadow1
    May 28, 2016
    5
    I wanted more . Not best tetris which the I have seen because Dr. Robotnik Mean Bean Machine, Tetris for ios/android, Tetris Blitz and other tetris game is better than Dr.Mario Miracle Cure and I think this game isn't best game in Dr.Mario Series . Graphics is normal and awesome idea but not very good implementation . This is not really good game, but not **** .

Awards & Rankings

29
#29 Best 3DS Game of 2015
26
#26 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2015
46
#46 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Sep 30, 2015
    85
    Even though it misses a few chances to do more, Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure is still the best version of this classic puzzler so far. [Issue #16 – July/August 2015, p.21]
  2. CD-Action
    Sep 18, 2015
    70
    The only unquestionably valuable new feature in comparison to the previous Dr. Mario is the online mode. [09/2015, p.69]
  3. Games Master UK
    Aug 18, 2015
    59
    This feels like Nintendo at its least innovative, a simple retread of a proven formula. [Summer 2015, p.81]
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