The most average version of a very average puzzle game. Many of the QoL features from other Tetris clones like instant-drop are not here. Not much is here, if we're being honest. The main campaign is short, but also I wasn't really begging for more. It does get challenging later on, but the cutscenes that tie each of the levels together are engaging enough to keep going. The multiplayer component handles fine.

If there's anything that warrants playing this game over other versions of Dr Mario, it would be the presentation. It really was released in 2001, and it looks and sounds like a late N64 title in a very positive way. I like the redesigns of the Mario cast and the music (outside of the main theme) was pleasant. The tie-ins to Wario Land 3 are cute. It's not that there isn't personality to the game,

The main issue the game has is it's just Dr. Mario. There's no modifiers or powerups to the game, and as a puzzle game it isn't as fast as Tetris or allows for as flashy of combos as something like Puyo Pop. It's just kinda boring until it gets really hard, and even then you have to care about getting good enough at Dr. Mario 64 to see Mario plot. Without something to spice things up, the game comes off as a whimper of a way to end Nintendo's involvement with the N64.