Dr. Luigi

Overview

Dr. Luigi, known in Japan as Dr. Luigi & Saikin Bokumetsu, is a falling-block tile-matching puzzle game developed by Arika and published digitally by Nintendo for the Wii U in North America on December 31, 2013, with a Japanese and European release on January 15, 2014. Since the closure of the platform's eShop on March 27, 2023, there is currently no way to purchase it.

Part of the Dr. Mario series and a sequel to Dr. Mario Online Rx, Dr. Luigi was released as part of the Nintendo event known as The Year of Luigi and switches the titular doctor from Mario to his brother Luigi. Along with the classic Dr. Mario (as "Retro Remedy") and its Virus Buster variation, the game introduces "Operation L": a new variation which utilizes L-shaped two-capsule pieces. It also introduces a new trio of Viruses (cyan, magenta, and yellow).

The game later received a sequel for the Nintendo 3DS as Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure, featuring both Mario brothers in their corresponding game variants.

Gameplay

Operation L / Retro Remedy

Utilizing standard controls, Operation L and Retro Remedy ("L Capsule" and "Normal Capsule" in the Japanese version) provide the traditional Dr. Mario experience, with Retro Remedy using classic single-capsule pieces and Operation L using L-shaped dual-capsule pieces (which rotate similar to Tetris tetrominos).

Both game styles share the same game modes, including the standard stage-based "Classic" mode and includes two versus modes (which can be played in player-vs-player and player-vs-CPU matches), each with their own unique objective:

• Classic - Be the first to clear all Viruses from their board, or have your opponent top out.

• Flash - Be the first to clear three "flashing" Viruses (one of each color) from the board, or have your opponent top out.

They also both support online multiplayer via Nintendo Network, including a ranked matchmaking and unranked friend match.

Virus Buster

Based on the mini-game of the same name from the Brain Age series, Virus Buster ("Saikin Bokumetsu" in the Japanese version) is a variation of Retro Remedy that utilizes touch controls from the Wii U GamePad (in either portrait or landscape orientation) on a smaller 6×12 playfield. Unlike the motion-based "Virus Buster" mode in Dr. Mario Rx, this mode is single-player only.

Players use the stylus to manipulate each falling capsule, tapping them to rotate them and dragging them to move them (although they cannot be dragged up the playfield). Unlike the other modes, players can drag capsules and half-capsules that fall from clears below them (for easier chain reactions), but new capsules can drop at their own pace (with larger groups of capsules dropping as the player lingers in the Level).