The new L-shaped pills and touch screen controls aim to make the classic puzzle series a bit more accessible.
As the Year of Luigi continues into its second year, the former Player Two continues to take over roles traditionally filled by his brother. “Whatever you can do, I can do better” he sings to himself in the mirror while oiling his mustache. Besides the typical platforming adventure, he’s also taking on the role of health care practitioner with Dr. Luigi. Aside from a new face, it also has online play and a few new game modes.
It’s obvious that Dr. Luigi studied under his brother for a time. It features the same puzzle gameplay, where you have to stack four colors in a row to slowly clear up a playing field filled with germs. While the Retro Remedy game mode is just like the Dr. Mario you remember, Operation L changes things up a bit. Instead of the normal pills, players drop L-shaped pills, allowing you to slam three of a color on a germ and kill it instantly. It’s supposed to be easier to play, but it sure looks more difficult to swallow. Germ Buster mode has you turn the Wii U gamepad sideways and drag the pills into place with the stylus, just like in Brain Training. Four players can play together locally, or two can battle online. The verses combat works just like before, where you can set up combos and dump garbage on the playing fields of your opponents.
Overall, it looks like a slightly improved version of Dr. Mario Online Rx for the Wii. Like Tetris, it’s a puzzle game that’s best without adding a dozen new features to each iteration. Here, it seems that most of the new additions are geared towards making it easier for newcomers to get into the series.
Dr. Luigi launches on the Wii U eShop on December 31st for $14.99.
Source: Nintendo YouTube via Nintendo Life
Published: Dec 18, 2013 07:00 pm