Dr. Mario (ESP)

Dr. Mario is a series of puzzle-style video games created by Nintendo and first released in 1990 with the first installment, Dr. Mario. Appearing in the 1990s, shortly after the explosion of Tetris on the video game market, the series consists exclusively of puzzle games with gameplay directly inspired by Tetris, in which the player plays a character generally taken from the Mario franchise which must eradicate viruses. Each level consists of viruses of different colors, and in recent installments the levels also feature destructible blocks that can hinder the player, which the player must eliminate by lining up two-color capsules called "megavitamins". Although the gameplay of the different games in the series is inspired by Tetris, the series has some particularities such as the use of playable characters or power-ups. Each level ends when all viruses have been destroyed. The Dr. Mario games take place in the Mushroom Kingdom (a fictional kingdom in which almost the majority of games in the Mario franchise take place). This kingdom is invaded by viruses causing panic among the inhabitants, forcing Mario to put on a white lab coat and fight against the invasion of viruses. The series is made up of eight video games but the first opus, Dr. Mario, has been the subject of numerous reissues and inclusions on compilations. Although not one of Nintendo's most well-known franchises, some installments in the series have enjoyed significant commercial results and high popularity among both fans and critics. Some elements of the series recur in other Nintendo video games.