Dr. Mario Legacy Collection (Nintendo Switch Game)

Dr Mario Legacy Collection is a 2021 compilation of several Dr. Mario puzzle games released on March 21, 2021 for the Nintendo Switch. The collection includes several Dr. Mario games from the past, including Dr Mario, Dr Mario 64 and Dr Mario Express. The collection makes all the games high definition with a higher resolution and included a widescreen option for all of the games.

The collection was released on March 21, 2021 to generally positive reviews from critics and fans alike. People praised the games themselves, the optimized controls, high definition resolution and bonus content. The game had a limited physical release up until May 5, 2021 but the digital version remained on the E-Shop for the long run.

Gameplay
The collection features 3 Dr. Mario games, plus some additional bonus content. All the games have been given a high definition resolution and even widescreen modes. The widescreen mode can be activated on all the games by double tapping the Switches screen. The gameplay in all the games remains the same, with the only update being the higher resolution, minus Dr. Mario Expresses changes for local co-op. All the games support multiplayer, even Dr. Mario Express which previously did not have multiplayer. The game has been updated to include a local co-op mode. It’s the only game that had a change in the gameplay department. Dr. Mario Express also allows the player to flip the switch vertically and play that way. The game describes that as the recommended way to play Dr. Mario Express for the dual screen. However, it is still playable in the normal switch way with some limitations. The collection has a menu that allows the player to select one of the games, or even the bonus content such as the art book and soundtrack. When the player goes to a game, the menu shows a bio and supported game modes.

Bonus Content
The Dr. Mario Legacy Collection includes some extra bonus content along with the games. This bonus content includes an Art Book and Soundtrack.

Art Book
The first bonus feature is an art book, spanning all of the games. The art book includes a section about each game featured in the collection. This art book features concept art, design art or even just sprite sheets of all the games. You can navigate through all of the art using the arrows. Each art piece also includes a small caption below it, explaining what the art piece is or even who made it! The song “Fever” plays over the art book menu. This feature was highly praised, due to the sheer amount of art included and the info along with it. There are about 15 pieces for each game. Most of this art is previously unseen and exclusive to this game.

Soundtrack
The other bonus feature is a soundtrack. This soundtrack spans all of the games. However, the music pieces are not separated into sections like the art book. Instead, the soundtrack allows you to scroll through pages of music from all the games. When you get to a page with music from a different game, the logo at the top left corner of the screen changes. The soundtrack allows you to listen to music from all of the games included in the collection. The music player includes a play button, rewind button and next button. It does not display the time of the song however. The soundtrack includes even minor soundtracks. Critics were surprised by the amount of music included. However, many thought the art book was a cooler addition. The soundtrack also allows the player to play the selected song over the game selection menu and even listen to the music while the screen is off

Reception
Dr Mario Legacy Collection received generally positive reviews from critics and fans alike. Although people wanted a new Dr. Mario game for switch, people say this was a fine compromise. People praised the game selection, high resolution, bonus content and even the controls. Although there was a bit of criticism towards Dr. Mario Expresses regular control scheme. Some described it as “clunky” and “inconvenient” but still playable. Critics also praised the new addition of local co-op in Dr. Mario Express. People said it was an improvement on Super Mario 3D All Stars, because the collection included far more in depth bonus content. People said this was the definitive way to play all of these games and even praised the widescreen mode for all of the games. Critics however thought some of the games didn’t work well in widescreen, but didn’t take off too many marks as it was an optional option. Dr. Mario Legacy Collection was overall a great compilation for Dr. Mario fans. It also sold remarkably well so it was a critical and financial success.

Sales
Dr. Mario Legacy Collection sold really well at launch. The physical edition was particularly popular amongst the community. Although, the physical edition was incredibly hard to find both in stores and online. Scalpers immediately jumped onto the game and sold the physical edition on eBay for high prices. Nintendo tried their best to restock the physical edition during the physical editions release period. It eventually slowed down and the physical edition was less difficult to find. The physical edition alone sold 6 million copies. After the physical release period, the digital version continued to sell very well. As of June 2021, the game had sold 15 million copies. The game become one of the best selling switch games ever.