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First Mario DSiWare game is Dr Mario Express

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First Mario DSiWare game is Dr Mario Express

While it would be wrong to define Nintendo as anything other than insular, the fact that the first DSiWare title to feature Mario is Dr Mario Express - a single player version of the head-to-head game where you manipulate pills to destroy coloured viruses - suggest it's teetering on the edge of wilfulness when it comes to the download-only DSi Shop.

It's all part of the pattern which has seen rather obscure old Nintendo games released. So far, we've really enjoyed Art Style: CODE and not enjoyed Art Style: AQUITE or Paper Plane.

In addition, last Friday Activision released the multiplayer-only Mixed Messages, while the list of games to be released in future includes Art Style: PiCOPiCT, a couple of mobile and DS Gameloft titles and mini-versions of Dr Kawashima's Brain Training and Magic Made Fun (aka Master of Illusion).

Nope. Doesn't scream blockbuster to us either.

Dr Mario Express will be released in the North America DSi Shop this week for 500 Nintendo Points (£4.50, $5, €5), as will Master of Illusion Express: Deep Psyche (200 Nintendo Points).

Presumably both will make their way to Europe at some point, although frankly we're not holding our breath.

Jon Jordan
Jon Jordan
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon can turn his hand to anything except hand turning. He is editor-at-large at PG.biz which means he can arrive anywhere in the world, acting like a slightly confused uncle looking for the way out. He likes letters, cameras, imaginary numbers and legumes.