Finally, a love story for us nerds. Mark Scheetz’s documentary, A Dr. Mario Love Story, follows the love story of Mark’s good friend, Dana, and his wife, Rachel, as they compete at the Dr. Mario Championship tournament in Columbus, Ohio.
Dana and Rachel were meant for each other. He proposed after finishing a game of Dr. Mario on the Nintendo. Today, they live in a rural home with a large yard to grow vegetables and raise ducks with their daughter.
Since their meeting, Dana’s obsession with Dr. Mario has bled over Rachel. Dana sees Dr. Mario as the only game the two can play where they mentally spar with one another at an equal level. For the uninitiated like me, Dr. Mario is a puzzle video game in which players must match and align colored pills with viruses in a row to eliminate them. Like Tetris, the challenge is to clear the screen before viruses overtake the play area.

“Since their meeting, Dana’s obsession with Dr. Mario has bled over Rachel…”
Having thought about competing in the past, this is the first year that Dana and Rachel have both felt ready to compete. As the pair practice intensely against one another, their only daughter sometimes feels a bit left out. The time has come as the Sink family heads to the Torg Gaming Expo in Columbus. Day 1 of the competition is about weeding out the less serious players, and in their first-ever competition, the Sinks will soon learn how serious they are.
A Dr. Mario Love Story is the story that nerds have longed for. It’s about a couple in love and video games. The film plays well because Dana and Rachel Sink are such an endearing couple. Dana describes himself as a competitive person, which Rachel finds attractive. Their bond over Dr. Mario is sweet. As much as Dana wants to win the competition, he reiterates that if Rachel wins, he wins…but Dana wants to win.
Scheetz’s documentary primarily consists of talking-head interviews with the couple and a great deal of BTS footage of their home life. As their trip begins, the story becomes a video journal. The film may not be ESPN quality, but Scheetz definitely tells a charming story.
In A Dr. Mario Love Story, Scheetz captures the sweet, competitive spirit of a couple whose love is as enduring as their high scores. It’s a heartwarming tale that reminds us all that sometimes, the best games are the ones we play together. Nerds in love rejoice. This documentary will have you cheering for Dana and Rachel every step of the way.