I only played Dr. Mario World for about a half hour, but that was more than enough to feel its addictive pull.
It’s a simple premise, but it’s instantly captivating, and the perfect Nintendo property for a mobile release.
If you’re unfamiliar with Dr. Mario, it’s a puzzle game that’s kind of similar to Puyo Puyo and Candy Crush Saga. Each level of the game has an assortment of different-colored viruses that you have to eradicate. As Dr. Mario, players move and rotate multi-colored pills that slowly glide up the board toward the viruses; the aim is to match the pill colors to the viruses. Making a line of three of the same color destroys the viruses, and getting rid of all the viruses means victory. Once you beat one level, you can move on to the next as the difficulty continues to increase.
Players only get a limited number of pills on each level, so you can’t just throw them at viruses all willy nilly. You have to be strategic.
I learned that on the third level when my carelessness led to my demise. The pill counter was dwindling, and I didn’t realize it as I was pushing out pill after pill. I failed the level after running out of pills. Embarrassing. But that’s OK, because it’s a puzzle game, and not every level is supposed to be beaten with ease — some take a little trial and error.
When you fail to beat a level, you get the option to continue with a few extra pills for the cost of a few diamonds.
About the diamonds: They're one of a few currencies in the game. They can be purchased with real money from the in-game shop, and along with allowing you to keep going on a tricky level, they can also be spent to restore hearts.
Hearts are what allow you to play levels. You start with five hearts, and each level requires a heart to play it. Hearts refill over time, but if you really want to keep playing, you’ll have to purchase diamonds. It’s classic mobile game monetization stuff.
There are also coins, which you get from playing levels, and those can be spent on buying new doctor and assistant characters you can play as. Each have their own unique advantages.
One of the big new features in Dr. Mario World is the variety of doctor-fied Super Mario characters you can play as, each with their own unique special skill move. As you defeat viruses, the doctor’s skill meter increases until it’s full and can be unleashed. Dr. Mario’s ability clears the lowest line of viruses and pills on the board, which can be very helpful in a pinch.
To start, players get to choose from Dr. Mario, Dr. Peach, and Dr. Bowser. You'll have to wait and see what other characters will be donning the white doctor coat, and what their skills are.
There are also characters you can select to act as doctor’s assistants on any given level. They provide additional help during the virus-killing action. (If you select the Goomba as your assistant, at the end of the level it will increase your total score by 1%.) You can mix and match doctors and assistants to fit your playstyle or give yourself a specific advantage.
The other big addition to the game is that it's multiplayer, which allows you to play with friends and do matchmaking against strangers. If you’re out of hearts for single player, multiplayer doesn’t require any hearts.
Throughout it all, there's this great soundtrack that I found myself inadvertently bopping along with. It's a nice nod to the original game's catchy music, but with a modern flair.
Dr. Mario World hits the App Store and Google Play July 10.
