Nintendo has announced that it's going to release a new game for smartphones — Dr. Mario World. Coming out early summer, the app will be a free-to-download puzzle title.
It was co-developed and jointly operated with Line, a Japanese messaging app, and developer NHN Entertainment.
Nintendo has yet to share more details about the game beyond its name and a logo, and the fact that it will be released on both iOS and Android. It will offer in-app purchases, unlike Super Mario Run, which only requires a one-time purchase to get the full game.
Dr. Mario World
"The doctor is in! Mario puts on the white coat once again in the mobile game Dr. Mario World, targeting an early summer 2019 global release," said Nintendo of America on Twitter.
Nintendo isn't a stranger to the mobile space. Years ago it released Miitomo, and although it was rather short-lived, it managed to capture the hearts of audiences with quirky life simulator elements paired with Nintendo's signature cutesy appeal.
Super Mario Run
Super Mario Run was released shortly thereafter, a slightly different take on the popular platformer. Unlike typical Super Mario games, it's an endless runner, meaning Mario runs automatically and the user must tap and hold to let the titular jump, hop, and somersault his way through obstacles and all the way to the finish line.
There are a few more mobile titles lined up beyond 2019. There's Mario Kart Tour, presumably a slimmed-down version of Mario Kart for smartphones — recently reported to be delayed — and a Legend of Zelda game, details of which have been scant since it was announced years ago. Dr. Mario World will add to Nintendo's expanding library of mobile titles, and there's reason to believe it's going to release more as the mobile gaming market gets larger.
Although not much is known about Dr. Mario World at the moment, if it's anything like the previous Dr. Mario titles, it's safe to say that casual audiences will find something to enjoy in this puzzler. It's also arguably much more fitted for mobile, unlike Fire Emblem Heroes or Dragalia Lost, which are more complex and require a steeper learning curve than most games.
Time, however, will tell if Dr. Mario World would find any success on the mobile platform. It's not difficult to imagine. After all, the Mario brand, as Super Mario Run has proven, is still extremely recognizable and alive across the world.
