Nintendo is bringing Dr. Mario to mobile this summer

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Dr. Mario
He’s got the cure!
Photo: Nintendo

Nintendo has confirmed that Dr. Mario will be its next franchise to make the leap to mobile.

Dr. Mario World is scheduled for a worldwide release in “early summer” on Android and iOS. It will be developed by Nintendo, Line, and NHN Entertainment, and just like the rest of Nintendo’s mobile lineup, it will be free-to-play.

Dr. Mario is one of the Nintendo franchises that seems like a perfect fit for mobile devices. Originally released in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, it’s a falling block puzzle game in which you eliminate viruses by matching colored capsules.

It’s certainly not the biggest Mario franchise, but it has a significant fanbase, and has earned releases on a bunch of Nintendo consoles over the years, including the N64 and 3DS. And now Dr. Mario is coming to your mobile.

The doctor will see you this summer

Nintendo announced on Thursday that Dr. Mario World is “targeting” an “early summer 2019” release. It will be available in approximately 60 countries worldwide on Android and iOS.

Details are short for now, but Nintendo has confirmed that the title will be free-to-play, with optional in-app purchases. This has become the standard approach to mobile games for the company following the success of Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem.

We should probably point out that “targeting” a summer release isn’t quite as good as explicitly confirming it. Nintendo just delayed Mario Kart Tour for mobile, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Dr. Mario World’s release pushed back, too.

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