Dr. Mario World is a beloved IP from Nintendo. It’s like Tetris, with a few gameplay twists and, of course, our beloved Mario and his pals. Unfortunately, the mobile version of this game is riddled with cash grabs, even more so than the money dumpster Fire Emblem Heroes.

This review won’t be terribly long. Gameplay wise, it’s exactly what you know and love from Dr. Mario. By matching three similarly colored pills, you kill viruses on the screen to complete levels. Unlike Tetris, the viruses pop up from the bottom of the screen and not the top. This is meant to keep the player’s thumb low on the screen, rather than forcing unnecessary stretching across your smartphone. It’s a nice thought for the player, which is ironic considering the rest of the game seeks to pull money out of you.

I was terribly disheartened to see other reviews mention that this game isn’t a money grab. A few even went so far to applaud Nintendo for their efforts to make the game playable without paying for anything. I’m by no means a micro-transaction apologist, but I’m also not going to say that they’re useless. Companies can make games like this and make a good chunk of change; and as a gamer, some titles I enjoy are worth a few bucks here and there. I love Pokémon Go, and when in need of a quick item, I have no problem spending a few dollars on a free game I enjoy multiple times a week.

Here’s where we get to something called cost-benefit analysis. The cost of buying Super Mario Run seemed worth it to me because I wanted full access to a mobile game starring one of my favorite video game IPs. Dr. Mario World offers little in terms of fan-service and Nintendo-focused content to appease super fans. For that reason, the game is basically a Candy Crush clone with a Mario skin. That’s fine, but consider the cost of the title’s in-game currency.

You spend a heart on each level you play, and when you run out, you wait for a period of time to earn more hearts. Of course, this entices some into spending money on more hearts. Hearts are purchased using diamonds, which can be purchased for real money. 10 diamonds buy you 5 hearts, or 30 diamonds gets you 60 minutes of unlimited play. At the cost of 12 cents a diamond, it’s not terrible on paper. Nintendo creatively only allows you to purchase diamonds in specific numbers, however. The lowest number of diamonds is 20 for $2.50, meaning it costs $5 to play the game for 60 uninterrupted minutes.

To me, that’s insane considering the enjoyment you can get out of Dr. Mario World. With multiplayer modes and the single-player progression, it still feels light. Nintendo warned us this was coming though. When they announced a $10 price tag for Super Mario Run, they said they were trying a new method of mobile gaming pricing. If it didn’t work, they would move back to micro-transactions, a la the money pit Fire Emblem Heroes. Well, guess what? Super Mario Run sold terribly, and now we’re here with a Candy Crush clone featuring a beloved character; that costs the price of a brand new Switch game to only gets you 12 hours of play.

It might be worth it to you, and I’ll never argue against someone’s own idea of value in gaming. What I will say is this: Nintendo knows people spend money on their things, and that’s not inherently evil. They’re a business. That being said, you have every right to skip this one due to a low return on enjoyment for what I believe to be a hefty cost. I’m as big of a Nintendo fan as there is on staff here at Phenixx Gaming, but I’m not putting a dime into this one.

Dr. Mario World is available now for iOS and Android devices.

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Dr. Mario World

0.00

3.5

Score

3.5/10

Pros

• Beloved Dr. Mario gameplay

Cons

• Poor pricing on in-game currency
• Limited gains for what you can pay
• 60 minutes is max play time for in-game purchase
• Repetitive, tiresome gameplay over a long period of time