Dr. Mario is in—and he’ll soon be available on smartphones.
Nintendo announced that its next mobile game will be called “Dr. Mario World,” which the Japanese game maker is launching alongside messaging app Line and developer NHN Entertainment. The title is expected to launch early this summer, although Nintendo did not give an exact release date.
Mobile gamers will be able to download the game for free on iOS and Android, but like its mobile predecessor “Super Mario Run,” the game will include in-app purchases. Nintendo said it expects to release the game in 60 regions, including the United States and Japan.
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. #DrMario https://t.co/DTRBympHj0 pic.twitter.com/RfMZbbs3Mp
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 31, 2019
In a press release, Nintendo described “Dr. Mario World,” as a puzzle game, but did not provide any additional details. The Dr. Mario character dates back to 1990, when Nintendo released the original falling block game on NES and Game Boy. A more recent title, “Dr. Mario: Miracle Cure,” was released in 2015 for the 3DS handheld gaming system.
The announcement comes after Nintendo released its earnings report on Thursday. While the gaming company exceeded expectations with a $1.46 billion quarterly profit, it also signaled sales of its Switch hybrid gaming console were slowing down. The news sent shares of Nintendo plummeting 9% by the close of the trading day in Tokyo.
