I’ve been so focused on finding out when MARIO KART TOUR would be coming to mobile devices that I completely overlooked another classic Nintendo property getting a release into app stores everywhere. A modern, mobile take on Nintendo’s Dr. Mario is out now in DR. MARIO WORLD!

One of the games I had – still have, actually – on the original Game Boy, Dr. Mario is a puzzler where you have to eliminate viruses by throwing pills at them. Clearing a level got you a higher level of difficulty on the next, and you kept going until you failed to clear all the viruses before the capsules made it to the top of the bottle’s neck.

Some have called Dr. Mario a Tetris rip-off, but while the games have similar goals – to clear the game field – the strategies are different enough to give Dr. Mario its own feel.

The new mobile release takes players on a tour through the Mushroom Kingdom as Mario and his allies work to clear the viruses from the various stages on the map. Nintendo really likes incorporating maps into their game design. I’m not sure why we need the extras of having different stages to walk through, like this is Super Mario World. I think the game would be more fun and offer more continuous play if you just hit play and went level-to-level, like they did with SUPER MARIO RUN. But the little extras – like gathering coins from the world map and gathering allies and assistants – isn’t too much of a distraction. At least it gives us the chance to see more of Mario’s cast of characters, all in doctor gear of course.

The game also features a number of power-ups to help you get through levels, like character powers, hammers to break blocks and in-level bombs. Getting used to using the power-ups and not just trying to get through a level on skill alone is a bit of a learning curve for me. I imagine it’s easier to pick up for people who play more games than I do at this point. I may just be rusty.

Overall, DR. MARIO WORLD is a fun way to kill some time, which is all you should need from a mobile game. Definitely a great addition to Nintendo’s roster, and I can’t wait for more.