Taking place on a map that looks and sounds like 16-bit era Super Mario World, with its jaunty tunes and bouncing terrain, the meat of Dr. Mario World is actually not quite like its similarly named 1990s predecessor.
In this version you kill viruses by releasing capsules that rise towards the top of the screen. When they stop, any matching lines of three or more cause those viruses to disappear. In addition, there are rainbow capsules, shells that sweep away entire rows, skills that do the same, and power-ups you can buy at the start of each level.
The random order in which capsules appear means sometimes you can beat levels and other times not, introducing the twin temptations of buying extras and continues. Both start free, before costing real money. You also need hearts to initiate levels, which you can either buy for cash or via Facebook friend invitations. Players of Candy Crush Saga may be inured to this variety of blackmail, but it feels horrible.
And therein lies the problem. Conventional Nintendo games want to make you happy, whereas Dr. Mario wants to take your money by providing an experience that’s just a touch sub-par. It’s oddly nauseating seeing Nintendo’s much-loved characters cynically shaking you down for spare change.
Score: 3/10
