Dr. Mario World Hits iOS And Android A Day Early

Dr. Mario World is now available on iOS and Android, a day ahead of its targeted release date of July 10.

The mobile match-3 game has a simple premise that will look familiar to fans of Tetris and Candy Crush. In single-player story mode, you progress through a series of boards by clearing out the viruses using color-matched capsules. Most boards include a puzzle element, heightened by the limited number of moves available for completing each level. Once you complete the 20-stage tutorial, you'll also have a set amount of stamina that depletes as you play.

If you get stuck on a level in story mode, you can purchase a variety of power-ups using in-game and premium currency, a standard model for free-to-play mobile games. These in-app purchases range in price, with items at the top end costing as much as $69.99. This pay-to-win mechanic does not feature in the game's multiplayer versus mode.

When facing off against other players online, your character's special move is the only power-up at your disposal. Though this helps balance out the PvP aspect, the matches can prove more frustrating than fun because of gameplay issues and misleading trophy scores. Similar to Tetris, when your opponent clears several viruses the game adds them to your board, freezing gameplay as it makes the adjustments. If you're in the process of placing a capsule, this can often derail your trajectory. Disparities between your adversary's trophy score and skill level are also common, making defeats far too frequent.

Linking your Facebook or Nintendo account unlocks the cloud saving feature, allowing you to pick up where you left off on any supported device. Grinding through the single-player mode also earns you in-game currency and new playable characters, including Dr. Peach, Dr. Bowser, and Dr. Toad. Nintendo plans to add more stages, worlds, and characters in the future.