Dr. Mario World launches a day early

Nintendo has released mobile game Dr. Mario World on iOS and Android devices a day earlier than previously scheduled.

The free-to-play “action puzzle” title, which is supported by microtransactions, tasks players with matching capsules with viruses to make them disappear.

Nintendo announced in January that it was co-developing Dr. Mario World with Asian firms Line and NHN Entertainment, with plans to release the title in approximately 60 countries.

It’s also gearing up to release Mario Kart Tour, which is being developed by Super Mario Run and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp creator DeNA, on iOS and Android devices this summer. Beta tests for the racing game were held in May.

During a Q&A at Nintendo’s recent AGM, president Shuntaro Furukawa discussed the company’s position on collaborating with other firms.

“Many of our existing collaborations with other companies are related to smart-device applications,” he told shareholders.

“Regarding collaborations, our basic stance is that we do not intend to actively pursue large-scale collaborations.

“We will, however, actively consider partnerships that would increase the value of Nintendo IP, such as our game characters and worlds.”