Julius Posted January 31, 2019 Posted January 31, 2019 (edited) So yeah, this is happening, apparently... Summary: Aiming for an early Summer 2019 release, this puzzle game will be free to download (with optional in-app purchases) on iOS and Android devices, and initially launch in around 60 territories, including Japan and the United States. The game will support multiple languages, including Japanese and English. The press release: Quote Nintendo Co., Ltd. (HQ: Minami-Ku, Kyoto, Representative Director and President: Shuntaro Furukawa, hereinafter referred as "Nintendo") and LINE Corporation (HQ: Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, President: Takeshi Idezawa, hereinafter referred as "LINE") have announced a partnership in the mobile game business. The companies will co-develop and jointly operate a new game for smart devices. 1. Context of the Partnership Nintendo continues to introduce unique entertainment products and characters like Mario to the world, establishing itself as a globally recognized brand that represents video game culture in the home entertainment industry. In 2016, Nintendo entered the mobile games business, creating even more opportunities for consumers to engage with Nintendo IP and reaching audiences beyond its dedicated video game platform business. "LINE", under its corporate mission "Closing the Distance," LINE is dedicated to creating a world that seamlessly connects people, information, content, and services anywhere, anytime, and at the most comfortable distance. In its endeavor to realize a self-contained Smart Portal strategy, LINE offers services in a variety of fields to its 165 million monthly active users in four key markets (Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia), where the userbase continues to expand. Utilizing both companies’ strengths, Nintendo and LINE will co-develop and jointly operate a new action puzzle game featuring Dr. Mario titled Dr. Mario World to be released by Nintendo. Dr. Mario World is targeting an early summer 2019 global release, including in Japan and the United States. Together with Nintendo and LINE, NHN Entertainment, which has released and operated various online and mobile games, will take part in the development and operation of Dr. Mario World. Edited January 31, 2019 by Julius 1
Ronnie Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 I assume Gamexplain has analysed the reflection in the logo for any clues by now? Sounds fun, and a good fit for mobile. Interesting they've partnered with someone new, and didn't renew with DeNA. 1 1
Mandalore Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 The germs have become immune to your pills, use microtransactions to buy new ones. 1 6
Ashley Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 I'd love it if it supported multiple languages but not Japanese and English. And that's the extent of my interest in this personal game, but it's one that makes sense.
bob Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 I'd be interested in a good puzzle game. Consider my interest piqued.
Ike Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 Not sure how you're supposed to play this with a touchscreen, assuming it plays like the "console" versions.
RedShell Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 1 hour ago, Ike said: Not sure how you're supposed to play this with a touchscreen, assuming it plays like the "console" versions. I imagine it’ll be similar to the WiiWare and 3DS versions.
Ike Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 1 hour ago, RedShell said: I imagine it’ll be similar to the WiiWare and 3DS versions. I haven't played those ones so I don't know what that means.
RedShell Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 7 minutes ago, Ike said: I haven't played those ones so I don't know what that means. Direct pointer/touch control of the pills. Works surprisingly well, although it means the pills and bacteria need to be rendered larger than in the standard game.
Ashley Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 It's just rotate left, rotate right, move correct? You could put a bit more of a buffer at the bottom and use the corners of the touchscreen to rotate and the space in-between to move.
RedShell Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 26 minutes ago, Ashley said: It's just rotate left, rotate right, move correct? You could put a bit more of a buffer at the bottom and use the corners of the touchscreen to rotate and the space in-between to move. Yeah. Can’t see them going with a virtual controller option though, but you never know.
Ashley Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 I know it sounds like a virtual controller but they could build it in a way that doesn't feel like one. What I'm essentially describing is app drawer navigation, but for a game. Obviously they'll describe it as that because 'app drawer navigation' sounds sexier 😋 But in reality, yeah I think they'd just have you click on the pill. 1
Glen-i Posted February 1, 2019 Posted February 1, 2019 12 minutes ago, Ashley said: But in reality, yeah I think they'd just have you click on the pill. Title of my new "Drug Safety Video" 1
Hero-of-Time Posted July 9, 2019 Posted July 9, 2019 It does make me wonder if this type of mobile game would have been made had Iwata still been around. He always seemed dead set against this kind of business model and it's sad to see Nintendo go down this route now that he's gone. 1 1 1
MindFreak Posted July 10, 2019 Posted July 10, 2019 Pokémon Shuffle had the same structure on mobile (and was even more expensive on mobile than on 3DS). You can play the game for free if you want to, just for a limited amount of time at a time.
Hero-of-Time Posted July 10, 2019 Posted July 10, 2019 Anything related to Pokemon is a different beast though. Nintendo don't have a full say on what goes on with that franchise, whereas something like this they are in full control of the IP.
Ronnie Posted July 10, 2019 Posted July 10, 2019 The game is a lot of fun, up to level 30 so far, haven't felt the need to pay anything.
Hero-of-Time Posted July 10, 2019 Posted July 10, 2019 The Verge published a piece about the game the other day. LINK While there are some positives... Quote I had the chance to try out a few levels, and the game isn’t bad. The constantly moving nature means that you’ll have to think on your feet a bit more than some other puzzle games, and some of the puzzles are genuinely tricky. It just doesn’t really feel like a Dr. Mario game. There’s also a multiplayer component (which Nintendo has detailed here), but I wasn’t able to try it out in person. Some changes are positive. The whole game board is inverted from the usual orientation so that players are dragging capsules up toward a waiting array of viruses, instead of the other way around — presumably, since players’ thumbs can more comfortably reach the bottom of a smartphone screen than the top. It’s a bit jarring at first, but it makes sense for the mobile and touchscreen nature of the game. It’s a similar ethos behind the changes made to the Mario formula for Super Mario Run, which similarly tried to adapt the classic gameplay for a more mobile format. ...it's the standard mobile practices that seem to stand out. Quote We’ve come a long way from Nintendo’s initial idealistic approach to mobile games with Super Mario Run. Instead, Dr. Mario World follows in the footsteps of the more exploitative (and lucrative) Fire Emblem Heroes, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Dragalia Lost. There are timers, limiting how much players can play at one time, although they can spend paid currency in the game to play more. There’s a randomized gacha system for unlocking new characters, assistants, and for upgrading your existing rosters. Players can either wait to accrue their earned in-game currency to pull the wheel or they can pay for premium currencies to try more often. Each character has different abilities (like clearing a random column or knocking out the top row of blocks), which can drastically change gameplay. Upgrading characters makes those abilities more powerful, but locking it behind a paid, random loot box system feels like shaking down players for real-world cash. In other words, they’re the exact same strategies used by Nintendo in some of its other mobile games, which have all been extremely lucrative for the company. But it’s a little more disappointing here for some reason. Perhaps because Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing still resembled their original franchises despite the added monetization, or maybe because it’s starting to feel more like Nintendo’s monetization schemes are actually altering the gameplay of a classic title to squeeze more from players. Again, none of this is really new at this point — for Nintendo or the mobile gaming industry at large — but it’s a bit disappointing. After all, if even Nintendo can’t figure out a way to make its beloved franchises work for mobile without sticking little price tags everywhere, what chance does the rest of the industry have? Sad times. 1
RedShell Posted July 10, 2019 Posted July 10, 2019 1 minute ago, Ronnie said: The game is a lot of fun, up to level 30 so far, haven't felt the need to pay anything. Yeah, while that mobile style monetisation system is absolutely repugnant, all of Nintendo's mobile games (including this one it seems) are at least perfectly playable without spending any money at all. Anyway, business matters aside this is actually a pretty fun game. The presentation is great and the gameplay was been very well adapted. Online multiplayer is especially entertaining and appears to be unlimited too (only played a few games, but I don't think it uses the heart system of the single player mode) which is nice.
MindFreak Posted July 15, 2019 Posted July 15, 2019 I've uninstalled the game now after clearing 25 levels. It's fun and all, but it reminds me too much of Pokémon Shuffle in a bad way. That was enjoyable in the beginning but in the end, it became a chore and it got so hard that you needed to either spend ages grinding for levels, spend coins or just wait for a stronger Pokémon to appear that could clear a level with an S-rank. I fear that the assistants in this are the equivalent to the Pokémon in Shuffle.
Kaepora_Gaebora Posted July 15, 2019 Posted July 15, 2019 1 hour ago, MindFreak said: I've uninstalled the game now after clearing 25 levels. It's fun and all, but it reminds me too much of Pokémon Shuffle in a bad way. That was enjoyable in the beginning but in the end, it became a chore and it got so hard that you needed to either spend ages grinding for levels, spend coins or just wait for a stronger Pokémon to appear that could clear a level with an S-rank. I fear that the assistants in this are the equivalent to the Pokémon in Shuffle. Couldn't disagree more; I can't say I've felt the effect of my goomba or koopa assistant too much, I've got past level 50 now and I've had to replay a few levels here and there but nothing too chaotic. I've never played a game where I've noticed how my "performance" drops depending on how tired or switched on I am. Last week managed to get from versus mode points of 200 up to almost 600 in one sitting, it was like the matrix, and now I'm back down to 400 odd after trying to plough on when I just wasn't seeing it. Haven't spent any money on this and I absolutely will not either, but it's probably the most fun I've had with any mobile game, really enjoy it!
Ronnie Posted July 15, 2019 Posted July 15, 2019 7 minutes ago, Kaepora_Gaebora said: Haven't spent any money on this and I absolutely will not either If I put hours into a free to play game then it's obviously fun and so I've no problem with paying the guys who make the game, but it'll just be a one off thing like a fiver or something.
Glen-i Posted July 15, 2019 Posted July 15, 2019 22 minutes ago, Ronnie said: If I put hours into a free to play game then it's obviously fun and so I've no problem with paying the guys who make the game, but it'll just be a one off thing like a fiver or something. That's precisely what these kind of games aim for. Did you watch a recent Jimquisition where it somewhat focused on a presentation by a game developer into how to invest people into a free-to-play game? Honestly disturbing.
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