Nintendo today announced that it is sunsetting Dr. Mario World for iOS, a game that launched just two years ago. According to Nintendo, service for Dr. Mario World is set to end on Monday, November 1.
As of today, diamonds, the game's in-app currency, are no longer available for purchase. Starting on November 1, Nintendo says an end-of-service notification will be displayed and the game will not be playable.
Players will be able to look back at their player history in "Dr. Mario World Memories," a web page that Nintendo plans to launch later this year. This website will use player history, and customers can avoid being included by deleting their save data in the app.
Dr. Mario World is a puzzle game based on the well-known Dr. Mario Nintendo title. Players are tasked with matching capsules with viruses in order to clear out all the viruses on the board, and Nintendo characters like Peach, Bowser, Koopa Troopa, and Goomba appear in the game.
Like Nintendo's other titles, Dr. Mario World is a free-to-play game that included optional in-app purchases, but apparently the game failed to catch on.
Bloomberg last year said that Nintendo is "retreating" from its mobile game plans, focusing on already-released titles rather than debuting new games. Nintendo has had success with games like Fire Emblem Heroes and Dragalia Lost, but has not been able to maintain sales momentum.
Nintendo previously discontinued Miitomo, Pokémon Duel, and Pokémon Rumble Rush. Fire Emblem Heroes, Dragalia Lost, Super Mario Run, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and Mario Kart Tour continue to be available.
Top Rated Comments
And before people start claiming that customers don't own the software - that's the very problem we need to solve.
Luckily, Apple Arcade is picking up the slack. The remastered classics and new games are starting to become better and better, all with no in-app purchases or ads.
Maybe Nintendo will one day be a little more lenient with their IPs and make a solid game to sell on mobile. I’ve got no qualms paying $10-$25 on a mobile game if it’s worth it.