What do Microtransactions do in Dr. Mario World?

Dr. Mario World is out now for Android and iOS mobile devices. It’s a fun twist on the classic Dr. Mario formula, and like most Nintendo mobile games, it’s free-to-play, but packed with microtransactions.

Dr. Mario World uses coins and diamonds as currency. Coins can be earned by completing levels, while diamonds — aside from a few times when you collect them as rewards — must be purchased from the store using real money.

Microtransaction Prices

You can access the store to purchase diamonds by tapping the store icon at the bottom of the screen when you’re on the world map. Diamonds become available after stage 20 for $1.99, but like most mobile games, the more currency you buy at once, the more of a bonus you get. Here are the current prices for diamonds in Dr. Mario World:

20 Diamonds -$1.99

53 Diamonds – $4.99

110 Diamonds – $9.99

250 Diamonds – $19.99

550 Diamonds – $39.99

1050 Diamonds – $69.99

There’s also a limited time offer to get 75 Diamonds for $4.99, right now.

The store has a section designated for “Special Packs.” When you first start playing Dr. Mario World, this section will be empty, but once you unlock the ability to use items, you can purchase Special Pack A. It consists of 160 diamonds and three power-ups for $14.99. The available power-ups are a hammer to break blocks, a skill filler to instantly get one use of your doctor’s power, and a pack of bonus capsules. That spot likely includes other similar packs of Diamonds and items in the future.

Diamonds and special packs are currently the only microtransactions in the game, but diamonds are used as premium currency for plenty of other things, from extra lives to items and characters. Most of these are optional. For instance, you could play the whole game with one doctor, and if you’re good enough, you could probably do it without needing items, but it would be difficult. The one place where you’ll get stuck is with hearts. You spend one each time you play a level, so eventually, you either have to shell out for some or stay patient to wait for them to recharge on their own.