Off the AppStore: Mobile medicine with Dr. Mario Mania

• Dr Mario is back in practice on the mobile stage
• Fight back critical viruses with well-placed colorful capsules
• Adjust the difficulty, speed, or try one of the many new modes

Welcome to Off The AppStore, a weekly feature with a twist. Namely, that while these - as with all the games we cover here - are games that you can play on your phone, they're ones that operate outside of the realms of the big two ways to play: The Google Play Store and the Apple AppStore.

That means that there might be a bit of work required in downloading alternative AppStores or APKs, or that the games can simply be played in your phone browser. We'll make sure to detail that for each game though. Anyway, read on to find a new game or experience to play Off The AppStore.

Nintendo is very protective of its IP, but its policies seem to slip and slide at will, or they're just not keeping close watch on everything. Many creators have gone online to create and share their takes on various Nintendo games, either to create something new or make a classic more accessible to those who may not have grown up with it. Among these individuals are those who simply want to express their love and appreciation for the adventures that have brought them so much joy. One creator named Toadfan lives up to their name with their creation of the non-profit, fan-made Dr. Mario Mania.

Mario has held a variety of professions in the past, which raises the question of whether the plumbing business is viable in the Mushroom Kingdom. One of his more unexpected professions is being a doctor, where he's called up to battle some pesky viruses that have spread across the land. Luckily, he has access to colour-coded medicinal pills that he can direct towards each of the different viruses to destroy them. Still, he must be careful not to toss too many capsules; otherwise, he could end up making the problem worse and granting the viruses free rein to party hard.

First released in 1990 for the NES, Dr. Mario has achieved moderate success due to its similarities to other popular puzzlers like Tetris. Although it has been remade and re-released several times, it has never found a comfortable home on mobile, until now. Thanks to this version, you can be Dr. Mario, tackling all the colourful viruses with dual-coloured capsules that you can toss and rotate. Line up enough colours in both the capsule and virus to eliminate them from the area. This version also features updated models that look and play smoother and cleaner, with touch controls that are simple and effective. It also includes several modes, difficulty and speed adjusters, as well as a multiplayer option.

Dr. Mario Mania has reopened his puzzling 2D practice on mobile, thanks to Toadfan, with all the little but notable tweaks to adapt it effectively. You may think that it's easy, but as any doctor will tell you, practising medicine is hard. You may just be tossing pills, but one wrong dose can ruin your whole procedure. But hey, there's always plumbing to fall back on.

Dr. Mario can be downloaded and played from its itch.io page!