Published , by Kevin Tucker
Published , by Kevin Tucker
Microtransactions are a bit of a nasty term around the video game community. While many players don't mind dropping a buck or two here or there, others balk at the idea of paying money to enjoy a video game. Like it or not, microtransactions are just how some video games work, and new Nintendo mobile game Dr. Mario World is just one such game. Here's how microtransactions work in Dr. Mario World.
Yes, microtransactions are part of the Dr. Mario World experience. The biggest element of the game's microtransactions involves Hearts, which are needed to play any and every stage in the game.
When playing Dr. Mario World, player will be given one Heart every 30 minutes. These Hearts are needed to play levels, and if the level is completed successfully, players will earn a Heart in exchange for their victory. Otherwise, Hearts unlock over time, can be exchanged among friends or purchased using actual real-world cash.
Assuming waiting 30 minutes is unacceptable, players who want to earn more Hearts only have a few options. It's possible to get Hearts from other players, but that means they have to give up theirs. Beyond waiting or gifting, Hearts must be purchased, and there are a couple of different approaches for buying more.
There are two main when buying Hearts: Buying them outright, where five Hearts costs 10 diamonds, or buying 60 Minutes of Infinite Hearts for 30 diamonds. Diamonds are the premium currency of Dr. Mario World, and they can only be earned by spending cash. Here's a breakdown of how much they cost:
| Price | Diamonds |
| $1.99 | 20 |
| $4.99 | 43 |
| $9.99 | 110 |
| $19.99 | 250 |
| $49.99 | 550 |
| $69.99 | 1,050 |
As you can see, the more Diamonds you buy at once, the better the value becomes. However, as tempting as it may be to buy 60 minutes of Infinite Hearts, remember that failure in Dr. Mario World isn't always quick. The 60 Minutes of Infinite Heart purchase is only valuable if players believe they will need more than 30 tries to complete a level (because the same $3 can otherwise buy 30 Hearts), or if they're sure they can blast through more than 30 levels in the same period of time. After all, if you spend three bucks and complete less than 30 levels, you'd be better off outright buying 30 Hearts and spending them whenever you please.
Microtransactions are certainly a part of the Dr. Mario World equation, but they're not terribly complicated. Players essentially need money to buy Diamonds, which are then spent on Hearts, the currency needed to actually play the game. Learn more about Nintendo's latest free-to-start mobile game by heading over to Shacknews' Dr. Mario World home page.